They call it the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…
Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers.
But Pryce isn’t alone. He’s conjured another, darker villain from Vicky’s past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she’ll have to face her own worst fear—in the realm of the dead itself.
I love the Deadtown series - it has unique world-building, a large mishmash of supernatural critters, they're out and about in the world where everyone knows their name, and the main character Vicky has a unique job I haven't read about before.
This time she goes on a creatively constructed, surreal battle into the Darklands to be reunited with old foes and family. There's a surprising return of a villain I had written off as long gone. The author grows adventurous with the underworld and its rules, honest to God quests as part of the adventure (three of them), and a weird fantasy pot and magic and spells and all that jazz.
There's finally some developments with Kane but that grows old. I like the guy but Vicky is kind of annoying by still being a little too standoffish and refusing to compromise more. Other than that, Juliet is still funny, Tina wasn't as annoying this time but makes a case where Vicky should never EVER go to her school again, and we get a dream or so of the Aunt who keeps overplaying the "child" nickname.
The Eidolon was actually fun! I'll kind of miss him...
Despite the creative story and revisiting so many beloved characters, the story lacks a little of the cohesiveness the first three books had. It's just not as exciting for some reason, and I didn't like the battlefield leaving the familiar town and settings as much as I liked the battles in it. I also thought Vicky was being a little too careless with her daring rush into the Underworld despite all the warnings and common sense lectures.
*Source* Amazon *Genre* Urban Fantasy *Rating* 3.5
*MY Thoughts*
Darklands is the fourth installment in author Nancy Holzner's Deadtown series featuring Victory Vaughn as its protagonist. For those who may not have started this series yet, Victory is a Cerddorion shape-shifter. She lives in an alternative reality Boston where she makes a living hunting demons who prey on humans in their dreams. She shares an apartment with Juliet Capulet, yes, that Juliet who just happens to be a vampire. She used to have an apprentice name Tina, but Tina has chosen other paths.
Being the only professional demon slayer around, Vicky makes her living by bringing down the demons who prey on unsuspecting humans. But when her clients start canceling in droves as their tormenting demons disappear, Vicky knows something fishy is going on. Turns up her psychotic cousin Pryce is up to no good. He's bound and determined to get the shadow demon half that Vicky destroyed back so he can continue in his quest to conquer all of the realms, bringing about death and destruction the likes of which have never been seen. To stop him, she will have to make incredible sacrifices as she travels to the realm of the dead with no guarantee of making it back alive.
It seems like Vicky never gets more than a brief respite before she is thrown into another world threatening mess. In Darklands, the stakes are even higher than before and there was plenty of heart pounding action. But in between all those action packed moments, Vicky also went through a lot of growth, both in her relationship with Kane, which I'll get into in a little bit, but also in facing the incredible amount of guilt over her father's death that she has carried over the years. Because of this she has thrown herself into a lone ranger type of mentality, making relying on others incredibly difficult for her, with her mentor, Mab being the only exception. Yet, due to a guilt demon forcing her to face those issues as well an interesting turn of events, Vicky finally seems to be on the path to accepting help when she needs it. And trust me, she needs it in Darklands. I really enjoyed seeing her open up to others to accept their help despite wanting to keep them safe. It's time she learned that she isn't the only one who can take risks for the people they care about.
Vicky's insecurities with her relationship with Kane really came to a head in Darklands. She's very hot and cold towards him, and it is very obvious that she really cares, but there is that extreme fear of commitment. Despite his willingness, Vicky still hesitates to take the next step, or really anything to solidify the relationship at all. I really think she doesn't believe she deserves Kane, especially since she could never give him a picket fence life. So she pushes him away, but it would seem that he's had just about enough of her wishy-washiness, and is bound and determined to prove to her that he isn't going anywhere. In fact, I'd say he does one heck of a job showing her that he would follow her anywhere and give up anything for her no matter the cost, forcing Vicky to face her feelings for him. It really says something when a man is willing to literally go to hell and back for the woman he loves. All I can say is that is well past time Vicky wakes up and faces the music.
With each book in the Deadtown series, I only get sucked further in, this installment even more so considering the way things ended. While not a cliffhanger in the strictest sense, a lot of things are left in the balance, leaving me desperate to find out what happens next. Darklands was incredibly action packed, leaving me literally on the edge of my seat. Combine that with the intense emotional moments and Vicky's character growth, and Darklands made for an incredibly entertaining installment that cannot be missed!
I’ve always enjoyed Holzner’s books, so it was no surprise to me that I would like this one as well. Filled with humor, suspense, mythology, memorable characters, and just a touch of danger, this book will keep you reading well past the time you should be in bed.
