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Jaz Parks #2
Another One Bites the Dust
Jaz Parks has enough trouble in her personal life. What she doesn't need is more trouble with her vampire boss and another mission. This time she has to retrieve a vital piece of biotechnology by killing the maniac who stole an ancient Chinese vamp. Their cover in this professional entertainers at the Corpus Christi's Winter Festival.
The crew's all a psychic, a techno-wizard, a singing vampire, a juggling PI, and Jaz. Holy crap in a bottomless well, Jaz is going to bellydance. It's definitely, probably, quite possibly going to be the end of the world as we know it.
The crew's all a psychic, a techno-wizard, a singing vampire, a juggling PI, and Jaz. Holy crap in a bottomless well, Jaz is going to bellydance. It's definitely, probably, quite possibly going to be the end of the world as we know it.
328 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2007
68 people are currently reading
2356 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Rardin
19 books889 followersI’ve spent all my life in the Midwest, which has certainly shaped my perspective on all kinds of issues, from the question of whether or not we really have an accent, to the many and varied uses of corn.
I was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965. Mom tells me almost every year what crappy weather it was that day. However I like to think of my birthday as the first frost-free date for my planting area. See what happens when you grow up around farmers? Scary, huh?
After a youth spent up to my eyeballs in fairy tales, nordic myths and supernatural legends I made the solid and practical decision to go to college and major in English. After which I never really held a well paying job until this gig came along! Which is why my kids love to sing that song to me from the musical “Avenue Q.” The one that begins with the line, “What do you do with a B.A. in English?”
Once I figured out the answer to that question, I wrote Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Now my laptop is my constant companion. We reside in an old farmhouse along with my husband and our two teenagers. No pets since the cat died last winter, but the birds seem to appreciate his absence. They come to feast at the feeders while I write on the back porch in the cool of the morning. Lovely.
I was born in Evansville, Indiana on April 28, 1965. Mom tells me almost every year what crappy weather it was that day. However I like to think of my birthday as the first frost-free date for my planting area. See what happens when you grow up around farmers? Scary, huh?
After a youth spent up to my eyeballs in fairy tales, nordic myths and supernatural legends I made the solid and practical decision to go to college and major in English. After which I never really held a well paying job until this gig came along! Which is why my kids love to sing that song to me from the musical “Avenue Q.” The one that begins with the line, “What do you do with a B.A. in English?”
Once I figured out the answer to that question, I wrote Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Now my laptop is my constant companion. We reside in an old farmhouse along with my husband and our two teenagers. No pets since the cat died last winter, but the birds seem to appreciate his absence. They come to feast at the feeders while I write on the back porch in the cool of the morning. Lovely.
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June 25, 2020
This is the sequel to Once Bitten, Twice Shy and I enjoyed both books equally well, so three stars for both of them and for much the same reasons. Here I'll try to avoid repeating most of what I said in my review of that one, which you can read at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
The CIA assassination team that came together in the first book is functioning as a cohesive unit from the beginning of this one, and its leader Vayl--the centuries-old Romanian vampire--now has a solid traditional bond with our first-person narrator Jaz (for Jasmine) Parks: she is his avhar and he is her sverhamin. You might think of romance, and there are a fair number of remarks along that line--
And yes, enjoyment of this story required even more suspension of disbelief than the first one did. Chien-Lung is on an official state visit to the USA, where he has already stolen a secret body armor prototype during a tour of the military facilities at White Sands, New Mexico; the scaly armor combines with the wearer's skin and emerges under threat not only to cover nearly his whole face but also to sprout horns, launchable spines along his back, and a tail he can use as a weapon. In this way Chien-Lung shifts into a mechanical (?) dragon form. Oh, right, he also shoots fire from his mouth. All from the armor invented by none other than Miles Bergman, the nerdy tech genius who's now on Vayl's team.
After White Sands, Chien-Lung's official tour takes him and his vampire consort Pengfei (not a dragon lady, though she has a taste for ripping people apart, and I do mean apart) to the Winter Festival at Corpus Christi, Texas, where they will officially observe a troupe of 40 acrobats from China, which includes a sweet little family that steals Jaz's heart. Both snark and sentiment from Jaz, you see. Vayl's team is there in Corpus Christi to prevent World War III by eliminating Chien-Lung and Pengfei, and the action gets fairly chaotic at times.
The assassination team, consisting of Vayl, Jaz, Bergman, and two others--a millennia-old psychic named Cassandra who has magical powers and a private detective named Cole who speaks Chinese--has their work cut out for them because Chien-Lung isn't the only enemy they face.
The Big Bad Guy from the first book, nicknamed the Raptor and now known as Samos, is assisting Chien-Lung by summoning reavers, a splendid new kind of evil demon that eviscerates its victims and sucks out their souls into a third eye in its forehead. This is a gory story indeed, and it's setting up reavers for future installments too.
A reaver possesses a human and is undetectable until it strikes--the person simply seems a little different, but Jaz discovers that she, as a sensitive, can detect the reaver's whole-body shield as a dark outline and spot vulnerabilities when the possessed person moves quickly; she sees a subtle blur in the motion. If she moves quickly too, she can insert a weapon where she sees the momentary blur. And I think that's the only way you can take down a reaver. We'll see.
