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Dreg City #1
Three Days to Dead
They'll never see her coming. . . .
When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue in a strangers body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city's star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city's other Hunters that Evy was a traitor and she can't even remember what it was.
Now she's a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again but this time theres no second chance. . . .
11 pages, Audiobook
First published January 1, 2009
116 people are currently reading
7340 people want to read
About the author
Kelly Meding
26 books691 followersAlso writes as Kelly Meade: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 494 reviews
February 4, 2019
4.5
Yay!
This was such an unexpected read!
When I decided to read this one, I can't say I had high hopes, I was just looking for something fun but casual. And boy, was I surprised!
I absolutely loved this book! Amazing characters, great world-builder, fun and engaging plot. What more could you want from an Urban Fantasy?
This chick was such a badass, I loved her and her sarcastic humor. Oh, and the problems she has! I could barely put down this book. And the amazing part is that this story only gets better and better!
Definitely worth reading!
Yay!
This was such an unexpected read!
When I decided to read this one, I can't say I had high hopes, I was just looking for something fun but casual. And boy, was I surprised!
I absolutely loved this book! Amazing characters, great world-builder, fun and engaging plot. What more could you want from an Urban Fantasy?
This chick was such a badass, I loved her and her sarcastic humor. Oh, and the problems she has! I could barely put down this book. And the amazing part is that this story only gets better and better!
Definitely worth reading!
February 27, 2010
A brilliant first chapter and an intriguing concept but this book just didn't do it for me. The story dragged and became never-ending. The outcome was completely predictable. The body count was HUGE. If I had to read this again I'd be tallying the number of bodies.
The blame game grew tiresome. Evy and Wyatt were both victims of manipulation so none of what takes place is their fault but they keep blaming themselves and each other until I just wanted to slap them.
Untangling the conspiracy was confusing, the characters went round and round in circles until I didn't know what they were talking about but then I all ready knew who the bad guy was so it didn't matter so much to me.
There wasn't much depth to any of the characters except maybe Evy and if you asked me what Wyatt looked like I could only tell you that he has onyx coloured eyes.
A couple of times I believe the author was struck with writer's block and had to figure out how to move the story on and get her characters out of captivity. The ending was awkward but necessary in order to have the happy ending that was needed after all of the death and destruction.
Overall, this struck me as a draft which needed the kinks steam-ironed out and the gloss to be applied before publication.
The blame game grew tiresome. Evy and Wyatt were both victims of manipulation so none of what takes place is their fault but they keep blaming themselves and each other until I just wanted to slap them.
Untangling the conspiracy was confusing, the characters went round and round in circles until I didn't know what they were talking about but then I all ready knew who the bad guy was so it didn't matter so much to me.
There wasn't much depth to any of the characters except maybe Evy and if you asked me what Wyatt looked like I could only tell you that he has onyx coloured eyes.
A couple of times I believe the author was struck with writer's block and had to figure out how to move the story on and get her characters out of captivity. The ending was awkward but necessary in order to have the happy ending that was needed after all of the death and destruction.
Overall, this struck me as a draft which needed the kinks steam-ironed out and the gloss to be applied before publication.
June 17, 2018
Started strong, then it dragged on a lot and I felt the villain was plainly obvious. I think I would continue reading this series. There’s room to evolve.
December 9, 2009
It has been awhile since I have felt this passionate about a book. I love my romances with the steamy smex, but I also am a huge fan of urban fantasy. I love the altered worlds, kick ass heroines, the sexual tension, and great action. Three Days to Dead has it all, written so well there were times I had to make myself take a deep breath so I could get through the page. I laughed out loud and at one point I had to read with one eye open because of the awful things that were being done. This book also brought back my bad habit of sneaking peeks ahead. Yes, I’m a peeker and it is this book’s fault. There were two occasions where I absolutely had to take a quick look to make sure a certain character was coming back. The reason I had to look is because Kelly Meding doesn’t write a perfect world. Innocents die, bad things happen to characters you like, Evy doesn’t always succeed in what she is trying to do. So as the reader, you are left on the edge of your seat without being able to guess what the outcome is going to be. Although the world has supernatural rules, it felt real. Bad things happen, and that makes a great book.
There are about two hundred things I want to talk about, but I knew nothing of this book when I started it and I think it greatly enhanced my reading experience, so I am not going to go heavy into the plot. The book has one of the best beginnings I have read this year. Evy opens her eyes and she is in a morgue and in a different body, but she has retained her mind and memories – at least all of her memories except for the past few days – those detailing how and why she died. After scanning the charts, she discovers her new name is Challice. Desperate for clothes, money and transportation, she goes to Challice’s address. Her plans become somewhat mottled when she runs into Alex, Challice’s roommate who discovered Challice dead and identified her at the morgue. Think he is a bit freaked out to see her now?
The world Evy lives in is full of magic, although most people don’t even realize it. Most are oblivious because Evy has spent the past four years working in a secret organization. She is a bounty hunter that protects the innocent humans from the dregs – otherwise known as the vampires, goblins, shifters, etc. She works in what is called a triad, with two other team members. All triads have a handler that send them out on their mission. It can be a very violent job, and Evy has lived quite a hard life, but she likes it. Her triad is elite with more kills than any other. She likes to think of imaginative ways to kill the rogue supernaturals, she lives for that high.
When Evy awakes in the morgue, she knows someone must have performed a spell to put her spirit in another body. But she has no idea who, nor why. She can’t remember the past couple of days. She has no idea how or why she died. The last of her memories are of her teammates being killed, her being blamed for it, and innocent shifters being slaughtered.
The only person that is alive that she can trust is her handler, Wyatt. After literally running into him and convincing him that it is actually her in another’s body, they must figure out who set up Evy to die. Wyatt knows Evy was captured and tortured, but why is the big question. The twist is, the spell performed to bring Evy back lasts only three days. She has 72 hours to live, to bring justice to those murdered, and to try to remember the past few days before she is dead, forever.
There were a few times where I thought Evy may have forgotten she only had three days to live, where she seemed a little too nonchalant about the situation. However, the desperation starts to seep into her as the clock ticks and towards the end it becomes a full out race. To put it plain and simple, Evy is kind of bitchy but that is not necessarily a deterrent for liking her character. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, and to say she is enraged that someone set her up, is an understatement. The funny thing is, she isn’t really that upset that she is dead. She is more angry that innocent shifters that were trying to protect her were killed. She is angry that she was deceived by people she thought were trustworthy. And she is angry that Wyatt has been dragged into this. Ultimately, I found her to be extremely unselfish and because of that, she becomes a very likable heroine.
In these three days, Evy has a monumental task of figuring out how she dies and why, and coming to terms with her feelings for Wyatt. Wyatt and her have a history, and as her memories come back from her final days, although her physical body is healed, her emotional memories are dark, and hurtful. Her relationship with Wyatt is very complex and this definitely becomes Evy's weakness. Wyatt tells Evy three simple words, and with everything going on in her life, these three words become the most difficult for her to deal with:
“You’ve got me”
She does. He is her base. He is not only her mentor, her friend, but he becomes so much more. And if you look from his perspective, he loves this girl that he only has three days left with. He has to be strong for her, be the rock, give her space when her emotions topple. For as strong as she is, he holds it together for them.
There are about two hundred things I want to talk about, but I knew nothing of this book when I started it and I think it greatly enhanced my reading experience, so I am not going to go heavy into the plot. The book has one of the best beginnings I have read this year. Evy opens her eyes and she is in a morgue and in a different body, but she has retained her mind and memories – at least all of her memories except for the past few days – those detailing how and why she died. After scanning the charts, she discovers her new name is Challice. Desperate for clothes, money and transportation, she goes to Challice’s address. Her plans become somewhat mottled when she runs into Alex, Challice’s roommate who discovered Challice dead and identified her at the morgue. Think he is a bit freaked out to see her now?
The world Evy lives in is full of magic, although most people don’t even realize it. Most are oblivious because Evy has spent the past four years working in a secret organization. She is a bounty hunter that protects the innocent humans from the dregs – otherwise known as the vampires, goblins, shifters, etc. She works in what is called a triad, with two other team members. All triads have a handler that send them out on their mission. It can be a very violent job, and Evy has lived quite a hard life, but she likes it. Her triad is elite with more kills than any other. She likes to think of imaginative ways to kill the rogue supernaturals, she lives for that high.
When Evy awakes in the morgue, she knows someone must have performed a spell to put her spirit in another body. But she has no idea who, nor why. She can’t remember the past couple of days. She has no idea how or why she died. The last of her memories are of her teammates being killed, her being blamed for it, and innocent shifters being slaughtered.
The only person that is alive that she can trust is her handler, Wyatt. After literally running into him and convincing him that it is actually her in another’s body, they must figure out who set up Evy to die. Wyatt knows Evy was captured and tortured, but why is the big question. The twist is, the spell performed to bring Evy back lasts only three days. She has 72 hours to live, to bring justice to those murdered, and to try to remember the past few days before she is dead, forever.
There were a few times where I thought Evy may have forgotten she only had three days to live, where she seemed a little too nonchalant about the situation. However, the desperation starts to seep into her as the clock ticks and towards the end it becomes a full out race. To put it plain and simple, Evy is kind of bitchy but that is not necessarily a deterrent for liking her character. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, and to say she is enraged that someone set her up, is an understatement. The funny thing is, she isn’t really that upset that she is dead. She is more angry that innocent shifters that were trying to protect her were killed. She is angry that she was deceived by people she thought were trustworthy. And she is angry that Wyatt has been dragged into this. Ultimately, I found her to be extremely unselfish and because of that, she becomes a very likable heroine.