One of the things that first drew me to Holzner’s writing was her use of Welsh mythology and demon lore throughout her books, and this book is no exception. This one deals with a few of my favorites, though Holzner, as always, puts a spin on them which I found to be rather fascinating. I won’t go into any details, because I don’t want to spoil things, but let me simply say that by the time I was done reading this book, I wanted to pull out my human’s book on Welsh myths and give it another read through just for the fun of it. =~.^=
Another plus that this book had going for it was the humor. The scene in which Vicky interacts with a guilt demon had me smirking the whole time. Add in Vicky’s occasional one-liner jokes, and Tina’s crazy personality, and I found myself enjoying the humor in this book more than in previous ones. At the very least I understood the jokes better. I mean who doesn’t wish that there was a listing for kidnappers in the yellow pages sometimes?
Holzner’s characters have all undergone some serious changes and growth as the series has progressed, and it was nice to see that they continued to grow in this one as well. Particularly Vicky. For the last three books she’s been on the fence about her relationship with Kane, and in this book, she is forced to confront the issue head on. She’s still just as strong as she’s always been, and just as stubborn, but now we also get to see her deal with jealousy and insecurity regarding her feelings towards Kane. Kane himself as gone through the biggest change for me. I didn’t really like him when I first started the series, but after the events of the previous book and this one, my respect for him has shot through the roof! Tina’s another character that has been hit or miss with me throughout the series, but who’s managed to gain some of my respect. She really wants to prove herself to Vicky, and though I feel like she’s still a bit of a pain sometimes, I found myself wanting her to succeed in convincing Vicky to take her back as her apprentice. Now I could go on about my thoughts regarding each of the characters in the book, but I’ll simply sum things up by saying that I love each and every one of them, even the villain.
This book is a fun read. It’s fast paced, filled with action, and leaves you anxious to get your paws on the next book in the series. The ending isn’t exactly a cliffhanger, but there are definitely things left unfinished and Vicky’s going to be faced with some hard decisions soon. I can’t wait for the fifth book to come out!
I almost gave this one a two because I was so disappointed. I have loved every other book in this series but this one just didn't do it for me. Spoiler Warning. I didn't like all the angst stuff with Kane. In previous books I really enjoyed their laid back relationship and watching it develop into something more. I didn't like how Vicky handled things with him in this one. It was like reading a teen novel to be honest. For some reason she just wouldn't talk to Kane about things. I found that frustrating, it's true that they hadn't necessarily shared their lives with each other that much before, but she talked to him about stuff. Here it's like she's all concerned about things and considering giving him up "for his own good" without ever asking him what he wants. I always find this kind of condescending thinking in main characters annoying. I have always liked Vicky in the past, she is a strong female character with a good sense of humor and a very practical nature. In this book we don't get to see her practical side very much at all. So the Kane thing was irritating and distracting, but the overall plot was disappointing too. It took me days to read this book because it just wasn't pulling me in. I agree with other reviewers that the part in the Darklands was kind of boring. The journey with impossible tasks felt like a checklist: get arrow, get horn get falcon, done and done. I will admit I did like getting to see her with her Dad, her guilt about what happened to him was a big part of her personal journey I think. I also kind of enjoyed her interactions with "Butterfly", I wouldn't mind him appearing again. I guess I just am over Pryce as a villain. This book pretty much undid the accomplishments of Vicky in the others. All the bad guys she vanquished are now back and working together. I just, now we're going to have to read about them again? sigh. I'm hoping that the next book feels fresh and that the plot is more interesting like the original books. We shall see.
Vicky is going to kill me. I spent most of this book wanting to shake her.
Pryce is back. He steals a magic cauldron, kidnaps a bunch of demons and then enters the realm of the dead to try and recreate his demon so he can be restored to his full powers. Vicky is the only one who can stop him.
What I liked: I liked meeting her mom, and her dad. The parents are cool. I like most of the family dynamics. the situation with Gwen and Maria is interesting and I really liked adding Vicky's mom to the mix.
I LOVE the world building in this series. The different characters and the mythology mixed in are awesome. Exploring the Deadlands, the hag, Arwan, spectacular! This is why I keep coming back to this series, because the world is so vivid and ideas awesome.
She got territorial about Kane. Halleluiah. Finally some actually bone-a-find attachment. But she won't talk to him about it and worries about every single possibility. She doesn't even try to talk to him about it. She's female, she should try to talk to him.
What I didn't like: Summoning a guilt demon, was one of her stupider moves. I got really sick of Vicky feeling guilty about everything and after a while started skimming those parts.
When Pryce shows up and starts throwing around magic, Vicky just stands there. She is so afraid of getting shot with an arrow that she just watches until its practically to late to do anything. Vicky is the KickA$$ heroine. She should not be standing around gawking while her evil nemesis takes back his power.