Lots and lots of savage killing combine with banter and trivial remarks among the team members right through the worst of it--gallows humor doesn't begin to describe Jaz's narration or the dynamic of the team. Leave your disbelief at the door and retrieve it on your way out.
The CIA assassination team that came together in the first book is functioning as a cohesive unit from the beginning of this one, and its leader Vayl--the centuries-old Romanian vampire--now has a solid traditional bond with our first-person narrator Jaz (for Jasmine) Parks: she is his avhar and he is her sverhamin. You might think of romance, and there are a fair number of remarks along that line--
Vayl cleared his throat. I glanced over my shoulder. He made three short gestures that clearly meant Get in. Get out. Don't screw up. I made a gesture of my own that was also quite clear. Unfortunately, he took me literally, and I think I left him in a state of rising excitement.--but Jaz's snarkiness once again fills an action-packed story full of gruesome killing and constant danger of several kinds. Jaz is an experienced killer of rogue supernaturals, and the team is on a mission to eliminate a high-ranking Chinese official named Chien-Lung, who is not only a vampire but is attempting to become a dragon also in order to take over the Chinese armed forces and launch a war against the United States.
And yes, enjoyment of this story required even more suspension of disbelief than the first one did. Chien-Lung is on an official state visit to the USA, where he has already stolen a secret body armor prototype during a tour of the military facilities at White Sands, New Mexico; the scaly armor combines with the wearer's skin and emerges under threat not only to cover nearly his whole face but also to sprout horns, launchable spines along his back, and a tail he can use as a weapon. In this way Chien-Lung shifts into a mechanical (?) dragon form. Oh, right, he also shoots fire from his mouth. All from the armor invented by none other than Miles Bergman, the nerdy tech genius who's now on Vayl's team.
After White Sands, Chien-Lung's official tour takes him and his vampire consort Pengfei (not a dragon lady, though she has a taste for ripping people apart, and I do mean apart) to the Winter Festival at Corpus Christi, Texas, where they will officially observe a troupe of 40 acrobats from China, which includes a sweet little family that steals Jaz's heart. Both snark and sentiment from Jaz, you see. Vayl's team is there in Corpus Christi to prevent World War III by eliminating Chien-Lung and Pengfei, and the action gets fairly chaotic at times.
The assassination team, consisting of Vayl, Jaz, Bergman, and two others--a millennia-old psychic named Cassandra who has magical powers and a private detective named Cole who speaks Chinese--has their work cut out for them because Chien-Lung isn't the only enemy they face.
The Big Bad Guy from the first book, nicknamed the Raptor and now known as Samos, is assisting Chien-Lung by summoning reavers, a splendid new kind of evil demon that eviscerates its victims and sucks out their souls into a third eye in its forehead. This is a gory story indeed, and it's setting up reavers for future installments too.
A reaver possesses a human and is undetectable until it strikes--the person simply seems a little different, but Jaz discovers that she, as a sensitive, can detect the reaver's whole-body shield as a dark outline and spot vulnerabilities when the possessed person moves quickly; she sees a subtle blur in the motion. If she moves quickly too, she can insert a weapon where she sees the momentary blur. And I think that's the only way you can take down a reaver. We'll see.
Lots and lots of savage killing combine with banter and trivial remarks among the team members right through the worst of it--gallows humor doesn't begin to describe Jaz's narration or the dynamic of the team. Leave your disbelief at the door and retrieve it on your way out.
January 17, 2011
Imagine a government team of assassins made up of a vampire, a sensitive, a psychic, a gadget guru and an ex private investigator. Put these characters (and they are characters) together and you have Jaz Park’s team in Another One Bites the Dust. Jaz’s crew must find Chien Lung a vampire that has stolen a prototype Dragon Armor. They also have to dodge a few reavers – paranormal creatures that steal souls, and a few rednecks – humans that hate others.
Set in Corpus Christi during the Winter Festival, the team is disguised as performers. Jaz, to her chagrin, must be a belly dancer. They set up a command RV and begin to look for Chien Lung.
Dragon Armor – How cool is that? The dragon armor binds with the wearer’s DNA to form an impenetrable armor, complete with claws, and shooting spines – the works. Is that not clever? Combine that with the megalomaniac Chien Lung, and you have a very scary, unstoppable villain.
I loved the interaction between the members of Jaz’s team. I loved their banter, their teamwork, and their support for one another. If you are looking for a romance, this is not the book for you. There seems to be a promise of a romance, but I can’t see it happening for at least the next 2 books in the series. I’ll be reading the next book soon.
Set in Corpus Christi during the Winter Festival, the team is disguised as performers. Jaz, to her chagrin, must be a belly dancer. They set up a command RV and begin to look for Chien Lung.
Dragon Armor – How cool is that? The dragon armor binds with the wearer’s DNA to form an impenetrable armor, complete with claws, and shooting spines – the works. Is that not clever? Combine that with the megalomaniac Chien Lung, and you have a very scary, unstoppable villain.
I loved the interaction between the members of Jaz’s team. I loved their banter, their teamwork, and their support for one another. If you are looking for a romance, this is not the book for you. There seems to be a promise of a romance, but I can’t see it happening for at least the next 2 books in the series. I’ll be reading the next book soon.