In these three days, Evy has a monumental task of figuring out how she dies and why, and coming to terms with her feelings for Wyatt. Wyatt and her have a history, and as her memories come back from her final days, although her physical body is healed, her emotional memories are dark, and hurtful. Her relationship with Wyatt is very complex and this definitely becomes Evy's weakness. Wyatt tells Evy three simple words, and with everything going on in her life, these three words become the most difficult for her to deal with:
“You’ve got me”
She does. He is her base. He is not only her mentor, her friend, but he becomes so much more. And if you look from his perspective, he loves this girl that he only has three days left with. He has to be strong for her, be the rock, give her space when her emotions topple. For as strong as she is, he holds it together for them.
March 26, 2025
So I will say this- really like the overall premise.
Girl wakes up in the morgue in a completely different body and can't remember the last week of her life that lead up to her death. However, she assumes she has a limited time to solve her own murder with no memory or allies. Also she ends up having to suss out a dark plot going on against the city.
I also like the dark and gritty background of the city, and the descriptions of the supernaturals (liked the wide variety- goblins, vampires, shifters, fae, gargoyles ect.)
But what I didn't like? The romance.
x------------------------------------------------x
So some people might see Evy and Wyatt as a romantic pairing- but what I personally read was a man, 10 years this girls age, who was her superior and mentor (who was secretly in love with her) waited until her weakest moment to take advantage of being her only source of comfort....to finally sleep with her.
And then after that, when she relived her memories and was sure she didn't care about him that way-and that sleeping with him was a mistake because she was only seeking comfort--then her new body ends up influencing her to be interested in him (not necessarily her)
Le sigh. It just gave me yuck feelings.
Not to mention the pièce de résistance of ugh is that
Girl wakes up in the morgue in a completely different body and can't remember the last week of her life that lead up to her death. However, she assumes she has a limited time to solve her own murder with no memory or allies. Also she ends up having to suss out a dark plot going on against the city.
I also like the dark and gritty background of the city, and the descriptions of the supernaturals (liked the wide variety- goblins, vampires, shifters, fae, gargoyles ect.)
But what I didn't like? The romance.
x------------------------------------------------x
So some people might see Evy and Wyatt as a romantic pairing- but what I personally read was a man, 10 years this girls age, who was her superior and mentor (who was secretly in love with her) waited until her weakest moment to take advantage of being her only source of comfort....to finally sleep with her.
Wyatt’s mouth captures mine, and the world goes away. I have nothing to lose, and he has everything to gain. He wants this. I don’t know if I do or not, but I submit. Instinct takes over. I reach for him.
And then after that, when she relived her memories and was sure she didn't care about him that way-and that sleeping with him was a mistake because she was only seeking comfort--then her new body ends up influencing her to be interested in him (not necessarily her)
Hear that, Chalice? This is the guy you’re so keen to sleep with.
My new body wanted more from him than I was emotionally prepared to accept.
All of this had been complicated by Chalice’s overt attraction to Wyatt, which had, in turn, become my attraction.
Le sigh. It just gave me yuck feelings.
Not to mention the pièce de résistance of ugh is that
May 13, 2015
THREE DAYS TO DEAD's deck is stacked with tons of paranormal content, a funky 'work backwards' story telling style, and a tough as nails protagonist. I loved Evy; this girl has been lived through pretty much every crappy scenario you can dream up, and then some, yet she keeps her eye on the prize. Meding's DREG CITY world is vast, and exciting without being overpowering, and the urgency of Stone's situation comes through loud & clear thanks to the author writing the heroine's flashbacks in the present tense. I was iffy on the narrator for the better part of this audiobook, but I enjoyed it enough to continue listening to the series.
December 4, 2009
Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com
Have you seen the movie D.O.A starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan or the 1950 original about a man who is poisoned and has only 24 hours to solve his own murder? It’s a great premise that unfortunately didn’t make for a great movie. Three Days to Dead operates on a similar idea with a much more successful execution.
I don't recall the first time I died, but I do remember the second time I was born. Vividly. Waking up on a cold morgue table surrounded by surgical instruments and autopsy paraphernalia, to the tune of the medical examiner's high-pitched shrieks of fright, is an unforgettable experience. – first line from Three Days to Dead
Evy Stone, paranormal bounty hunter, wakes up naked in a morgue inside a stranger's body with little memory of the past few. Now she has only 72 hours to figure out how she died, why she was brought back, and who is ultimately responsible. Easier said then done when she’s been branded a traitor by those she used to work with. Not sure who to trust, Evy turns to the one man whom she has always depended on, her Handler Wyatt. Together they begin to unravel a plot that goes deeper then either of them feared and includes a possible alliance between the vampire Bloods and the Goblins that would result in the destruction of mankind.
A lot of first time authors, especially in the urban fantasy genre, struggle with trying to establish a unique and distinct world without reducing their characters to little more than props while trying to tell a captivating story. Kelly manages this task beautifully without resorting to huge passages of info dumping. I have a good sense of her world and the rules that govern it, and yet I feel truly connected and engaged with her characters. Evy especially.
Evy Stone is my kind of girl. She's tough, resourceful, and most importantly resilient. Her second life starts hard and gets harder. The more she remembers the worse it gets. Friends die, allies betray, and her new body turns traitor in desiring Wyatt in a very unprofessional way. And do you know how many pages of the book Evy spends feeling sorry for herself and complaining about her lot? None. Not a one. Zilch. This was such a refreshing outlook from a character that it made up for some convenient plot developments towards the end of the book (more about that later).
And of course Evy isn’t alone in Dreg City. While including the standard fare paranormal beings like vampires and weres (although I've never before read about were owls aka owlkins), though with unique and interesting twists, Three Days to Dead also brings to light other less prominent beings such as gargoyles, gremlins, goblins, and trolls. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word gargoyle I think of fat little statues singing Disney songs. Kelly's gargoyles are a lot closer to their vampire cousins; stoic, wise, and often indifferent to other creatures. And forget short, they can reach 7ft in height.
But its not just additional creatures that set Three Days to Dead apart, Kelly uses an interesting narrative technique in the flashback scenes where Evy is remembering the days leading up to her death. They are all told in the present tense. This was a gamble that I think paid off big time. The connection between Evy and the reader is strengthened by this present tense and a sense of immediacy is created that would have been impossible if told in the past tense. If you've read any of Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games books you'll be appreciative and familiar with this tense. If not, it may take you a paragraph or two to acclimate, but after that I think you'll be so swept up in the scene that you won’t even notice it.
There were only a few things that I didn’t like about Three Days to Dead. As I mentioned before, there were a couple of convenient plot developments that weren’t even hinted at prior to occurring, and I could have wished for a few less species to interact with only because they were each so interesting that I would have liked more time to focus on just one or two, even three. And sadly Evy’s love interest Wyatt fell a bit flat for me. He was a bit too needy, too weak to credibly hold Evy’s interest. She is a strong woman who needs a strong man, and I don’t think he will ever be enough. Where’s an alpha man when you need one?
Minor criticisms aside, Three Days to Dead is easily one of the best urban fantasy debuts I've read in a long time. And lucky for us, As Lie the Dead, Dreg City, book 2, is due out next summer, and Kelly has posted some short stories featuring Evy online at Suvudu.com.
Sexual Content:
A rape is alluded to but not described. A brief sex scene without graphic descriptions.
Have you seen the movie D.O.A starring Dennis Quaid and Meg Ryan or the 1950 original about a man who is poisoned and has only 24 hours to solve his own murder? It’s a great premise that unfortunately didn’t make for a great movie. Three Days to Dead operates on a similar idea with a much more successful execution.
I don't recall the first time I died, but I do remember the second time I was born. Vividly. Waking up on a cold morgue table surrounded by surgical instruments and autopsy paraphernalia, to the tune of the medical examiner's high-pitched shrieks of fright, is an unforgettable experience. – first line from Three Days to Dead
Evy Stone, paranormal bounty hunter, wakes up naked in a morgue inside a stranger's body with little memory of the past few. Now she has only 72 hours to figure out how she died, why she was brought back, and who is ultimately responsible. Easier said then done when she’s been branded a traitor by those she used to work with. Not sure who to trust, Evy turns to the one man whom she has always depended on, her Handler Wyatt. Together they begin to unravel a plot that goes deeper then either of them feared and includes a possible alliance between the vampire Bloods and the Goblins that would result in the destruction of mankind.
A lot of first time authors, especially in the urban fantasy genre, struggle with trying to establish a unique and distinct world without reducing their characters to little more than props while trying to tell a captivating story. Kelly manages this task beautifully without resorting to huge passages of info dumping. I have a good sense of her world and the rules that govern it, and yet I feel truly connected and engaged with her characters. Evy especially.
Evy Stone is my kind of girl. She's tough, resourceful, and most importantly resilient. Her second life starts hard and gets harder. The more she remembers the worse it gets. Friends die, allies betray, and her new body turns traitor in desiring Wyatt in a very unprofessional way. And do you know how many pages of the book Evy spends feeling sorry for herself and complaining about her lot? None. Not a one. Zilch. This was such a refreshing outlook from a character that it made up for some convenient plot developments towards the end of the book (more about that later).