I couldn't make up my mind if I liked Vicky's father or not while in the deadlands. However when I encountered him in the real world he went firmly in the not like category. He wants what he wants and he is not perfect. Vicky has idolized him but he's flawed and is going to get her in big big trouble.
The last sentence about choosing between Kane and Dad, the answer is easy, Kane. Besides Mab (who has her own agenda), Kane is the only one who really really cares about Vicky. Her father is not as good as he seems.
First thought when picking up the book was how much I dislike the cover, I really don't picture Vicky looking like that and it throws me off. If i didnt already like the series I probably wouldnt pick up DARKLANDS for the cover alone.
Unfortunately for Vicky (well and the world really) Pryce is back and already up to no good. It doesnt take Vicky long to come up with a game plan to once again get rid of him no matter what she has to sacrifice to do it. DARKLANDS brought out a lot of insecurities in Vicky especially revolving around her relationship with Kane. By the end of the book they seemed to finally come to an understanding but there are some new circumstances that are now in play that hopefully will bring them closer together and not push them farther apart. Kane really did some amazing things to prove to Vicky how much he loves her and I think she is finally seeing that they have something that will last.
A good portion of the book takes place in the Darklands and I hate to admit it but it was kinda boring to be there. There were a few good points which I wont point to as they will be to spoiler filled but for the most part even though I can see how it needed to happen to advance certain parts of the story I just couldn't get into it. There is still plenty of action packed moments and there is also some great Mythology thrown in.
DARKLANDS wasn't my favorite book of the series but I still enjoyed it and I'm still going to continue reading it.
This series does not hold my interest and thrill me like many other urban fantasies do. I read each book to give it another chance and find myself skimming through to finish.
These books have been spellbinding, but they've made me so nervous. I've had to put it down to recover. But seeing as how we're on lockdown as the worl fight the Coronavirus, or CCP Virus, which ever; I 've finished another fine book. Now for book five. The Darklands were amazing with it's environment as pictured by Nancy Holzer. Darklands will be way worth your time.
I blew through this book wayy too fast, either I have too much free time or this book was wayy too short, I mean it feels like I started this book yesterday 😅 anyway on to book 5
And now here I am with the last volume of the series currently published in the United States. Oh it will be hard now to wait until the 5th! This new novel was a real pleasure to read and Vicky is always more or more interesting to follow. I enjoy the Nancy Holzner ideas in this series, our heroine is still facing many problems and each novel makes her work harder than the previous.
From the beginning of the novel, Victory finds herself very anxious. Indeed, all her customers cancel their exterminations which make her full of questions and concerns. And during a work, she realizes that someone captures her demons, and that someone is none other than Pryce, her cousin. But the reason is however difficult to understand. He wants to recover his powers and kill her once and for all. But another concern is added to this ... Simone, a young werewolf that Kane is helping, seems desperate to steal her lover. Vicky is determined to intervene and force her to give up! And while her quest for revenge against Pryce leads her in mysterious places, our heroine will have to fight to stay alive and to save everyone she loves.
New characters appear in this novel, from the past and the present of Vicky. It was nice to discover them all. This allows us to understand a little more our heroine and her family. We also meet a demon called Butterfly, who is quite annoying even if he is still pretty funny. He loves to make her doubt, making her blaming herself for all sorts of things and at the same time he tries to help her as he can (if you can call it "help"). I must say that most of the time he does not even realize what he's doing. A strange relationship appears between them although I doubt that Vicky really appreciate what he does to her. I wonder if we will have the opportunity to see him in the future, but in any case it would be a pleasure. We also appreciate Kane more and more through each of the volumes. He likes a lot Vicky and despite what she thinks he always wants to protect her. Wherever she goes, he is ready to follow her when she thinks she is the only one who needs to support the weight of the world on her shoulders. He is even able to put his life at stake, if it means he can help her in her quest. It is quite sad to see what he wants from her, when it is so difficult for her to express what she has in her heart. We know she loves him just as much, but it's hard for her to admit it and even harder to tell him. We can also quickly meet the mother of Victory. After all the mentions through the first three volumes, I was really curious to see how she would be, and even if we do not see her a lot, I can’t wait to learn more.
This novel will take us into another world, showing us the subtleties of this universe. It was really interesting to have the opportunity to learn more. We meet some new mythical characters, new types of magic, new lifestyles. Our heroine's life will be turned upside down once again, and it announces more worries for the next volume. An enemy is rising, recovering his strength to make her fail, but Vicky has many friends who will be at her side. She manages to understand her destiny gradually even if she doesn’t understand all the details. This is a very good series of urban fantasy and I’m impatient for the release of Volume 5!
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67 points/100 (3 ½ stars/5) Warning: minor cliffhanger (status: why even bother ending it there?)