December 24, 2007
This book isn't really any worse than you'd expect, but it doesn't fulfill the promise of the first book, Once Bitten, Twice Shy.
Once Bitten took what seemed to be a formula repackaging of the "modern vampire action tale (female protagonist variant)" and move it into some interesting places. In particular, the heroine (a non-vampire sidekick to a vampire assassin, both working for the CIA) discovering she is a revenant, a spirit brought back from the dead to fight evil. In this case, evil vampires.
Unfortunately, Another One doesn't do anything with that beyond try to talk it down. We fall into the "gather the troops" cliche (her tech-wizard friend, the now-homeless-P.I.-turned-wannabee-assassin, and the psychic-travelling-with-them-for-no-known-reason), then proceed to introduce a new type of bad guy (reavers, nasty demons nasty enough to deserve to have the word "nasty" attached to their name), meet the villain/target du jour, and then go into a basic action plot around them all.
I don't mind formula writing. A lot of the formula is built into the series already: she has to let Vayl bite her at some point, they have a powerful vampire enemy, demons are involved, they get closer to--but don't actually even encounter (yet)--the series' big bad villain Samos, etc. (In the last book they found out his name; in this one they meet his tailor--a piece of truly Werewolf Of London style.)
But the actually interesting part of the series, the part which gives me a reason to read it ahead of the other trashy, brain-dead reading in this genre, is the revenant story, which is actually reduced in this book to them (yep, her twin brother has been a revenant for years and never mentioned it) having been brought back from the dead by a guy named Raoul who lives in spiritual Las Vegas. In the first book we thought she called him that as a snarky way to come to grips with it, but it turns out that's his name and her brother uses it too. We can't have any actual moral storyline. We have a dead(?) military guy rescuing dead fighters for "tours of duty" against bad vampires.
Wow.
I am looking forward to the third book. I want to know how much more this great idea can be beaten into trash.
And anyway, it's a fine action story for times I don't want to think enough to read Charlaine Harris.
Once Bitten took what seemed to be a formula repackaging of the "modern vampire action tale (female protagonist variant)" and move it into some interesting places. In particular, the heroine (a non-vampire sidekick to a vampire assassin, both working for the CIA) discovering she is a revenant, a spirit brought back from the dead to fight evil. In this case, evil vampires.
Unfortunately, Another One doesn't do anything with that beyond try to talk it down. We fall into the "gather the troops" cliche (her tech-wizard friend, the now-homeless-P.I.-turned-wannabee-assassin, and the psychic-travelling-with-them-for-no-known-reason), then proceed to introduce a new type of bad guy (reavers, nasty demons nasty enough to deserve to have the word "nasty" attached to their name), meet the villain/target du jour, and then go into a basic action plot around them all.
I don't mind formula writing. A lot of the formula is built into the series already: she has to let Vayl bite her at some point, they have a powerful vampire enemy, demons are involved, they get closer to--but don't actually even encounter (yet)--the series' big bad villain Samos, etc. (In the last book they found out his name; in this one they meet his tailor--a piece of truly Werewolf Of London style.)
But the actually interesting part of the series, the part which gives me a reason to read it ahead of the other trashy, brain-dead reading in this genre, is the revenant story, which is actually reduced in this book to them (yep, her twin brother has been a revenant for years and never mentioned it) having been brought back from the dead by a guy named Raoul who lives in spiritual Las Vegas. In the first book we thought she called him that as a snarky way to come to grips with it, but it turns out that's his name and her brother uses it too. We can't have any actual moral storyline. We have a dead(?) military guy rescuing dead fighters for "tours of duty" against bad vampires.
Wow.
I am looking forward to the third book. I want to know how much more this great idea can be beaten into trash.
And anyway, it's a fine action story for times I don't want to think enough to read Charlaine Harris.
May 24, 2009
I didn't like the first book of this series, but nowadays so many authors seem to flub their first books that I decided to give Another One Bites the Dust a try.
The overuse of simile is irritating. The plot consists of a lot of childish antics and Jaz getting injured. But once the action and fighting begins, Rardin's writing becomes more focused. Her skills lie in the panic of those final moments, making you forgive (somewhat) her lackluster set-up.
My main issue with this series remains true: Jaz and Vayl are flat characters. Their personalities do not shine. They spend more time deflecting and evading than connecting.
But like the action-flicks this book calls to mind, the "big fight scene" provides enough thrills to prompt further interest in the series.
The overuse of simile is irritating. The plot consists of a lot of childish antics and Jaz getting injured. But once the action and fighting begins, Rardin's writing becomes more focused. Her skills lie in the panic of those final moments, making you forgive (somewhat) her lackluster set-up.
My main issue with this series remains true: Jaz and Vayl are flat characters. Their personalities do not shine. They spend more time deflecting and evading than connecting.
But like the action-flicks this book calls to mind, the "big fight scene" provides enough thrills to prompt further interest in the series.
December 10, 2010
Summary (from back cover):
I’m Jaz Parks. CIA assassin. Black Belt. Belly dancer at the Corpus Christi Winter Festival. The last is cover for my latest mission: retrieve a vital piece of biotechnology by killing the maniac who stole it. The thief is not your run-of-the-mill nut job, either. He’s Chien-Lung, an obsessive vamp who’s invulnerable while wearing his armour – which is constantly.