And of course Evy isn’t alone in Dreg City. While including the standard fare paranormal beings like vampires and weres (although I've never before read about were owls aka owlkins), though with unique and interesting twists, Three Days to Dead also brings to light other less prominent beings such as gargoyles, gremlins, goblins, and trolls. I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word gargoyle I think of fat little statues singing Disney songs. Kelly's gargoyles are a lot closer to their vampire cousins; stoic, wise, and often indifferent to other creatures. And forget short, they can reach 7ft in height.
But its not just additional creatures that set Three Days to Dead apart, Kelly uses an interesting narrative technique in the flashback scenes where Evy is remembering the days leading up to her death. They are all told in the present tense. This was a gamble that I think paid off big time. The connection between Evy and the reader is strengthened by this present tense and a sense of immediacy is created that would have been impossible if told in the past tense. If you've read any of Suzanne Collins The Hunger Games books you'll be appreciative and familiar with this tense. If not, it may take you a paragraph or two to acclimate, but after that I think you'll be so swept up in the scene that you won’t even notice it.
There were only a few things that I didn’t like about Three Days to Dead. As I mentioned before, there were a couple of convenient plot developments that weren’t even hinted at prior to occurring, and I could have wished for a few less species to interact with only because they were each so interesting that I would have liked more time to focus on just one or two, even three. And sadly Evy’s love interest Wyatt fell a bit flat for me. He was a bit too needy, too weak to credibly hold Evy’s interest. She is a strong woman who needs a strong man, and I don’t think he will ever be enough. Where’s an alpha man when you need one?
Minor criticisms aside, Three Days to Dead is easily one of the best urban fantasy debuts I've read in a long time. And lucky for us, As Lie the Dead, Dreg City, book 2, is due out next summer, and Kelly has posted some short stories featuring Evy online at Suvudu.com.
Sexual Content:
A rape is alluded to but not described. A brief sex scene without graphic descriptions.
July 10, 2011
* * * 4.5 Stars * * *
"My day was decidedly much worse, so I did the first sensible thing that came to mind. I stole her tennis shoes."
From the moment I read this line, I knew that Evangeline and I would get along just fine.
I was hooked from the first chapter and dreaded the moments that I had to put this book down and step back into the real world.
There were many, many things that I loved about this story, but the thing that I enjoyed most, aside from Evy herself, was the complexity and uniqueness of the relationships involved. There are two important characters that play a significant role in Evy's life ..and afterlife.. but I don't want to explore them in depth because I'm afraid that I'll give too much away. I will just say that there are enough secrets, surprises, and emotional confessions to keep the story intriguing and the pages turning.
The only problems that I encountered were some issues with the "bad guy" and the story seeming to lose some of its steam about 3/4 of the way through, but it wasn't long before it picked back up. Otherwise, it completely kicked ass.
The book's synopsis outlines the story perfectly, so I'm not going to do it a second time. Anything else you would really need to know I would suggest you discover by reading the book ;)
To all of my lovely GR friends who share my appreciation of stories that are dark, often morbid, and abundant in action - READ THIS! You'll love it.
"Don't give me that destiny bullshit. You know I don't buy it."
"And you know I do, so one of us is going to look pretty stupid when this is over."
"I think one of us already does, because if this is what destiny had in mind, you can tell her to eat me. People like us don't get happy endings."
"My day was decidedly much worse, so I did the first sensible thing that came to mind. I stole her tennis shoes."
From the moment I read this line, I knew that Evangeline and I would get along just fine.
I was hooked from the first chapter and dreaded the moments that I had to put this book down and step back into the real world.
There were many, many things that I loved about this story, but the thing that I enjoyed most, aside from Evy herself, was the complexity and uniqueness of the relationships involved. There are two important characters that play a significant role in Evy's life ..and afterlife.. but I don't want to explore them in depth because I'm afraid that I'll give too much away. I will just say that there are enough secrets, surprises, and emotional confessions to keep the story intriguing and the pages turning.
The only problems that I encountered were some issues with the "bad guy" and the story seeming to lose some of its steam about 3/4 of the way through, but it wasn't long before it picked back up. Otherwise, it completely kicked ass.
The book's synopsis outlines the story perfectly, so I'm not going to do it a second time. Anything else you would really need to know I would suggest you discover by reading the book ;)
To all of my lovely GR friends who share my appreciation of stories that are dark, often morbid, and abundant in action - READ THIS! You'll love it.
"Don't give me that destiny bullshit. You know I don't buy it."
"And you know I do, so one of us is going to look pretty stupid when this is over."
"I think one of us already does, because if this is what destiny had in mind, you can tell her to eat me. People like us don't get happy endings."
March 18, 2017
Let me just start by saying there was absolutely nothing wrong with this book. It had all the makings of a book that I would LOVE but I just didn't get that feeling. I don't know why, and there really isn't a reason for it. I just didn't connect with the story as much as I feel I should have. This should not deter anyone from reading this because I'm probably just in a mood.
January 25, 2012
ORIGINALLY POSTED AT Fantasy Literature.
When Dreg hunter Evangeline Stone wakes up in the morgue, in someone else’s body, she knows that something went wrong. Things get worse when she discovers that she’s been falsely accused of treason against her fellow Dreg hunters and is wanted for their murders. She has only three days to clear her name before the resurrection spell wears off and she’s dead for keeps. During her investigation, Evy becomes entangled in the politics of the same creatures who, as a Dreg hunter, she’s supposed to kill.
I was immediately intrigued by Evy’s story. Waking up in someone else’s body? That’s fun. The woman whose body Evy now inhabits has a love interest, and so does Evy, so that’s fun, too. Evy lives in a city that is teeming with paranormal creatures which most of its citizens are oblivious to. Fun, fun, fun.
So, I should have enjoyed Three Days to Dead, but I didn’t. The writing is well done, the audio production (Tantor Audio) I listened to was excellent, and there is plenty of tension and suspense, but the plot is not as exciting as its premise, and there is nothing unique or particularly fascinating about the world building.
What I disliked most about Three Days to Dead, though — and this is the clincher — is that I just didn’t like Evy. She’s the typical nobody-ever-loved-me-so-now-I’m-a-snarky-bitch-who-kicks-ass heroine. I don’t like these types of characters, or the sarcastic banter they think is funny, which is why I read very little paranormal urban fantasy with female leads. Furthermore, the romance is such a big part of the plot of these novels, but I never believe in the romance because I can’t figure out what kind of dolt falls in love with a woman like that. In this case, Evy’s love interest does something really stupid to give her the three days to live and I had a hard time believing it. He says he loves her because he admires her spirit. Sorry — that’s not enough. Evy isn’t worth it, which means he’s an idiot.
I’ve admitted that I don’t usually like this genre, so you may be wondering why I read Three Days to Dead. Well, sometimes I do like these books. I love Karen Moning’s FEVER series which features an awesome protagonist (I guess she’s awesome because her parents love her). But the real reason I picked up Three Days to Dead was that I wanted to read something narrated by Xe Sands. Indeed, her narration was superb and she’s the only reason I stuck with Three Days to Dead until the end. Both her male and female voices were perfect and I felt that her spot-on narration actually made the story more exciting than it truly was. But not enough to make me want to read the next book.
When Dreg hunter Evangeline Stone wakes up in the morgue, in someone else’s body, she knows that something went wrong. Things get worse when she discovers that she’s been falsely accused of treason against her fellow Dreg hunters and is wanted for their murders. She has only three days to clear her name before the resurrection spell wears off and she’s dead for keeps. During her investigation, Evy becomes entangled in the politics of the same creatures who, as a Dreg hunter, she’s supposed to kill.
I was immediately intrigued by Evy’s story. Waking up in someone else’s body? That’s fun. The woman whose body Evy now inhabits has a love interest, and so does Evy, so that’s fun, too. Evy lives in a city that is teeming with paranormal creatures which most of its citizens are oblivious to. Fun, fun, fun.
So, I should have enjoyed Three Days to Dead, but I didn’t. The writing is well done, the audio production (Tantor Audio) I listened to was excellent, and there is plenty of tension and suspense, but the plot is not as exciting as its premise, and there is nothing unique or particularly fascinating about the world building.
What I disliked most about Three Days to Dead, though — and this is the clincher — is that I just didn’t like Evy. She’s the typical nobody-ever-loved-me-so-now-I’m-a-snarky-bitch-who-kicks-ass heroine. I don’t like these types of characters, or the sarcastic banter they think is funny, which is why I read very little paranormal urban fantasy with female leads. Furthermore, the romance is such a big part of the plot of these novels, but I never believe in the romance because I can’t figure out what kind of dolt falls in love with a woman like that. In this case, Evy’s love interest does something really stupid to give her the three days to live and I had a hard time believing it. He says he loves her because he admires her spirit. Sorry — that’s not enough. Evy isn’t worth it, which means he’s an idiot.
I’ve admitted that I don’t usually like this genre, so you may be wondering why I read Three Days to Dead. Well, sometimes I do like these books. I love Karen Moning’s FEVER series which features an awesome protagonist (I guess she’s awesome because her parents love her). But the real reason I picked up Three Days to Dead was that I wanted to read something narrated by Xe Sands. Indeed, her narration was superb and she’s the only reason I stuck with Three Days to Dead until the end. Both her male and female voices were perfect and I felt that her spot-on narration actually made the story more exciting than it truly was. But not enough to make me want to read the next book.
April 27, 2011
I had a lot of trouble with this book. The premise was interesting and it started out well but quickly started dragging on and on but it didn't seem to be getting anywhere important. Both Evy and Wyatt were flat almost two-dimensional and the romance between them was forced. She claims not to love him but sleeps with him anyway (seemingly out of gratitude for saving her life). The next thing you know they are in love and inseparable. Huh? It was almost as if the author needs to give them a reason to live and fight but just doesn't quite make it believable.