Pryce is back, and he wants access to his demon again. He has concocted a way to resurrect his demon and reattach it to him by stealing demons and a cauldron. Only this requires him passing into the Darklands, into death. And Vicky has to follow.
I was left pretty disappointed in Darklands. This series started out really strongly, yet I feel like it is slipping up. The strength it has are missing or they've changed so they are no longer strengths. The plot isn't as strong or well put together. In fact this took forever to even start. I had to take a break at 22% of the way through the book, and when I picked it up again I realised I didn't even have a clue what the book was about yet. This wasn't on me, it was because the plot of the book hadn't even been introduced yet.
The beginning of this book was all relationship and family drama. Her niece is starting her transition into being a shapeshifter, and her mom is freaking out about it making her freak out about it, and it is a whole big deal. A big deal that I just don't feel like we need to be in the middle of, not for that long. On the relationship side of things, there is a contender for Kane's affections, and Vicky is jealous. It is all in her head, and the woman who wants Kane. Kane doesn't even seem to notice that the contender even likes him.
When we finally get to what this book was about, it just kind of fell flat. The reason for everything that was going on was really thin, and I feel like most of this book didn't even need to happen. This was basically about Vicky going into the Darklands to beat Pryce. Yet, it is treated like a really long series of challenges. It was like the Odyssey with Celtic myths instead. It felt like a game.
The worst part is that Vicky herself just seemed the opposite of herself. I typically like her, but I didn't here. She jumps to conclusions and then acts on them. Only she puts no thought into what she is doing, she doesn't care. She is pretty selfish in Darklands. She doesn't think about anything or anyone else, only her own vendettas and feelings. Everything is about her.
That extends into Kane, her boyfriend. I hated hated hated him in Deadtown, the first book in the series. I went into an extended rant about him in several places, not just my review. He had his own points in that book, and they were valid, but he was still an extreme jackass. The tables have turned and it is Vicky who is acting like an asshole. She is jealous, but seems to be punishing him for her jealousy. She promises something and then takes it back, even though it was necessary she went about it all wrong. She doesn't tell him anything about what is going on with her, leading him to doing something really stupid. I hated Kane, but honestly right now I hate Vicky a bit.
The best thing about this entire book, though, was Vicky's new friend. She conjured up a guilt demon so she could question it about something and it backfired. Now she has this demon hanging out in her, influencing her feelings. And he is kinda fun and awesome, hope he sticks around. He turned into a good character by the end of the book.
Even though I was really disappointed in this book, I'm eager to read the next. This is the last of the books I had previously read, so all the rest is new content. I'm looking forward to it.
Darklands refer the place where departed souls (or shades) stay temporarily. The Darklands are home to three magical cauldrons: the rebirth, the renegeration, and transformation. When shades' time at The Darklands is up, they will get 'pulled' by one of the cauldrons and they either return to the Ordinary world (rebirth), renews their soul to dwell permanently in the Darklands (renegeration), or changes them into another (transformation). When Pryce plans to release demons into The Darklands in order to get a new shadow-demon, using cauldron of transformation, it's up to Vicky to try to stop his evil plan.
On one hand, the details of the Darklands, where the action happens almost half of the book are truly fascinating. I love the myth of the cauldrons and how the shades are wearing cloaks with different colors that show their status -- black means their time is up, by the way. I love the creatures there, like Rhudda Gawr - The Red Giant who owns an arrow that never misses its target, Lord Arawn -- the ruler of the Darklands, or the Keepers. I love Vicky's adventure there ...
On the other hand, Nancy Holzner writes a plot that I come to strongly dislike when it comes to urban fantasy with female protagonist. That the heroine feels the need to do everything alone -- either because she feels it's her responsibility, her destiny, her baggage, her burden, her mistake, her guilt, etc -- and refuses to ask help or listen to advices for her friends and loved ones, which in the end only brings a more catastrophic result. It's just so fricking annoying. I'm not saying that I'm being sexist, that because of it's "female", I want the heroine to ask for help. I will say the same for male protagonists as well. Unfortunately, I find this type of plot happens more on the urban fantasy series I read featuring female protagonist. Male protagonists, on the other hand, often have side-kicks or friends who help them.
In this book, that plot makes me resent Vicky very much, especially regarding Kane, her werewolf lover. Kane has done so much by her; he travels to Wales to tell Vicky how important she if for him, he fights Myrddin, he attacks The Destroyer, and in this book he offers servitude for a year and a day to Mallt-y-Nos or The Night Hag in order to bring Vicky back home from The Darklands. All he wants is for Vicky to share that night where he turns into werewolf during three full-moon nights at Princeton and to acknowledge that they fight better together. But noooo, Vicky thinks that killing Pryce is her own responsibility and she doesn't need Kane's help for that. Well, sorry, it makes me very, VERY annoyed with her. It even comes to the point where I think Kane is better off without her.