Then there are the reavers, ancient fiends who murder innocents and eat their souls. Only I can sense them. So, it’s not long before they want me dead, dead, dead.
And did I mention the nightmares? They’re not your garden variety sit-up-and-screamers. These suckers may actually kill me before the reavers do.
The Review:
Another One Bites the Dust is the second book in the Jaz Parks series, and picks up roughly where the last book "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" left off.
Jaz, she is so feisty and I've really grown to like her. I kinda thought she was a little whiney in the first book, but now I know that's not true. She really does grown on you, and she's a smart ass which I love.
Vayl, Not really sure what to say about him. He hasn't captured me like other Vampires have, yet. But I think he is growing on me.. He's old I mean like really old, and I think now that he has a partner like Jaz. He's starting to take away some of her traits. And a Vampire that can grow a little more human, will most likely grow on me as well.
Cole, He's such a PIG..... But I love him...
Bergman, reminds me so much of all my geek friends that I can't help but feel something for his character and how he fawns all over his toys..
Casandra, she is just AWESOME...
I have to say the story over all is fast paced and it moves at just the right speed to keep you interested. It gives you sneak peeks at each and every character, which draws you into their world. I loved that Sciene and Magic come together in this. And not once did I say "Huh".
I’m Jaz Parks. CIA assassin. Black Belt. Belly dancer at the Corpus Christi Winter Festival. The last is cover for my latest mission: retrieve a vital piece of biotechnology by killing the maniac who stole it. The thief is not your run-of-the-mill nut job, either. He’s Chien-Lung, an obsessive vamp who’s invulnerable while wearing his armour – which is constantly.
Then there are the reavers, ancient fiends who murder innocents and eat their souls. Only I can sense them. So, it’s not long before they want me dead, dead, dead.
And did I mention the nightmares? They’re not your garden variety sit-up-and-screamers. These suckers may actually kill me before the reavers do.
The Review:
Another One Bites the Dust is the second book in the Jaz Parks series, and picks up roughly where the last book "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" left off.
Jaz, she is so feisty and I've really grown to like her. I kinda thought she was a little whiney in the first book, but now I know that's not true. She really does grown on you, and she's a smart ass which I love.
Vayl, Not really sure what to say about him. He hasn't captured me like other Vampires have, yet. But I think he is growing on me.. He's old I mean like really old, and I think now that he has a partner like Jaz. He's starting to take away some of her traits. And a Vampire that can grow a little more human, will most likely grow on me as well.
Cole, He's such a PIG..... But I love him...
Bergman, reminds me so much of all my geek friends that I can't help but feel something for his character and how he fawns all over his toys..
Casandra, she is just AWESOME...
I have to say the story over all is fast paced and it moves at just the right speed to keep you interested. It gives you sneak peeks at each and every character, which draws you into their world. I loved that Sciene and Magic come together in this. And not once did I say "Huh".
February 10, 2011
Another One Bites the Dust
is the 2nd book in the Jaz Parks series, so some series spoilers may exist.
Reading Order:
In Another One Bites the Dust Jaz and Vayl's mission is to find Bergman's super snazzy protective armour that's been stolen by the Chinese Vamps. They go undercover at the Winter Festival as performers, Jaz is a belly dancer and Vayl is the muscle man. Jaz continues to have blackouts, but this time around they are a bit more worrisome.
While I enjoyed the first book in late 2009, I struggled to get through this one a year later. I'm not sure exactly why, maybe my expectations were a little to high, maybe my tastes have changed over the past year?
One of the things I got tired of was reading Jaz' internal dialogue. It took away from, instead of adding to, the overall story, IMHO. However, there are definite bits that I did enjoy throughout AOBtD. Sometimes, I'm LOL at her snarky sense of humour. I love Bergman and his creations. And the action keeps you flipping pages. It's the "down time" between those that found me pushing through, rather than flying through this one.
I'm going to give the series another go, in hopes that my interest in the series is re-ignited.
Reading Order:
In Another One Bites the Dust Jaz and Vayl's mission is to find Bergman's super snazzy protective armour that's been stolen by the Chinese Vamps. They go undercover at the Winter Festival as performers, Jaz is a belly dancer and Vayl is the muscle man. Jaz continues to have blackouts, but this time around they are a bit more worrisome.
While I enjoyed the first book in late 2009, I struggled to get through this one a year later. I'm not sure exactly why, maybe my expectations were a little to high, maybe my tastes have changed over the past year?
One of the things I got tired of was reading Jaz' internal dialogue. It took away from, instead of adding to, the overall story, IMHO. However, there are definite bits that I did enjoy throughout AOBtD. Sometimes, I'm LOL at her snarky sense of humour. I love Bergman and his creations. And the action keeps you flipping pages. It's the "down time" between those that found me pushing through, rather than flying through this one.
I'm going to give the series another go, in hopes that my interest in the series is re-ignited.
October 23, 2014
It was OK, but a little too much 'action chick' with an obvious plot & a heroine who made too many of her own problems. It wasn't quite as good as the first book, which was only 'ok', IMO, so this is it for the series for me. My daughter really likes it, so maybe it is my older, male perspective that harms the book in my eyes.