I thoroughly enjoyed First Break and wished the book focused more on this well developed world. It was a fascinating place and I guess it will be further explored in future books. But honestly I won't be reading them because there was just something missing from this story. I really wish I could put my finger on what's bugging me about this story. It had so much going on - vampires, halfies, goblins, elves, trolls, gargoyles, humans, magic, psychic gifts and the fey - but nothing really clicked. It was as if everything but the kitchen sink was tossed into the mix. A lot of the "extras" could easily have been introduced in later installments as they didn't have any impact on the story.
I thoroughly enjoyed First Break and wished the book focused more on this well developed world. It was a fascinating place and I guess it will be further explored in future books. But honestly I won't be reading them because there was just something missing from this story. I really wish I could put my finger on what's bugging me about this story. It had so much going on - vampires, halfies, goblins, elves, trolls, gargoyles, humans, magic, psychic gifts and the fey - but nothing really clicked. It was as if everything but the kitchen sink was tossed into the mix. A lot of the "extras" could easily have been introduced in later installments as they didn't have any impact on the story.
December 29, 2018
It started promising, but most of the mystery was revealed about half-way through the book. The writing was weak, but there is potential. The romance was... I don't have the adequate word for it, it just didn't feel natural? It seemed a bit forced. Ended being a meh/ok-ish read.
December 15, 2009
Evangeline Stone is a Dreg hunter, charged with protecting mundane humanity from the things that go bump in the night, until the night she is betrayed. Her teammates are killed, Evy is framed for their deaths and forced to run, and then somehow — she can’t remember just what happened — she ends up dead. She is resurrected, but in the body of a stranger, and with big holes in her memory. Now she must unravel the mystery of her own murder and how it ties into a larger conspiracy. And she only has three days to do it before she dies again, permanently.
The wrong-body theme seems to be popping up a lot lately. I’ve seen it in Vicki Pettersson’s Signs of the Zodiac series, and in Julie Kenner’s Blood Lily Chronicles, and now here, in the Evangeline Stone series. It’s interesting to see different authors’ takes on a plot element that’s almost popular enough to be a nascent trend, but not popular enough to be a cliché. Urban fantasy heroines often find themselves fighting for their lives in situations where they’re in over their heads. It only gets messier when you’re wearing someone else’s face and trying to live that person’s life without blowing your cover! In Three Days to Dead, there’s a little less of that than usual. Chalice Frost, the woman whose body Evy now inhabits, lived somewhat of a lonely life before committing suicide, and had few friends. Evy doesn’t have a lot of Chalice’s acquaintances to deal with. However, there’s one friend of Chalice’s who plays a major role in the story, and every scene involving him is poignant. He blames himself for Chalice’s death, then is overjoyed that she’s alive after all, except really, she’s not…
If I have any gripes about the body-switching element, it’s that it seems like Evy’s colleagues and enemies accept a little too easily that she is Evy. I think that’s because Evy spends most of the book among people who know about the magic that exists in the world and know that resurrection spells exist.
Moving on to the plot, we follow Evy and her friend Wyatt (the one who resurrected her) as they try to uncover a secret plot brewing among the city’s Dregs. Alongside this investigation is Evy’s quest to piece her memory back together. The solution to the mystery may be something that’s been lurking in her mind all along.
I don’t say this often about urban fantasy, but I think the romantic subplot may have been my favorite part of Three Days to Dead. Everything about it is handled really, really well. I like Wyatt, who’s a far cry from the overly-possessive “I am alpha male, hear me roar!” love interests who are all too common in this subgenre. He’s a three-dimensional, complicated, conflicted man whose love for Evy is obvious. I found myself rooting for this couple even though it seems impossible for both of them to survive the events of the book. I also found Kelly Meding’s treatment of Evy’s past trauma to be sensitive and realistic. She’s suffered some horrible things, and they don’t just magically go away when she and Wyatt get together.
Other things I loved: “First Break,” a subterranean fairyland. The trolls. The revelation of Chalice Frost’s backstory, and the ramifications of this backstory on Evy’s new existence.
Three Days to Dead is a good addition to the urban fantasy shelves, with a convincing and moving love story, some great settings and imagery, and a plot that’s complex but still makes sense.
The wrong-body theme seems to be popping up a lot lately. I’ve seen it in Vicki Pettersson’s Signs of the Zodiac series, and in Julie Kenner’s Blood Lily Chronicles, and now here, in the Evangeline Stone series. It’s interesting to see different authors’ takes on a plot element that’s almost popular enough to be a nascent trend, but not popular enough to be a cliché. Urban fantasy heroines often find themselves fighting for their lives in situations where they’re in over their heads. It only gets messier when you’re wearing someone else’s face and trying to live that person’s life without blowing your cover! In Three Days to Dead, there’s a little less of that than usual. Chalice Frost, the woman whose body Evy now inhabits, lived somewhat of a lonely life before committing suicide, and had few friends. Evy doesn’t have a lot of Chalice’s acquaintances to deal with. However, there’s one friend of Chalice’s who plays a major role in the story, and every scene involving him is poignant. He blames himself for Chalice’s death, then is overjoyed that she’s alive after all, except really, she’s not…
If I have any gripes about the body-switching element, it’s that it seems like Evy’s colleagues and enemies accept a little too easily that she is Evy. I think that’s because Evy spends most of the book among people who know about the magic that exists in the world and know that resurrection spells exist.
Moving on to the plot, we follow Evy and her friend Wyatt (the one who resurrected her) as they try to uncover a secret plot brewing among the city’s Dregs. Alongside this investigation is Evy’s quest to piece her memory back together. The solution to the mystery may be something that’s been lurking in her mind all along.
I don’t say this often about urban fantasy, but I think the romantic subplot may have been my favorite part of Three Days to Dead. Everything about it is handled really, really well. I like Wyatt, who’s a far cry from the overly-possessive “I am alpha male, hear me roar!” love interests who are all too common in this subgenre. He’s a three-dimensional, complicated, conflicted man whose love for Evy is obvious. I found myself rooting for this couple even though it seems impossible for both of them to survive the events of the book. I also found Kelly Meding’s treatment of Evy’s past trauma to be sensitive and realistic. She’s suffered some horrible things, and they don’t just magically go away when she and Wyatt get together.
Other things I loved: “First Break,” a subterranean fairyland. The trolls. The revelation of Chalice Frost’s backstory, and the ramifications of this backstory on Evy’s new existence.
Three Days to Dead is a good addition to the urban fantasy shelves, with a convincing and moving love story, some great settings and imagery, and a plot that’s complex but still makes sense.
March 6, 2013
Quite an interesting book, full of action and intrigue, that had me interested enough to look up more books in the series. So, why only 3 stars?
During the first half, it was a 5 star book for me. Evy and Wyatt were kicking ass together and taking no names, they were equal partners but... as more details about what happened resurfaced, Evy turned from likable to bitchy with issues greater than everybody else's and Wyatt became a sniveling lovesick fool who could only moan and shuffle his feet. Seriously, Wyatt was her BOSS, for Christ's sake, yet he mostly just whined and wrung his hands while Evy ordered everybody around, even the Handlers of other Triads. And again, rape was used as tool for female "empowerment" *sigh* So suddenly, Evy was reborn and Gifted and kick-ass and the boss of everything in sight... No, just no.
And their relationship... most of the time, I felt that Evy considered Wyatt's love off-putting or downright annoying. Yes, it's perfectly okay for a woman not to reciprocate a man's feelings. But Evy... her moods almost gave me a whiplash. I never knew how she would react to him. Would she be annoyed? Or suddenly feel attracted to him again? Never once did I feel she actually loved him. Even her "he was the only one she cared about" despair felt... well, definitely not as love. If that was the author's intention, to make it obvious Evy didn't love Wyatt, that she was just succumbing to her new body's attraction to him, then yeah, she succeeded.
Also, the mythology was quite confusing. So many races - vampires, goblins, whatnot - and the author felt she needed to give every one of them her own twist, up to calling them Dregs, Bloods, Halfies, I-don't-know-what, and that got confusing quite fast, especially coupled with Triads and Handlers and Hunters and the alliance that was but wasn't... It was just overly complicated.
So yeah, I'm still interested in reading more about the world, I just hope that the author learns to balance out her characters better. I prefer men and women as equals, not one kicking ass, the other sniveling in a corner.
During the first half, it was a 5 star book for me. Evy and Wyatt were kicking ass together and taking no names, they were equal partners but... as more details about what happened resurfaced, Evy turned from likable to bitchy with issues greater than everybody else's and Wyatt became a sniveling lovesick fool who could only moan and shuffle his feet. Seriously, Wyatt was her BOSS, for Christ's sake, yet he mostly just whined and wrung his hands while Evy ordered everybody around, even the Handlers of other Triads. And again, rape was used as tool for female "empowerment" *sigh* So suddenly, Evy was reborn and Gifted and kick-ass and the boss of everything in sight... No, just no.
And their relationship... most of the time, I felt that Evy considered Wyatt's love off-putting or downright annoying. Yes, it's perfectly okay for a woman not to reciprocate a man's feelings. But Evy... her moods almost gave me a whiplash. I never knew how she would react to him. Would she be annoyed? Or suddenly feel attracted to him again? Never once did I feel she actually loved him. Even her "he was the only one she cared about" despair felt... well, definitely not as love. If that was the author's intention, to make it obvious Evy didn't love Wyatt, that she was just succumbing to her new body's attraction to him, then yeah, she succeeded.