Sure, Vicky does accept help when she is in The Darklands from but . She denies Mab's advices to focus on how to stop Pryce in this world rather than The Darklands, and Mab is her aunt that has been done a lot by her when it comes to magic. It's frustrates the hell out of me.
I will still continue with the next book, of course. I just hope that Vicky gets her sh*t together, especially with Kane now being in debt to serves Mallt-y-Nos ...
This is the second book I’ve read in Nancy Holzner’s Deadtown Novel Series books and let me say, it just keeps getting better. For me, it starts with Holzner’s brilliant characterization and unfolds from there. Victory Vaughn isn’t exactly human in the sense she’s a shapeshifter, but she is human in every other way – in the ways that count. I would follow her through ten more books. She’s that good of a character. She’s not just a little hookish with a bit of voice. Victory is the whole package. Let me give you one of her dimensions - her soft side. This is Victory thinking backing on her dad. This is also, a chick that wields a heavy sword with ease. “Memories rushed back. When I was a little girl, jolted awake by a nightmare, and my father’s arms felt like a fortress against the terrors of the night.” This is Victory can taking care of herself, as in this graph. She doesn’t even have to shapeshift into a ferocious beast to do so. “I checked the weapons I already wore – knives in thigh and ankle sheathes, pistol in a shoulder holster, another at my hip. All set. Good to be prepared, but I didn’t expect to use any weapons here.” In other words, she can fight. She can feel, but that last part can sometimes flaw her, which often makes for a more interesting story. In this particular one, it brought in a delightful new character known as Butterfly. This character makes me rethink my own flaws such as should I really eat that fat, piece of cake? You’ll have to read and find out who Butterfly is in the book. The rest of Victory’s supporting cast did a great job, but the one that stood out the most to me was Kane. I like nice guys, and for a werewolf Kane is a great example of one. Let me give you one and then I’ll close the door on quotes. “I’ve fought by your side before, and I’m always ready to do it again. Always. Don’t go alone – wait until I can be with you….” There’s more to this, but I’m afraid of giving too much away. Mostly, Kane is willing to be with Victory anywhere and he allows her to be who she is without trying to make her into something she is not, or own her. Like I said, he is a nice guy in every sense of the word. Now, a word on the plot of this book which was put together like a master craftsman. I believe Holzner must carefully plan her books out like a professor does a college classroom using a syllabus. It would impossible not to do so. Her ideas are anything but simple, but how she unfolds them to the reader make it easy to understand. The background research involving things like Arthurian Legends, and Welsh Mythology had to be enormous on top of the writing itself. The hard work and dedication has paid off in this series, and I for one plan to pass it around. I highly recommend, not just Darklands but Bloodstone, the book before it. I would also recommend reading it slow. This is not easy with good books.
After the previous two Deadtown series books opened with our heroine Vicky working at her job as a demon slayer, it was a completely fun change of pace to witness Vicky participating in the zombie high school career event. Vicky is there to help her one-time apprentice, Tina, although she’d rather be out fighting evil. Things seem to go as planned until a vicious Harpy demon attempts to kill Vicky, and she must demonstrate her job first hand to the zombie teens. Such is the life of Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer. Oh, AND she may also be the subject of an ancient prophecy, she has a demi-demon cousin out to kill her, she’s summoned an Eidolon demon who is literally gnawing away her insides because of her own guilt, she’s dating a high-profile werewolf, and now she has to deal with another woman trying to horn in on her wolf, er... man.
One thing that I enjoy immensely about the Deadtown series is watching Vicky grow as an individual from the start to finish of each book, and how she builds upon the progress from book to book. In this story we go further into Vicky's psyche via the Eidolon. Having Vicky infest herself with a demon was an interesting twist. While providing some comic relief, the primary purpose is to help Vicky work through all of the things she regrets/feels guilty about, etc.
Darklands continues the story of Vicky vs. Pryce. Vicky discovers that Pryce is attempting to recreate his shadow demon by smuggling captured demons into the Darklands - the “afterlife” plane where souls move on, wait to be reborn in a new life, or are regenerated and continue to stay in the Darklands. Once again, Vicky strikes out on her own, feeling the weight of saving the world rests solely on her shoulders. She makes a deal with the Mistress of the Hunt to enter the Darklands so she may begin her quest to defeat Pryce. Fortunately, Vicky finds help from her long-dead father, Evan. Together the two not only go on a danger-filled journey, but they take the time to clear the air and reconnect. Again, a superb balance of action and emotion.
Darklands is another solid and wonderful story from Ms. Holzner. Her stories are fierce and exciting, full of spirit and emotion. The stories feel familiar, but the mythology is unique. Ms. Holzner's world is engrossing and engaging. It's not easy, but she always finds a way to pull together all of the pieces of the story by the end of each book. In the end, Vicky must take a long hard look at what is in her heart and decide what is worth fighting for. I love it!