July 31, 2020
Short, punchy and fun. The pace makes the storyline engrossing and the characters make it engaging. This neat little package is a quick read because before you know it, you're done and looking for the next. It has everything urban lovers look for, supernatural creatures, gritty fights and witty one liners. The heroine is tough and has a loose tongue (love it) and the boss is that sexy mysterious that provides just the right level of 'tease'.
January 20, 2011
Jaz and her team are on another mission and this one is even more dangerous than the last. Not only are they dealing with a Chinese vampire who has stolen some very sophisticated biotechnology but there are also the soul sucking reavers that only Jaz can sense. To top it all off Jaz is suffering with some serious nightmares - ones that get her into some very dangerous situations. She has her team along for back up but with them all living together in a small RV while they pose as entertainers at the Winter Festival there are sure to be some fireworks amongst them. The question is can they put any personal issues to one side long enough to get the job done?
I really enjoyed Once Bitten, Twice Shy (the first book in the series) but in my opinion Another One Bites the Dust is even better. This is a great urban fantasy series and one that I'm looking forward to continuing. I love the fact that Jaz and her team are CIA agents and we get to see a bit of James Bond style technology! If you were a fan of the first book I'd definitely recommend this installment but if you're new to the series I would suggest reading the books in order starting with Once Bitten, Twice Shy - trust me it will be worth it!
I really liked the fact that Jaz is still dealing with the issues raised towards the end of the last book. I'm not going to go into detail in case you haven't read it but the things we discovered were bound to have a lasting effect on Jaz so it's good to see her starting to work things out in her head. Jaz's inner dialogue regularly makes me snort with laughter, along with some of the crazy (or stupid) things she gets up to - her belly dancing was hilarious. I love the sexual tension between her and Vayl - these two together have the potential to be smoking - but I'm glad that they aren't rushing into anything that neither of them is really ready for. I'm enjoying the will they / won't they side to the story but this doesn't take over the whole book and we still get an action packed story line.
In this installment we get to see a lot more of Bergman, Cassandra and Cole. I liked all of these characters but I have to say Bergman in particular (alongside Jaz) has the ability to make me laugh out loud with his actions. It was good to get to know all of them a bit better and really start to see them pulling together as a team despite the many niggles they may have along the way. Although Cole is still flirting with Jaz I was pleased that this doesn't seem to be turning into your typical love triangle that continues until the final book in a series, as much as Jaz enjoys flirting back she makes it clear that she isn't really interested in Cole although I did enjoy seeing Vayl getting jealous at times.
This is a fun, action-packed series that I would definitely recommend. If you haven't already discovered it you should pick up the first book as soon as you can.
I really enjoyed Once Bitten, Twice Shy (the first book in the series) but in my opinion Another One Bites the Dust is even better. This is a great urban fantasy series and one that I'm looking forward to continuing. I love the fact that Jaz and her team are CIA agents and we get to see a bit of James Bond style technology! If you were a fan of the first book I'd definitely recommend this installment but if you're new to the series I would suggest reading the books in order starting with Once Bitten, Twice Shy - trust me it will be worth it!
I really liked the fact that Jaz is still dealing with the issues raised towards the end of the last book. I'm not going to go into detail in case you haven't read it but the things we discovered were bound to have a lasting effect on Jaz so it's good to see her starting to work things out in her head. Jaz's inner dialogue regularly makes me snort with laughter, along with some of the crazy (or stupid) things she gets up to - her belly dancing was hilarious. I love the sexual tension between her and Vayl - these two together have the potential to be smoking - but I'm glad that they aren't rushing into anything that neither of them is really ready for. I'm enjoying the will they / won't they side to the story but this doesn't take over the whole book and we still get an action packed story line.
In this installment we get to see a lot more of Bergman, Cassandra and Cole. I liked all of these characters but I have to say Bergman in particular (alongside Jaz) has the ability to make me laugh out loud with his actions. It was good to get to know all of them a bit better and really start to see them pulling together as a team despite the many niggles they may have along the way. Although Cole is still flirting with Jaz I was pleased that this doesn't seem to be turning into your typical love triangle that continues until the final book in a series, as much as Jaz enjoys flirting back she makes it clear that she isn't really interested in Cole although I did enjoy seeing Vayl getting jealous at times.
This is a fun, action-packed series that I would definitely recommend. If you haven't already discovered it you should pick up the first book as soon as you can.
November 11, 2009
"Another One Bites the Dust" is the second book in Jennifer Rardin's series on Jaz Parks- an assassin. This book was even better than the first, it really made me laugh. I love how the 'crew' interacts with each other... just like a dysfunctional family. I'm not sure if I have a strange sense of humor or this book really was as humorous as I think it was.. Ah, who cares, I REALLY enjoyed myself. =) If you haven't started reading this series yet, read my review of the first book here.
I loved the plot! It really kept me wrapped up in the book. Jaz and Vayl are on yet another mission. This time our beloved tech-inventor genius, Miles Bergman, has had his newest invention stolen. (I love how he is depressed and anxious like he had a baby taken from him.) His newest invention is a biologically sophisticated armor that molds to the DNA of the one wearing it for ultimate defense/offense. The armor was stolen by vampires from China that want to create the next world war to get China on top "where it belongs."