Also, the mythology was quite confusing. So many races - vampires, goblins, whatnot - and the author felt she needed to give every one of them her own twist, up to calling them Dregs, Bloods, Halfies, I-don't-know-what, and that got confusing quite fast, especially coupled with Triads and Handlers and Hunters and the alliance that was but wasn't... It was just overly complicated.
So yeah, I'm still interested in reading more about the world, I just hope that the author learns to balance out her characters better. I prefer men and women as equals, not one kicking ass, the other sniveling in a corner.
June 2, 2015
What a great start for debut author Kelly Meding. "I don't remember the first time I died..." Gotta love the opening line!
Evangline Stone wakes up in a morgue ... who's body is this? what am I doing in a morgue? She cannot remember the last several days, so after freaking out the morgue attendants, finding some clothes and the name to go with her "new" body, she's off to find some answers.
She's a Dreg Bounty Hunter, "they hunt rogue elements, carry out special warrants, try to keep some species from killing one another and wreaking havoc in the process and dole out punishment when lines are crossed", and her handler, Wyatt, is the only remaining member of her team, but she can't seem to remember his phone number. So, she heads to the only place she can think of Chalice's (current body's) apartment where she meets (and scares to death) her roommate, Alex.
This is not a touchy-feely story. Although, there is a splash of romance here and there, just to spice up the story a bit. There's a ton of action as Evy tries to find out why hunters are after her and time's running out. Her "new" body has an expiration date - can she find out what's going on before then?
There's a little bit of every-PN-thing in here - goblins, gremlins, trolls, gargoyles, vampires, weres, halfies (½human-½vampire), faeries, sprites, gnomes, pixies and sylphs.
I enjoyed my time in Dreg City and look forward to book 2, out in July 27, 2010, As Lie the Dead .
Evangline Stone wakes up in a morgue ... who's body is this? what am I doing in a morgue? She cannot remember the last several days, so after freaking out the morgue attendants, finding some clothes and the name to go with her "new" body, she's off to find some answers.
She's a Dreg Bounty Hunter, "they hunt rogue elements, carry out special warrants, try to keep some species from killing one another and wreaking havoc in the process and dole out punishment when lines are crossed", and her handler, Wyatt, is the only remaining member of her team, but she can't seem to remember his phone number. So, she heads to the only place she can think of Chalice's (current body's) apartment where she meets (and scares to death) her roommate, Alex.
This is not a touchy-feely story. Although, there is a splash of romance here and there, just to spice up the story a bit. There's a ton of action as Evy tries to find out why hunters are after her and time's running out. Her "new" body has an expiration date - can she find out what's going on before then?
There's a little bit of every-PN-thing in here - goblins, gremlins, trolls, gargoyles, vampires, weres, halfies (½human-½vampire), faeries, sprites, gnomes, pixies and sylphs.
I enjoyed my time in Dreg City and look forward to book 2, out in July 27, 2010, As Lie the Dead .
January 6, 2016
I loved this but you might hate it. It's a lot of almost-dying and getting badly injured action with a lot of two dysfunctional people professing their undying love for one another in perilous situations, a lot of them blaming themselves for the other's dire predicament, a lot of talking about their intense feelings and how they can't go on without the other but they don't know how to get out of the situation. They are on a strict deadline but they always find time to hug or rest or wax poetic. I hate regular romance but this ridiculous passionate we're going to die so I need to profess how much you mean to me is right up my alley. this probably should rate a two or three but my twisted view on love digs this kind of thing so I really enjoyed the book. The plot really did move too slowly though and they did rehash the same feelings over and over so it was kind of ridiculous. It reminds me of a self-indulgent novel I wrote that I would never even try to get published because it's all about my own securities and desperate desire for that mutually obsessive love that is really a bunch of claptrap. But I'm really glad she shared her claptrap with me.
May 26, 2012
★★★★✰ (This is a review of the audiobook.) Xe Sands does a very nice job of reading this one. There are a lot of otherworldly voices, since the protagonist is a Dreg Hunter, which is like a paranormal creature bounty hunter. Vamps, trolls, Fey, weres, goblins, gremlins, gargoyles, gnomes – doesn’t matter which mythical being – they cross the line, she goes after them. I liked the variety and Ms. Sands handles them well.
As far as the story line, I am really conflicted on rating this one. I almost gave it three stars. It started out great, with a unique and interesting premise: resurrected in not only a morgue, but a drug users body – seriously? Then add the fact your flashback memories are “iffy.” In addition, the clock is ticking on if you get to keep this body or not.
Unfortunately, I had to set it aside to read another book and when I picked it back up, it just wasn’t doing it for me. Yet, it got better again toward the end and had some nice twists. Of course, it is – excuse the pun – a “dead” giveaway that the kick-ass protagonist, Evy Stone, is going to make it because this is the first book in the Dreg City series. Still, there was some mystery as to who killed her and why, with which body she will continue her life as a Dreg Hunter, and how she will survive. That, and the beginning, are the reasons I gave it four stars; since my library has the rest of the series, I’m sure I’ll continue with it.
BTW, it is very violent. I don’t know why I say that; I’ve read other violent urban fantasy books; however, I felt this one was just brutal in places. Ms. Meding doesn’t handle violence and brutality as deftly as Ms. Biggs does. Plus, and you may consider this stupid,
December 28, 2009
This is the debut novel of Kelly Meding. I thought it was great! I usually have trouble getting into the UF books that have characters that are constantly in motion from one fight to the next.. but this one was so edgy and nerve-wracking that I couldn't help but enjoy it.
It all starts off with the main character Evangeline Stone waking up in the morgue. The only problem being, other then the fact that she died, was that she woke up in a body that wasn't hers, with no memory of what happened. Besides scaring the crap out of people as she leaves the morgue, she needs to figure out why she's back from the dead, and who killed her. She has to slowly piece together her memories of what happened up until her death, and she has to do it all in three days. That's her time limit. Once those three days are up, she will die again with no chance to come back.
She also has to decide if she can trust her old handler, Wyatt. Did he have something to do with her death, and can she trust him to help her solve the mystery of how and why she died.
This is definitely not a warm and fuzzy book. It's dark, and emotional. Evy has to come to terms with being in a new body that has it's own problems to add to her own. She is forced to remember things that happened to her that no person should have had to go through in the first place. All of this while her time left on Earth quickly counts down.
Pretty crazy. I'll definitely be looking for the sequel which comes out in the summer of 2010.
It all starts off with the main character Evangeline Stone waking up in the morgue. The only problem being, other then the fact that she died, was that she woke up in a body that wasn't hers, with no memory of what happened. Besides scaring the crap out of people as she leaves the morgue, she needs to figure out why she's back from the dead, and who killed her. She has to slowly piece together her memories of what happened up until her death, and she has to do it all in three days. That's her time limit. Once those three days are up, she will die again with no chance to come back.
She also has to decide if she can trust her old handler, Wyatt. Did he have something to do with her death, and can she trust him to help her solve the mystery of how and why she died.
This is definitely not a warm and fuzzy book. It's dark, and emotional. Evy has to come to terms with being in a new body that has it's own problems to add to her own. She is forced to remember things that happened to her that no person should have had to go through in the first place. All of this while her time left on Earth quickly counts down.
Pretty crazy. I'll definitely be looking for the sequel which comes out in the summer of 2010.
November 4, 2009
Evy Stone regains consciousness in a different body in the morgue. But this new life has a time limit: three days. Before the clock runs out, she has to find out to whom her new body belonged, how Evy herself died, and all the events that led up to this countdown. Extending her lifetime would be nice, too.
My attention waned whilst reading this, likely my own eejit brain's fault. Though if I could find fault with the novel...It's an awesome premise, but the execution of it isn't quite right. A Hunter as a lead character. Number of different paranormal species. (Remind me to explain my crackpot "kitchen sink" theory someday.) Workplace romance. Dreg City nowhere near as interesting as First Break.
And First Break is fabulous, with a freaky, original journey to get there. And another kind of transportation in the novel is pretty awesome, too, because of the way it came about - thanks to the author's intriguing world-building and plotting.
So if your attention span is better than mine (and undoubtedly it is), you should enjoy this more than I did. I'll be cursing my brain in the corner.
My attention waned whilst reading this, likely my own eejit brain's fault. Though if I could find fault with the novel...It's an awesome premise, but the execution of it isn't quite right. A Hunter as a lead character. Number of different paranormal species. (Remind me to explain my crackpot "kitchen sink" theory someday.) Workplace romance. Dreg City nowhere near as interesting as First Break.
And First Break is fabulous, with a freaky, original journey to get there. And another kind of transportation in the novel is pretty awesome, too, because of the way it came about - thanks to the author's intriguing world-building and plotting.
So if your attention span is better than mine (and undoubtedly it is), you should enjoy this more than I did. I'll be cursing my brain in the corner.
January 7, 2010
One of the best book I've read all year!
The main character, Eva is your kick-butt heroine. She is witty, sarcastic, stubbon and loving. The other characters are varied and complex including vampires, weres, fey and half breeds. Eva is a Hunter. Her job is to keep the community (the Dregs) in line. But, things are not what they seem.
Right from the start, you learn that Eva is dead and now undead. She only has three days to figure out how she died and why she was brought back. In addition, she has relationships that may or may not be what they seem as well.