Plot: 4.5 Stars This series holds a special place in my heart because Nancy was the first author to ever contact me for a review. I have loved each and every installment in this series, and this title was no different. I've learned to expect the unexpected. The author always keeps my on my toes with the twists and turns. I also really enjoy the wide array of paranormal creatures within the world the author has created. All too often, novels feel the author threw in everything but the kitchen sink, but it really works in this series. I also really enjoy the idea of Deadtown and the fight for paranormal rights.
Pace: 4 Stars The first half of this novel flew by. It felt like I was catching up with old friends. The novel had just enough recap to bring me up to date without dragging the story down. Although at first, I wished the story had begun with a demon extermination like the three previous installments, I quickly changed my mind. This novel started out with an even bigger bang at Tina's career day. Once we were introduced to the Darklands, the realm of the dead, there were points in which the pacing slowed down a bit. But then the book ended with a bang, leaving me excited for the next novel.
Characters: 5 Stars All of the characters in this series made great appearances in this novel, no matter how big or small. Tina was her usual self in the beginning, when she brought Vicki in for career day. I forget how much I love Tina's snarkiness in between novels, but she's definitely one of my favorite characters. I also really enjoyed seeing more of Maria, Vicki's niece. You get to learn more about the Cerddorion and how they develop their powers as she experiences the changes. It was also amusing to see how Juliet spent her house-arrest. I really liked the new characters introduced in this installment, especially one that was a big surprise. Although I really enjoy Vicki as a strong urban fantasy heroine, I think the cast of characters around her really make this series fantastic.
Cover: 4 Stars This cover breaks from the pattern of the first three a bit in the angle and stance of the cover model. It's the first cover that zooms in and doesn't include a full body shot. The flaming sword also isn't quite as front and center as the previous covers. But all in all, the cover definitely fits in with the rest. It gives off the same kick-ass vibe as the rest of the series, and the greens in the lower corner stand out. I really love that the title and author are in the same font and the same placement on each cover. It helps give the series continuity.
Overall: 4.5 Stars
Disclosure: I received a copy of this novel for review.
This Urban Fantasy was a great read. Although this is the fourth installment, it was my first read in the Deadtown Series. Despite that, I found it easy to acclimate myself to the world of Deadtown and found the main character, Victory (Vicky) Vaughn extremely likeable and a very strong female lead. I think my main reason for liking her is because Ms. Holzner made her so relatable. She's experienced a huge loss, she is close to her family though they sometimes butt heads, and despite having a man that loves her, she sometimes doubts herself. Despite the fact that she isn't "human", this made her a real character to me.
When Darklands begins, Vicky is starting to lose business when her clients' cancel left and right. Demons that needed slaying are simply disappearing. After being clued in that it might be her cousin -- a former demi-demon named Pryce, she conjures a guilt demon to get more info on what might be going on. From there she learns me is trying to re-create his demon half so that he can return to being a demi-demon and causing destruction and chaos.
All the meanwhile she finds herself having to blow off those she loves in order to save the world she lives in, which by the way has not only vampires, but zombies and werewolves as well. I don't want to give too much else of the story away, but that is the gist of Vicky's huge struggles she must overcome in the story.
Ms. Holzner did a wonderful job weaving together, not only Deadtown but the various other "places" that Vicky finds herself in at various times. Many of the supporting characters in this story are very memorable and equally as likeable. Such as Kane-her werewolf man, her niece Maria-whom is just starting to find out she has similar powers to her aunt, and even the guilt demon that won't leave Vicky alone- Butterfly, a nickname he acquires and seems to actually embrace. Butterfly definitely at times was the comic relief and was highly amusing.
This book was very well written and enjoyable and Ms. Holzner still gave some resolution while setting it up for a fifth installment. It looks like I will be going back and grabbing copies of the rest of the series and be waiting patiently for book #5!
Darklands plays a dangerous game starting at its midpoint. Previous indications of Medieval influence crescendo as Victory-Vicky-Vick Vaughn does her bestest to prevent total world meltdown.
A lot of fresh air comes in with this addition to the series. Vic gets a new sidekick, although hardly helpful and, more often than not, a drain on her nerves. The endless prevarication concerning Kane - will he or won't he and Vic become an item, will he or won't he take center stage this go around - continues.
We never quite get to see enough of the werewolf side of things in this world as much as we are made aware of their proximity. Instead large doses of Medieval lore and Celtic mythology are fed to us. I am completely ok with this medicine. They can go ahead and trot out the IV when its elements are this well-developed and characterized.