Jaz, usually a loner, is sharing an RV with her new "crew" (Vayl, Bergman, Cassandra and Cole.) They're sharing an RV at a festival to cover as carnival performers... They need a reason to be where they are and scope out/steal back the armor. Cassandra is using her psychic abilities, Jaz is belly dancing and Vayl sings and acts as muscle. They put on a great show and turn out to be rather believable.
Jaz has all the same issues she had in the first novella. However, she resolves some in this book. It is nice to see some closure in her life. Also, I love this, she sleep walks. Her black outs are now dreams that she acts out. These are dangerous sleep walks. Yikes!
This book has the same sexual tension between Vayl and Jaz as there was in the first book. They haven't jumped in the sack yet- thank goodness. It makes me want to keep reading the books. (Anyone watch The Office or Bones? It is like, COME ON you KNOW you belong together! GET TOGETHER!) I love this sort of anticipation. How typical of me ;o)
I just have to throw this in here -Cassandra and Bergman bicker and pick at each other throughout this entire book. It is hilarious. I just know this is going to turn into a love/hate relationship and they're going to get together. I'm waiting for it. I want it to happen! So... now I'm hoping Rardin introduces a new character so that Cole can have some sort of relationship with a woman that isn't Jaz. (I want Jaz and Vayl together!)
All in all, this book is very recommended (by me!) Rardin mixed action, suspense and humor perfectly in this novel... they all balanced each other out wonderfully. Enjoy it!!
I loved the plot! It really kept me wrapped up in the book. Jaz and Vayl are on yet another mission. This time our beloved tech-inventor genius, Miles Bergman, has had his newest invention stolen. (I love how he is depressed and anxious like he had a baby taken from him.) His newest invention is a biologically sophisticated armor that molds to the DNA of the one wearing it for ultimate defense/offense. The armor was stolen by vampires from China that want to create the next world war to get China on top "where it belongs."
Jaz, usually a loner, is sharing an RV with her new "crew" (Vayl, Bergman, Cassandra and Cole.) They're sharing an RV at a festival to cover as carnival performers... They need a reason to be where they are and scope out/steal back the armor. Cassandra is using her psychic abilities, Jaz is belly dancing and Vayl sings and acts as muscle. They put on a great show and turn out to be rather believable.
Jaz has all the same issues she had in the first novella. However, she resolves some in this book. It is nice to see some closure in her life. Also, I love this, she sleep walks. Her black outs are now dreams that she acts out. These are dangerous sleep walks. Yikes!
This book has the same sexual tension between Vayl and Jaz as there was in the first book. They haven't jumped in the sack yet- thank goodness. It makes me want to keep reading the books. (Anyone watch The Office or Bones? It is like, COME ON you KNOW you belong together! GET TOGETHER!) I love this sort of anticipation. How typical of me ;o)
I just have to throw this in here -Cassandra and Bergman bicker and pick at each other throughout this entire book. It is hilarious. I just know this is going to turn into a love/hate relationship and they're going to get together. I'm waiting for it. I want it to happen! So... now I'm hoping Rardin introduces a new character so that Cole can have some sort of relationship with a woman that isn't Jaz. (I want Jaz and Vayl together!)
All in all, this book is very recommended (by me!) Rardin mixed action, suspense and humor perfectly in this novel... they all balanced each other out wonderfully. Enjoy it!!
August 17, 2016
This book was sent to me by a dear friend and unfortunately, it's just terrible.
Too much? Perhaps:
This book is just not my thing.
I do believe that it has systemic issues that aren't just problems for me, though.
Firstly, and I acknowledge this is partly my fault, I haven't read the first book (Once Bitten, Twice Shy). So I don't have the knowledge about the relationships that might have made some of the banter and the fraught silences make more sense. Pardon does attempt to explain how they're all connected, but it didn't always make sense.
Another thing that didn't always make sense is the different others - and yes, that's how they're referred to in the book: the supernatural entities. It seems like a new being just pops up every now and then for the heck of it - and sometimes with narrative reason - and their powers or whatever aren't clearly explained. Which is related to the biggest beef I had, narrative-wise: clearly Our Heroine, Jaz, is on the track of someone who happened in the first book - there's occasional references to them and their Dastardly Deeds - but I have almost no idea what they did or how bad they are, aside being told they are Bad. I know info dumps are sometimes clunky, but gosh some detailed explanation would have been helpful so that I understood the stakes (... heh...).
Anyway. The narrative revolves around a team of maybe-CIA-connected types, who include a seer and a vampire, trying to track down and do... something... with a vampire who has stolen some technology. Things move incredibly quickly, but there's still time for the description of intricate details about clothes, shoes and accessories being worn; this is problem for me, with rare exceptions like Gail Carriger. There's a Winter Festival, and belly-dancing, and murder, and magical powers, and anti-other sentiment being expressed in unpleasant ways. There's romance, although not in a very interesting way, and attempts at disguise, and Revelations of Nefarious Purposes.
And it's just written badly. I did finish it, partly because I wanted to see how many twists cold try and get in, and where the romances would end up going (because this friend likes to send me romances), and because - well, it wasn't quite so bad as to make me want to abandon it, and I was a little invested in some of the characters and knowing where they would end up.