The author does an incredible job of detailing the environment making you feel like you are right there with Eva. When she is nervous, scared, angry, I felt it. However, the author didn't overdue the details. It's been a long time since my heart raced right along with the book. My only complaint was when I hit the last page. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
The book is more urban fantasy with a touch of romance (very small but necessary in the scheme of the entire story)."
The main character, Eva is your kick-butt heroine. She is witty, sarcastic, stubbon and loving. The other characters are varied and complex including vampires, weres, fey and half breeds. Eva is a Hunter. Her job is to keep the community (the Dregs) in line. But, things are not what they seem.
Right from the start, you learn that Eva is dead and now undead. She only has three days to figure out how she died and why she was brought back. In addition, she has relationships that may or may not be what they seem as well.
The author does an incredible job of detailing the environment making you feel like you are right there with Eva. When she is nervous, scared, angry, I felt it. However, the author didn't overdue the details. It's been a long time since my heart raced right along with the book. My only complaint was when I hit the last page. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
The book is more urban fantasy with a touch of romance (very small but necessary in the scheme of the entire story)."
March 21, 2024
2024 Review:
Total flop. Maybe it was good once upon a time, but for me, this reads as teenagers who think they're too cool for school and pumping themselves full of steroids. Is this an accurate description, not quite.... The 'teens' in this case are early 20's but feel painfully immature, and while they are no longer in school, their school was of badassery and not really smarts/education. Being the muscular type is cool, being intelligent is out. Explains why their whole organisation fell apart embarrassingly quickly, cause VILLIANS! Also just anything that doesn't look like us = bad.
That's all you really need to know.
Oh and boy am I glad the whole, we have a personality because bad things happened to us theme has been binned, cause that was AWFUL.
Super trigger warning for this book.
Series Conclusion - DNF. Not going beyond book 1.
2 stars (maybe generous, but I finished it and I once upon a time in my delusional young days rated it 4 stars).
2017 Review:
Overall an enjoyable book, looking forward to the next one.
4 stars
Total flop. Maybe it was good once upon a time, but for me, this reads as teenagers who think they're too cool for school and pumping themselves full of steroids. Is this an accurate description, not quite.... The 'teens' in this case are early 20's but feel painfully immature, and while they are no longer in school, their school was of badassery and not really smarts/education. Being the muscular type is cool, being intelligent is out. Explains why their whole organisation fell apart embarrassingly quickly, cause VILLIANS! Also just anything that doesn't look like us = bad.
That's all you really need to know.
Oh and boy am I glad the whole, we have a personality because bad things happened to us theme has been binned, cause that was AWFUL.
Super trigger warning for this book.
Series Conclusion - DNF. Not going beyond book 1.
2 stars (maybe generous, but I finished it and I once upon a time in my delusional young days rated it 4 stars).
2017 Review:
Overall an enjoyable book, looking forward to the next one.
4 stars
July 6, 2011
While Meding has created an interesting world in this book, I found the characters flat and unappealing. I never bonded with Evy, and I found I couldn't rejoice in her success or failure--she was too much like every other kick-butt urban fantasy girl.
Also, for someone that has only three days to live, she seemed to spend way too much time sleeping. It would seem to me that the better choice would be to pound espressos with a Red Bull chaser. But that's one of the problems with this book. Having established a three day deadline (in the strictest sense of the word!), Meding spends most of the book trying to find ways to pass time without advancing the plot too much.
Overall, this book was very much a "meh."
Also, for someone that has only three days to live, she seemed to spend way too much time sleeping. It would seem to me that the better choice would be to pound espressos with a Red Bull chaser. But that's one of the problems with this book. Having established a three day deadline (in the strictest sense of the word!), Meding spends most of the book trying to find ways to pass time without advancing the plot too much.
Overall, this book was very much a "meh."
November 26, 2011
I'm not completely sure of how I felt about this book. A little over half way through, I started skimming pages. I definitely found the premise of the story interesting and wanted to see how things would play out for Evy and Wyatt, but I just wasn't that into the two of them as characters or as a couple. The almost endless circle of them blaming themselves for their situation wore thin quickly. I'm really not sure what else to say about this. I may continue on with the series, mostly because I hate to not finish something once started, but it isn't a priority.
February 15, 2013
~* 3.5 Stars *~
High-Octane Series Starter
You think dying is hard? Resurrection is a killer.
Dreg Bounty Hunter Evangeline Stone's memory is hazy about the events leading up to her death, but what she does remember isn't exactly chock-full of warm fuzzies. Genocide, betrayal, pain, loss. Hunted as a traitor, her team murdered, the friends who gave her shelter mercilessly slaughtered.
It was a nightmare she didn't survive.
Now she's been brought back, waking up in the morgue in a stranger's body with no clue who to trust and far more questions than she has answers. The one thing she does know is she's screwed either way. Being brought back is not without its consequences, after all, and she has only three days to solve her murder and figure out who betrayed her team, because as if resurrection wasn't complicated enough, it also comes with an expiration date.
In three days Evy will be dead...again.
~*~
Meding hits the ground running with this action-packed, ass-kicking series debut. The story drops readers into Evy's world just as she's been resurrected, then takes off at a sonic pace from there with an ultra-quick and dirty glance at the world and the events that preceded her death just pages before the plot really starts to get going. Once that happens, you pretty much have to hang on by your fingernails just to keep up as the time ticks down on Evy's new-life expectancy. There's certainly no rest for the weary as she races around searching for answers, trying to keep one step ahead of the people who are still trying to make her dead.
I enjoyed the world Meding created for her characters and the series. At least the glimpses I got of it. The break-neck pace of the plot didn't allow for a lot of in depth world-building...or much character depth, definition, or development either, actually. Maybe it's better said that I liked the idea I got of the world as it raced by my reading window. I can't say it's the most unique world I've ever read, as it resembles several other urban fantasy series in one way or another, and the heroine Evy is fairly interchangeable with those in other books, but that has its own comforts when it's a book in one of your favorite genres. And there were a few points of originality and elements based on a unique premise.
The first chapter or so seemed a little odd to me, though. The memories of Evy's life before she died were revealed in her first person narration in such a way that it made me feel like I'd missed an earlier book or a prequel or something. On one hand, I suppose that's a compliment to the author, for taking story building blocks and turning them into what felt like visceral memory for the character, but I found it jarring. And the echoes of those issues, with the ramifications of events in the past having an effect on the current events of the plot, were sprinkled throughout the narrative, shaking me out of the story now and then all the way through the book.
It was an ambitious, complex plot with a healthy number of secondary and ancillary characters, but because of the pacing, I found it hard to really feel connected to what was going on and to whom. My emotions didn't engage in the read as I was hoping they would. And like I said, there wasn't a tremendous amount of character depth or room for a lot of character or relationship growth. There was a thread of romance that wended through the plot that I appreciated, and I enjoyed Evy and Wyatt together, but there was so much going on around them that even the romantic elements weren't completely satisfying for me.
Evy handled herself well as the kick-ass heroine, but I can't say I was always thrilled with her as a character. There were moments when I found her a little unlikable, but then she would pull it back or shift gears and I could enjoy her more for the take-no-prisoners fighter that she was. I didn't have any such problem with Wyatt. I enjoyed him throughout the story. His strength and commitment to Evy, what he did for her and how he handled her and why, made me all mushy for the guy.
I do think the plot sort of got away from Meding late in the book. Not a lot, but just enough to muddy the waters a little, making it hard for me to keep solid track of everything that was going on and everyone it was affecting. With such a fast-paced tale, the characters don't have a lot of down time, and plot points are shot at you like bullets from a Tommy gun, which made it was hard to focus on the big picture sometimes. The final conflict and subsequent resolution were strong, though, and it definitely set up the following books in the series well.
There were several good things in this series debut, and while I can't say my issues with the lack of world-building and character definition, or my trouble with the emotional disconnect, allowed me to be completely satisfied with the read, it was better than an okay read. It served well as an introduction into a world with characters that I could probably really start to care about with more time invested. And it definitely had other points in its favor. With Evy in the driver's seat, new life-threatening or world-ending danger can't be far behind, and her and her friends and tentative allies have a lot of potential to stand out in a crowded field.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
High-Octane Series Starter
You think dying is hard? Resurrection is a killer.
Dreg Bounty Hunter Evangeline Stone's memory is hazy about the events leading up to her death, but what she does remember isn't exactly chock-full of warm fuzzies. Genocide, betrayal, pain, loss. Hunted as a traitor, her team murdered, the friends who gave her shelter mercilessly slaughtered.
It was a nightmare she didn't survive.
Now she's been brought back, waking up in the morgue in a stranger's body with no clue who to trust and far more questions than she has answers. The one thing she does know is she's screwed either way. Being brought back is not without its consequences, after all, and she has only three days to solve her murder and figure out who betrayed her team, because as if resurrection wasn't complicated enough, it also comes with an expiration date.
In three days Evy will be dead...again.
~*~
Meding hits the ground running with this action-packed, ass-kicking series debut. The story drops readers into Evy's world just as she's been resurrected, then takes off at a sonic pace from there with an ultra-quick and dirty glance at the world and the events that preceded her death just pages before the plot really starts to get going. Once that happens, you pretty much have to hang on by your fingernails just to keep up as the time ticks down on Evy's new-life expectancy. There's certainly no rest for the weary as she races around searching for answers, trying to keep one step ahead of the people who are still trying to make her dead.