It was quite a risk. That fork in the road at page one-sixty had me itching. Could another plane of existence be added to this already complicated three-ring urban zombie paranormal circus aka Boston that just keeps suffering for its resident, Victory? When's the winning going to happen already?
I am prepared to patiently wait, wade, and flip through this developing prophecy so long as it stays this edgy, dangerous, and rife with failure. Our Victory has a long way to go if she even hopes to keep apprised of her cousin Pryce's nefarious plottings and that is really the joy in following along, watching her fall, scrape, drag along, limp, and, eventually, with great difficulty, stride.
These developments have the potential for, at least, two more continuations. Shuffle yourself on over, ya paranormal junkie, and pick up this unfolding epic already! What's it got to be in some old book or something? It’s got Shakespeare in it. Or, at least, a couple of lines swapped between Vicky and her six hundred year old vampiric roommate, Juliet (yes, that one).
Reviewed by April, Book provided by Ace Books, and Review originally posted at Romancing the Book. Darklands is an enjoyable and entertaining romp in the world of the paranormal, filled with suspense, intensity and a magical dose of romance. For lovers of Urban Fantasy, such as myself, Darklands will satisfy on many levels and leave you yearning for more. This is book four in the “A Deadtown Novel” series, following Deadtown (#1), Hellforged (#2) and Bloodstone (#3). I have not read the previous books in this series, but the synopsis of this one instantly captured my attention and made me want to grab it and delve in. Did I regret this? Absolutely not. To be honest, I never would have even thought that this was part of a series, it is that well written and “complete”, never once making me wonder what was going on or why. The characters are rich and vivid and written in a way that I truly felt myself connected to them and caring for them. Vicky is the main character and a demon exterminator. She is brave, intelligent, loyal and suffers insecurities just as anyone else does. It is for these reasons that she endeared herself to me from the very beginning. Her boyfriend, Kane, is a werewolf and while there really isn’t much more than a few glimpses into their relationship, it is there. The story focuses mainly on Vicky and her spiral into the Darklands where she must put a stop to her demi-demon cousin, Pryce, before he is able to destroy all realms of the world, plummeting them into pure evil. I found Vicky’s time in the Darklands to be interesting and the encounters with the different paranormal forms to be intriguing. Nancy Holzner does an excellent job of creating a three dimensional world in which I was easily able to slip within, visualizing the world created by Ms. Holzner and the vast cast of characters. I recommend Darklands to any readers who are fans of the paranormal and urban fantasy. I look forward to reading more works by this author, including the previous books in this series.
"They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human… Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers. But Pryce isn’t alone. He’s conjured another, darker villain from Vicky’s past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she’ll have to face her own worst fear—in the realm of the dead itself."
I have been reading Nancy Holzner's "Deadtown" series since the first one came out a few years ago. The novels (Deadtown, Hellforged, Bloodstone, and now Darklands) have grown better and better with each release--the characters more compelling, the action more exciting, the romantic subplot more, well, romantic. Vicky is a believable and likable protagonist, despite her flaws, and Kane, the werewolf lawyer she in involved with, literally walks through Hell to be with her.
Holzner not only provides nonstop action from page one, she also accomplishes a feat that most writers find nearly impossible: summing up the important information from previous books so well, you can pick up book four and read it without having read any of the previous novels. (Although I highly recommend them all, and once you get hooked on this series, I promise you will want to follow Vicky's journey from the very beginning.)
She also accomplished the impossible in creating an unusual and sympathetic zombie character--something I (not a zombie fan, usually) would have bet against. This author is one not to miss. Highly recommended. 5 Stars!
Darklands is the fourth book in the Deadtown series by Nancy Holzner and an ACE Fantasy.
Blurb:
They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border--but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human...
Boston's demons have been disappearing, and Vicky's clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard's Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her half-cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers.
But Pryce isn't alone. He's conjured another, darker villain from Vicky's past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she'll have to face her own worst fear--in the realm of the dead itself.
My thoughts:
Vicky Vaughn thought she was in a good place - business was going well, her personal life was going better than well - and her cousin Pryce was out of the way.
But she was wrong.
Pryce is back and trying to regain his powers by harnessing demons from people’s nightmares - if he can kill Vicky in the process - well, that’s just icing on the cake.
And if things weren’t bad enough - a female were has her sights set on Vicky’s boyfriend, Alexander Kane.
With things falling apart around her, Vicky does the only thing she can - she fights.
Darklands is an enjoyable read. Vicky is fearless and gets the job done.
I give Darklands 3 out of 5 stars.
Product Details Reading level: Ages 18 and up Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages Publisher: Ace (July 31, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 1937007707 ISBN-13: 978-1937007706
This ended up getting more entertaining than I thought it would, so I pushed through to the end last night.