I will not be chasing down any more Rardins.
Too much? Perhaps:
This book is just not my thing.
I do believe that it has systemic issues that aren't just problems for me, though.
Firstly, and I acknowledge this is partly my fault, I haven't read the first book (Once Bitten, Twice Shy). So I don't have the knowledge about the relationships that might have made some of the banter and the fraught silences make more sense. Pardon does attempt to explain how they're all connected, but it didn't always make sense.
Another thing that didn't always make sense is the different others - and yes, that's how they're referred to in the book: the supernatural entities. It seems like a new being just pops up every now and then for the heck of it - and sometimes with narrative reason - and their powers or whatever aren't clearly explained. Which is related to the biggest beef I had, narrative-wise: clearly Our Heroine, Jaz, is on the track of someone who happened in the first book - there's occasional references to them and their Dastardly Deeds - but I have almost no idea what they did or how bad they are, aside being told they are Bad. I know info dumps are sometimes clunky, but gosh some detailed explanation would have been helpful so that I understood the stakes (... heh...).
Anyway. The narrative revolves around a team of maybe-CIA-connected types, who include a seer and a vampire, trying to track down and do... something... with a vampire who has stolen some technology. Things move incredibly quickly, but there's still time for the description of intricate details about clothes, shoes and accessories being worn; this is problem for me, with rare exceptions like Gail Carriger. There's a Winter Festival, and belly-dancing, and murder, and magical powers, and anti-other sentiment being expressed in unpleasant ways. There's romance, although not in a very interesting way, and attempts at disguise, and Revelations of Nefarious Purposes.
And it's just written badly. I did finish it, partly because I wanted to see how many twists cold try and get in, and where the romances would end up going (because this friend likes to send me romances), and because - well, it wasn't quite so bad as to make me want to abandon it, and I was a little invested in some of the characters and knowing where they would end up.
I will not be chasing down any more Rardins.
April 7, 2011
I'm working my way through this series, and having enjoyed the first book, Once Bitten, Twice Shy, I thought Another One Bites the Dust was equally as fun and easy to read. Jaz and Vayl, along with Cole, Cassandra and Bergen, are on a mission to prevent Chien-Lung, and insane Chinese Vampire, from creating an international incident at the Corpus Christi Winter Festival. Chien-Lung is near invincible, having stolen Bergen's invention, an armour that binds with it's wearer on a cellular level, and surrounded himself with lethal reapers, soul stealing demons.
The plot is fairly predictable but there is plenty of action and some great fight scenes.
Jaz has the same smart attitude that endeared me to her character in the first book, she is witty, feisty and kick ass. It doesn't all come easy for Jaz though, she is experiencing blackouts and continuing to struggle with the loss of her fiance. She and Vayl are still dancing around their attraction to each other and their chemistry is an appealing facet of the story.
Another One Bites the Dust is light and entertaining and the series is shaping up to be a lot of fun.
The plot is fairly predictable but there is plenty of action and some great fight scenes.
Jaz has the same smart attitude that endeared me to her character in the first book, she is witty, feisty and kick ass. It doesn't all come easy for Jaz though, she is experiencing blackouts and continuing to struggle with the loss of her fiance. She and Vayl are still dancing around their attraction to each other and their chemistry is an appealing facet of the story.
Another One Bites the Dust is light and entertaining and the series is shaping up to be a lot of fun.
May 13, 2008
Ever experience blackouts, and regain consciousness to find yourself holding a gun to your own head? This makes for fascinating reading, even though it happens long before the novel is over.
With characters working for the CIA, this series is ripe for social commentary on what it means to work for the government, and how to deal with conflicts between their ideals and yours. Unfortunately, the author hasn't picked up this golden opportunity to create fiction that would really resonate with readers. And I think this is why I'm not connecting with this series – it isn't doing what it could. So I find myself judging it for what it's not, rather than what it is. However, within the pages of Another One Bites the Dust are right-wing conservative Christians who piss me off, but I'm not keen on right-wing conservative Christians in real life.
I'm continuing with this series, and hope it'll serve up what needs to be read. But right now I feel somewhat unfulfilled.
With characters working for the CIA, this series is ripe for social commentary on what it means to work for the government, and how to deal with conflicts between their ideals and yours. Unfortunately, the author hasn't picked up this golden opportunity to create fiction that would really resonate with readers. And I think this is why I'm not connecting with this series – it isn't doing what it could. So I find myself judging it for what it's not, rather than what it is. However, within the pages of Another One Bites the Dust are right-wing conservative Christians who piss me off, but I'm not keen on right-wing conservative Christians in real life.
I'm continuing with this series, and hope it'll serve up what needs to be read. But right now I feel somewhat unfulfilled.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 9, 2008
While this book didn't have the immediacy and drama of the first book, it was still fun to read. The characters were fleshed out a bit more (so to speak), and the tension between Jaz and Vayl took a step forward (finally!)
In this book, Jaz and Vayl are sent against a Chinese killer wearing dragon scale armor that Bergman built. They have to get the armor back, and foil the latest plot to take over the world. In the meantime, Bergman and Cassandra aren't getting along, and Cassandra's getting visions of everything ending very badly.