I enjoyed the world Meding created for her characters and the series. At least the glimpses I got of it. The break-neck pace of the plot didn't allow for a lot of in depth world-building...or much character depth, definition, or development either, actually. Maybe it's better said that I liked the idea I got of the world as it raced by my reading window. I can't say it's the most unique world I've ever read, as it resembles several other urban fantasy series in one way or another, and the heroine Evy is fairly interchangeable with those in other books, but that has its own comforts when it's a book in one of your favorite genres. And there were a few points of originality and elements based on a unique premise.
The first chapter or so seemed a little odd to me, though. The memories of Evy's life before she died were revealed in her first person narration in such a way that it made me feel like I'd missed an earlier book or a prequel or something. On one hand, I suppose that's a compliment to the author, for taking story building blocks and turning them into what felt like visceral memory for the character, but I found it jarring. And the echoes of those issues, with the ramifications of events in the past having an effect on the current events of the plot, were sprinkled throughout the narrative, shaking me out of the story now and then all the way through the book.
It was an ambitious, complex plot with a healthy number of secondary and ancillary characters, but because of the pacing, I found it hard to really feel connected to what was going on and to whom. My emotions didn't engage in the read as I was hoping they would. And like I said, there wasn't a tremendous amount of character depth or room for a lot of character or relationship growth. There was a thread of romance that wended through the plot that I appreciated, and I enjoyed Evy and Wyatt together, but there was so much going on around them that even the romantic elements weren't completely satisfying for me.
Evy handled herself well as the kick-ass heroine, but I can't say I was always thrilled with her as a character. There were moments when I found her a little unlikable, but then she would pull it back or shift gears and I could enjoy her more for the take-no-prisoners fighter that she was. I didn't have any such problem with Wyatt. I enjoyed him throughout the story. His strength and commitment to Evy, what he did for her and how he handled her and why, made me all mushy for the guy.
I do think the plot sort of got away from Meding late in the book. Not a lot, but just enough to muddy the waters a little, making it hard for me to keep solid track of everything that was going on and everyone it was affecting. With such a fast-paced tale, the characters don't have a lot of down time, and plot points are shot at you like bullets from a Tommy gun, which made it was hard to focus on the big picture sometimes. The final conflict and subsequent resolution were strong, though, and it definitely set up the following books in the series well.
There were several good things in this series debut, and while I can't say my issues with the lack of world-building and character definition, or my trouble with the emotional disconnect, allowed me to be completely satisfied with the read, it was better than an okay read. It served well as an introduction into a world with characters that I could probably really start to care about with more time invested. And it definitely had other points in its favor. With Evy in the driver's seat, new life-threatening or world-ending danger can't be far behind, and her and her friends and tentative allies have a lot of potential to stand out in a crowded field.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
May 16, 2012
If you read enough books in the paranormal genre, you start to sniff out a formula. Sure, there are surprises here and there: maybe an unexpected obstacle or a twist on the villain reveal at the end. But I have to give credit where credit is due. This book kept me guessing. The biggest mystery of all: how can you get a happy ending when your heroine only has three days left to live?
Technically, Evy is already dead. As the story begins, she finds herself resurrected in the morgue, alive in a body which isn't her own. She has no recollection of the days leading to her death, but knows she was in big trouble with the organization of supernatural police she worked for. Someone had framed Evy for the murder of her two partners, and now she must track down her handler, Wyatt, to figure out what to do next.
It turns out that Wyatt made a deal with a powerful elf to bring Evy back to life. And now the agency considers him a traitor too. They must work together to hide from other agents while they unravel the conspiracy that led to Evy's death. It's complicated and involves the political machinations of multiple supernatural species bent on conquering humanity. But it seems that saving our species isn't the only reason Wyatt brought Evy back. He's also in love with her.
For a long time, I questioned whether Wyatt was Evy's love interest or if it was Alex. He was roommate to Chalice, the woman whose body Evy now inhabits. It's obvious Evy has some warm and fuzzy feelings for Alex; and early on, she is quite emphatic that her feelings for Wyatt are not romantic. But then she starts talking about who Chalice's body wants versus what she (Evy) wants and it got to be a little confusing. Clearly, Evy struggles a bit with her identity and whether it has been compromised by her new body. It was in this area that I struggled a bit as well.
The book has a lot of action and a few dark moments that give it an edge. The bigger picture is revealed like the layers of an onion. One calamity follows another. There is betrayal, devastation and sacrifice. Some of the losses Evy suffers are downright heartbreaking... and just when you think she's shouldered the worst of it, the hits just keep on coming.
Amazingly, though, this isn't a downer book. Evy is strong and she is determined to prevail, even in the face of her impending death. Her new body may not kick ass, but she does, with her spirit and her unwillingness to go gently into the night. I liked the book. As I said, it had some good surprises --and once Evy got over her waffling-- it had a good romantic element as well.
I'll definitely check out the next book in the series.
Rating: B-
Technically, Evy is already dead. As the story begins, she finds herself resurrected in the morgue, alive in a body which isn't her own. She has no recollection of the days leading to her death, but knows she was in big trouble with the organization of supernatural police she worked for. Someone had framed Evy for the murder of her two partners, and now she must track down her handler, Wyatt, to figure out what to do next.
It turns out that Wyatt made a deal with a powerful elf to bring Evy back to life. And now the agency considers him a traitor too. They must work together to hide from other agents while they unravel the conspiracy that led to Evy's death. It's complicated and involves the political machinations of multiple supernatural species bent on conquering humanity. But it seems that saving our species isn't the only reason Wyatt brought Evy back. He's also in love with her.
For a long time, I questioned whether Wyatt was Evy's love interest or if it was Alex. He was roommate to Chalice, the woman whose body Evy now inhabits. It's obvious Evy has some warm and fuzzy feelings for Alex; and early on, she is quite emphatic that her feelings for Wyatt are not romantic. But then she starts talking about who Chalice's body wants versus what she (Evy) wants and it got to be a little confusing. Clearly, Evy struggles a bit with her identity and whether it has been compromised by her new body. It was in this area that I struggled a bit as well.
The book has a lot of action and a few dark moments that give it an edge. The bigger picture is revealed like the layers of an onion. One calamity follows another. There is betrayal, devastation and sacrifice. Some of the losses Evy suffers are downright heartbreaking... and just when you think she's shouldered the worst of it, the hits just keep on coming.
Amazingly, though, this isn't a downer book. Evy is strong and she is determined to prevail, even in the face of her impending death. Her new body may not kick ass, but she does, with her spirit and her unwillingness to go gently into the night. I liked the book. As I said, it had some good surprises --and once Evy got over her waffling-- it had a good romantic element as well.
I'll definitely check out the next book in the series.
Rating: B-
January 3, 2010
If I were in the heroine’s place in Kelly Meding’s Three Days to Dead, I would’ve had plenty of time to neutralize the bad guys after reading her book. That’s because I started it at 4pm on a Thursday and finished it at 5pm the next day. My family would like to point out that in those twenty-four hours they had to remind me more than once to check on the turkey in the oven and they forcibly turned off the lights after midnight.
Evy Stone, a hunter of supernatural low-lifes, wakes up in the morgue—in another woman’s body. Seems resurrection spells are tricky things. Not only does Evy have to reorient herself, fill the pesky gap in her memory, and find out why her mentor brought her back, she has only three days to do it. Resurrection spells are not only tricky, they have really short expiration dates.
Evy clashes with fellow humans, goblins, and half-vampire hybrids, and connects with the few allies she has left (Best. Troll. Ever.). When a helpful vampire (cool vamps in this book!) restores her memory, Evy immediately wonders why she wanted to know the details of her death. (Think “bad,” and think worse than that. Squared.)
This is a cut above your standard urban fantasy. I love vampires and Meding puts a good, subtle twist on them. And on fairies, gargoyles, shapeshifters, and trolls. Yes, the troll bears repeating. The resurrection-spell timeline lends urgency to the action without feeling forced. The attention to detail pulled me into Evy’s world and made it as real as the town where I live.
Before you open Three Days to Dead, turn off the phone and close your PC—and tell the family to get take-out. If only I’d thought of that before I opened this book. I’ve made a note to do so for the next in the series. I wonder if I should stockpile takeout coupons now?
Evy Stone, a hunter of supernatural low-lifes, wakes up in the morgue—in another woman’s body. Seems resurrection spells are tricky things. Not only does Evy have to reorient herself, fill the pesky gap in her memory, and find out why her mentor brought her back, she has only three days to do it. Resurrection spells are not only tricky, they have really short expiration dates.
Evy clashes with fellow humans, goblins, and half-vampire hybrids, and connects with the few allies she has left (Best. Troll. Ever.). When a helpful vampire (cool vamps in this book!) restores her memory, Evy immediately wonders why she wanted to know the details of her death. (Think “bad,” and think worse than that. Squared.)
This is a cut above your standard urban fantasy. I love vampires and Meding puts a good, subtle twist on them. And on fairies, gargoyles, shapeshifters, and trolls. Yes, the troll bears repeating. The resurrection-spell timeline lends urgency to the action without feeling forced. The attention to detail pulled me into Evy’s world and made it as real as the town where I live.
Before you open Three Days to Dead, turn off the phone and close your PC—and tell the family to get take-out. If only I’d thought of that before I opened this book. I’ve made a note to do so for the next in the series. I wonder if I should stockpile takeout coupons now?
December 21, 2009
Evangeline Stone was a Dreg hunter since she was a teenager. One day she wakes up in a cold morgue in an unfamiliar body. She was killed days before and has no clue how or why. She turns to Wyatt, her handler, the one person she knows she can trust. She now has three days to solve the mystery of her death and all of the conspiracy surrounding it. At the end of three days the spell ends and she goes back to being dead. There is no second chance.