I would give this book 3.5 stars, I didn't think it was as entertaining or as interesting as the other books in the series. I am starting to get frustrated with Vicki, I feel like she paid the ultimate price when she didn't listen to her Aunt Mab as a teen, and should have learned from then on that her aunt knew what she was talking about. It really bugged me that Vicki totally disregarded her aunt again, on more than one instance in this book.
I also wasn't really happy to read about any relationship troubles she was having. I feel like when it takes three books to get a relationship solidified between the hero and heroine of a series, that means it is time for the author to stop messing with the OTP. A good example of this is the Kate Daniels series, it took a good three to four books for the pussy footing to stop, and once it did, there was no more relationship drama. I also wish Vicky could have just put her foot down with this Simone side-plot thing and told Kane it bothered her, but she never did once bring it up to him, so that was frustrating as well.
Other than the above, it was an interesting story and I appreciated all the research that the author obviously put into the series. The stuff that happened in the Darklands came as a complete surprise, but I'm interested to see where things go from there.
The Deadtown series has fast become one of my favorite UF series. It has just the right mix of supernatural s*%$ hitting the fan and romance.
Since book one (or maybe it was two), we've known that Vicky has carried the world's weight in guilt over the death of her beloved father. That all comes into play in this installment as Vicky travels to the land of the dead in order to stop the latest bid to end the world as we know it. The things that subsequently happen will have consequences and we'll just have to wait to see how it all plays out.
One of those consequences will undoubtably affect Kane, Vicky's scrumptious werewolf boyfriend. I just love Kane but then how can you not love a man who will literally follow the woman he loves to the very gates of hell? Vicky has always been a little committment phobic even as she's found herself being drawn further into this romance with Kane almost without her noticing but her feelings about him are firm and clear. I think that some dark days may be coming, not in terms of what Kane and Vicky feel for each other, but in terms of what they may have to face together. They have become one of my favorite UF couples so I'm rooting for them to stay strong.
As far as covers go, this one is not my favorite. It looks like the cover model is wearing a bad wig but hey, never judge a book...right? lol
Victory Vaughn is back in this installment of the Deadtown novels and she's a very busy woman even though all her clients are canceling appointments saying their personal demons are gone and they're sleeping like babies.
I found this book to be very busy, almost to the point of overload. Vicky is worried Kane might be snatched away by another werewolf and being attacked by harpies, Juliet is under house arrest and Vicky's niece is going through pre-shapeshifter anxiety. This is all just in the first couple chapters too.
The Darklands seem to be a sort of limbo, not Uffern (hell) not 'the beyond' (heaven) and you only have so much time allotted there before you have to move on. Pryce, Victory's evil cousin, has a plot to get his personal demon back and Victory has to follow him to the Darklands.
I enjoyed the fast pace, the action, the imagery and world building of the Darklands.
All in all a good book with a solid story built off the previous books and huge surprises.
Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Guest Reviewer, Kathy M:
I’ve enjoyed Nancy Holzner’s Deadtown series and her latest offering was no exception. Darklands is fast paced, action packed and laced with humor, thanks in large part to the introduction of a demon named Butterfly.
Vicky, the heroine, is Boston’s only demon exterminator and she’s really good at her job. But when it comes to dealing with her feelings of guilt regarding her father’s death, or her uncertainty of her relationship with her sexy werewolf boyfriend Kane, Vicky struggles big time. When demons start disappearing and a powerful cauldron goes missing, Vicky must travel to the land of the dead, known as the Darklands, to stop her demi-demon cousin from bringing down the fall of humanity.
Nancy Holzner does an excellent job of laying down the foundation of the prior books in the first couple chapters of Darkland, bringing new readers up to speed. But I would recommend reading the first three books in this series so that you don’t miss a thing. Darkland is a must read for fans who love urban fantasy with a dash of mystery.
I strongly suggest you read the previous books in the series (Deadtown, Hellforged and Bloodstone) prior to reading this installment.
This installment started off a bit slow for me. The story was enjoyable, however, the author donated a little bit more time to Vicky's relationship with her were boyfriend than I would've preferred.
I agree with another reviewer in regards to the cover. I personally found it hideous and I felt that it does not do the series justice.
I found the motive and story plot purposeless. Don't get me wrong, there was action-packed parts and interesting moments, but the story itself felt forced.
Although, I found many parts boring, the book was not dreadful; it just was not as consistently exciting as previous books. Vicky's interaction with her niece and their aunt Mab is always a treat and was a definite highlight.
I recommend this book to fellow dark urban fantasy readers and will read the next book in the series Hellhound due out in 2013. I also recommend: Magic Bites (Kate Daniels, Book 1) Once Bitten Lethal Rider (Lords of Deliverance) Secrets of the Demon (Kara Gillian, Book 3) Harvest Hunting (Sisters of the Moon, Book 8)