WOW! That was one nasty, dirty, no-holds barred, gritty, dark, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride! Kelly Meding certainly doesn't pull her punches. There was non-stop action and plot twists galore. I wouldn't recommend this book for those who are squeamish about death and violence. There is no fluff to this book....it's a very brutally dark urban fantasy.
I really liked Evy as a heroine. She was gutsy, but not arrogant. She makes mistakes, but isn't stupid about it. Guilt and fear over her past weigh on her, but she is able to push it aside and do what needs to be done. She's snarky, and sometimes rude...but mostly a good person.
Wyatt was the other gem of this story. He was a little heavy on the self-loathing at times...but he made up for it with his witty banter with Evy. I loved the way they interacted! Then there was Alex who stole my heart at the very beginning. What a softie I'm becoming!
There were some emotional moments mixed in with all of the action. Enough at one or two points to drag a tear from my eye. I cared about the characters, and what happened to them. And at least one turn of events shocked me to the point where I just sat there, blinking my eyes trying to catch up with myself.
I'll be watching for the next book to this series for sure!
WOW! That was one nasty, dirty, no-holds barred, gritty, dark, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride! Kelly Meding certainly doesn't pull her punches. There was non-stop action and plot twists galore. I wouldn't recommend this book for those who are squeamish about death and violence. There is no fluff to this book....it's a very brutally dark urban fantasy.
I really liked Evy as a heroine. She was gutsy, but not arrogant. She makes mistakes, but isn't stupid about it. Guilt and fear over her past weigh on her, but she is able to push it aside and do what needs to be done. She's snarky, and sometimes rude...but mostly a good person.
Wyatt was the other gem of this story. He was a little heavy on the self-loathing at times...but he made up for it with his witty banter with Evy. I loved the way they interacted! Then there was Alex who stole my heart at the very beginning. What a softie I'm becoming!
There were some emotional moments mixed in with all of the action. Enough at one or two points to drag a tear from my eye. I cared about the characters, and what happened to them. And at least one turn of events shocked me to the point where I just sat there, blinking my eyes trying to catch up with myself.
I'll be watching for the next book to this series for sure!
December 16, 2009
4.75. Patricia Briggs was right about this book.
Wow. This book was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I guess, maybe due to the cover, I was expecting your average UF/PR book and you know what - I was wrong. You can't really judge a book by it's awesome cover.
Dead, resurrected and on a mission that she can't figure out, Evy Stone is not in a very good mood. Her friends are dead, her allies are enemies and the only person she can trust is the one that brought her back. Through a web of lies, through hell and back, Evy Stone will not go quietly into that good night.
The plot was abnormal and interesting and I for one didn't see how the final fight would end. Never did I think that there would be more tricks up the sleeve of Ms. Meding that would keep the action going, the emotions raw and Evy Stone interesting.
The relationships are real (if sometimes a little 'too much talky') and the monsters are definitely something to be afraid of and the alliances are shaky at best. This is definitely a mystery and with the time frame of 3 days (a magical number unto itself) the book stretches out the mystery in a plausible manner that doesn't leave the reader going 'really, has this not ended yet?".
You are rooting for Evy and Wyatt, sad for Alex, you wonder about Rufus and you can't wait to see what happens in the next book for the side characters. Is this war that was rumored to occur -real? Was something else unleashed when the "bad" was killed?
Who knows? I, like Evy, am very content with taking this one step at a time and enjoying each installment as if it were the last.
Wow. This book was a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I guess, maybe due to the cover, I was expecting your average UF/PR book and you know what - I was wrong. You can't really judge a book by it's awesome cover.
Dead, resurrected and on a mission that she can't figure out, Evy Stone is not in a very good mood. Her friends are dead, her allies are enemies and the only person she can trust is the one that brought her back. Through a web of lies, through hell and back, Evy Stone will not go quietly into that good night.
The plot was abnormal and interesting and I for one didn't see how the final fight would end. Never did I think that there would be more tricks up the sleeve of Ms. Meding that would keep the action going, the emotions raw and Evy Stone interesting.
The relationships are real (if sometimes a little 'too much talky') and the monsters are definitely something to be afraid of and the alliances are shaky at best. This is definitely a mystery and with the time frame of 3 days (a magical number unto itself) the book stretches out the mystery in a plausible manner that doesn't leave the reader going 'really, has this not ended yet?".
You are rooting for Evy and Wyatt, sad for Alex, you wonder about Rufus and you can't wait to see what happens in the next book for the side characters. Is this war that was rumored to occur -real? Was something else unleashed when the "bad" was killed?
Who knows? I, like Evy, am very content with taking this one step at a time and enjoying each installment as if it were the last.
June 6, 2011
This is a review of the audiobook version of Three Days to Dead, narrated by Xe Sands.
Brief storyline commentary:
Three Days to dead was an enjoyable entry in the urban fantasy genre. The story focuses on Evy Stone, who wakes to find herself in a new body and must discover the chain of events that led to her death and resurrection while preventing an inter-species war. The book has decent world-building and an intriguing concept with likeable characters and the requisite scenes demonstrating the kick-ass nature of the heroine. As the first book in a series it certainly has a strong enough set-up and writing to encourage the reader to see where book two will take us.
Audio aspects commentary:
Xe Sands is a new-to-me narrator and overall I thought her presentation was good. I initially struggled to immerse myself in the story because the narrator's vocal cadence on the non-dialogue portions seemed, if not over-enunciated, then more deliberate with each word than I am accustomed to hearing. As mentioned, this was not evident during dialogue and was less evident as each scene ramped up to its conclusion and by 1/3 of the way into the story, I was rolling with it. The character voices employed for major and minor characters were excellent and fully voiced and Ms. Sands excelled at portraying male voices. I was distracted by one accent (Russian) but was completely captured by some relatively subtle vocal cues that delivered an emotional payload during a couple of scenes.
Overall a good listen and I look forward to the next audiobook in the series.
Brief storyline commentary:
Three Days to dead was an enjoyable entry in the urban fantasy genre. The story focuses on Evy Stone, who wakes to find herself in a new body and must discover the chain of events that led to her death and resurrection while preventing an inter-species war. The book has decent world-building and an intriguing concept with likeable characters and the requisite scenes demonstrating the kick-ass nature of the heroine. As the first book in a series it certainly has a strong enough set-up and writing to encourage the reader to see where book two will take us.
Audio aspects commentary:
Xe Sands is a new-to-me narrator and overall I thought her presentation was good. I initially struggled to immerse myself in the story because the narrator's vocal cadence on the non-dialogue portions seemed, if not over-enunciated, then more deliberate with each word than I am accustomed to hearing. As mentioned, this was not evident during dialogue and was less evident as each scene ramped up to its conclusion and by 1/3 of the way into the story, I was rolling with it. The character voices employed for major and minor characters were excellent and fully voiced and Ms. Sands excelled at portraying male voices. I was distracted by one accent (Russian) but was completely captured by some relatively subtle vocal cues that delivered an emotional payload during a couple of scenes.
Overall a good listen and I look forward to the next audiobook in the series.
June 15, 2012
I’ve had the Dreg City Series on my TBR list for a while now and since I've been on an Urban Fantasy kick I decided to finally start it.
I totally love the world that Meding has built. Even though it’s paranormal and I’ve read many books with some of the same kind of creatures, I was not bored. Meding introduced different creatures in her world that I’ve heard of but not read and the why she described them were fantastic. You get vampires but you also get spirits, trolls, gargoyles and germilns that talk like Yoda. Not to mention the fact that Evangeline (Evie) is brought back to life in a different body. That is totally new to me.
Evie is still her, just in someone else’s body. She has all her old memories save the ones that lead up to her death. Her uber sexy boss, Wyatt brings her back hoping that she will remember who killed her and the knowledge that is needed to help stop a war that is brewing in the supe world.
As Evie works to help Wyatt with the fight and remembering her last days, she fines herself on an emotional roller coaster.
Three Days to Dead is a great start to a dark Urban Fantasy series that has just enough sexual tense and romance. Evie is a kick ass heroine and I can’t wait to start As Lie the Dead, the second book in the series.
Narration Note: Xe Sands does an awesome job with the narration. It's hard to find a female narrator that does a great job with the male characters but Xe has a great smokey voice that works for both female and male.
I totally love the world that Meding has built. Even though it’s paranormal and I’ve read many books with some of the same kind of creatures, I was not bored. Meding introduced different creatures in her world that I’ve heard of but not read and the why she described them were fantastic. You get vampires but you also get spirits, trolls, gargoyles and germilns that talk like Yoda. Not to mention the fact that Evangeline (Evie) is brought back to life in a different body. That is totally new to me.
Evie is still her, just in someone else’s body. She has all her old memories save the ones that lead up to her death. Her uber sexy boss, Wyatt brings her back hoping that she will remember who killed her and the knowledge that is needed to help stop a war that is brewing in the supe world.
As Evie works to help Wyatt with the fight and remembering her last days, she fines herself on an emotional roller coaster.
Three Days to Dead is a great start to a dark Urban Fantasy series that has just enough sexual tense and romance. Evie is a kick ass heroine and I can’t wait to start As Lie the Dead, the second book in the series.
Narration Note: Xe Sands does an awesome job with the narration. It's hard to find a female narrator that does a great job with the male characters but Xe has a great smokey voice that works for both female and male.
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