On the downside, the characters didn't grow as much as one might like to see (though the book only took place over a few days), and while Bergman's gadgets don't always work well, some of them tip far over the edge of believable. And the Jaz/Vayl thing moves way too slowly.
But otherwise, fun, and I'm looking forward to number 3!
In this book, Jaz and Vayl are sent against a Chinese killer wearing dragon scale armor that Bergman built. They have to get the armor back, and foil the latest plot to take over the world. In the meantime, Bergman and Cassandra aren't getting along, and Cassandra's getting visions of everything ending very badly.
On the downside, the characters didn't grow as much as one might like to see (though the book only took place over a few days), and while Bergman's gadgets don't always work well, some of them tip far over the edge of believable. And the Jaz/Vayl thing moves way too slowly.
But otherwise, fun, and I'm looking forward to number 3!
April 18, 2011
Number 2 in the Jaz Parks series.
CIA Pete has called the gang together to recover Bergman's dragon armour, that was being tested at a US military installation. It is an old vampire, Chien Lung who has taken it as he is obsessed with becoming a dragon. He's as nutty as a fruitcake but that just makes him more dangerous.
Lung has a couple of Vampires and Reavers to assist him in his quest to start a Chinese/American war, which is Edward Samos's (the Raptor) plan. Jaz is the only one who can see the Reaver's vulnerabilities so of course they want her dead.
This was a fun ride especially thinking of Jaz as a belly dancer at the Corpus Christi Winter Festival.
Looking forward to the next one.
CIA Pete has called the gang together to recover Bergman's dragon armour, that was being tested at a US military installation. It is an old vampire, Chien Lung who has taken it as he is obsessed with becoming a dragon. He's as nutty as a fruitcake but that just makes him more dangerous.
Lung has a couple of Vampires and Reavers to assist him in his quest to start a Chinese/American war, which is Edward Samos's (the Raptor) plan. Jaz is the only one who can see the Reaver's vulnerabilities so of course they want her dead.
This was a fun ride especially thinking of Jaz as a belly dancer at the Corpus Christi Winter Festival.
Looking forward to the next one.
July 22, 2019
Gelesen: 2010 / Reread: 2016 / Reread #2: 2019
Einer der besten Bände der Reihe, wenn nicht DER Beste. Ich liebe das Setting und die viele Interaktion im Team, die durch das enge Beieinandersein im Wohnwagen und auf dem Festgelände entsteht. Jaz bringt mit ihren Problemen einen ordentlichen Schuss Dramatik und ihr Humor ist in diesem Band besonders bissig, makaber und zum Lachen. Mir fällt erst jetzt beim rereaden auf, wie langsam, kontinuierlich und dabei authentisch die Beziehung zwischen ihr und Vayl wächst. In diesem Band muss Jaz sich mit ihrer Vergangenheit auseinandersetzen, um sich nach vorn bewegen zu können. Und nebenbei tritt sie natürlich wieder in einige feindliche Hintern und liefert eine ganze Menge Kampfaction. Der Band verdient seine 5 Sterne redlich.
Einer der besten Bände der Reihe, wenn nicht DER Beste. Ich liebe das Setting und die viele Interaktion im Team, die durch das enge Beieinandersein im Wohnwagen und auf dem Festgelände entsteht. Jaz bringt mit ihren Problemen einen ordentlichen Schuss Dramatik und ihr Humor ist in diesem Band besonders bissig, makaber und zum Lachen. Mir fällt erst jetzt beim rereaden auf, wie langsam, kontinuierlich und dabei authentisch die Beziehung zwischen ihr und Vayl wächst. In diesem Band muss Jaz sich mit ihrer Vergangenheit auseinandersetzen, um sich nach vorn bewegen zu können. Und nebenbei tritt sie natürlich wieder in einige feindliche Hintern und liefert eine ganze Menge Kampfaction. Der Band verdient seine 5 Sterne redlich.
December 8, 2009
As much as I like Jaz, Vayl, Cassandra, Cole and Bergman (hello, Rodney McKay!) this story really didn't hold my interest. Yes, the writing was funny and Jaz's quips hilarious, the story nevertheless dragged in places. Also, the whole body-armor thingy that Lung stole, well, it seemed a bit over the top. I don't know, I just didn't find it all that interesting. The saving grace of this book are the lovable characters, that's for sure. They behave like one big family, though the jealousy between Vayl and Cole is getting quite annoying fast.
To sum it up, a good book but nothing special.
To sum it up, a good book but nothing special.
July 17, 2016
An enjoyable read though I found it big on action, but not so much on character development. It was a light, easy read - I loved the team dynamics and Cole's witty comebacks. Jaz is a very likeable character though she probably gives Vahl grey hairs as she is always jumping into danger. I would have liked a bit of romance or at least some sexual tension between Jaz and Vahl - I didn't feel their connection at all, only as work partners. I lost interest in the mission and found the plot wandering at times. Overall, an enjoyable series with interesting characters.
January 25, 2010
I really like this series. I honestly think Jaz is the funniest heroine I've run across in an urban fantasy setting. The plot can seem a bit overwhelming at times, almost like there are too many different things going on to figure out what is important. It's still a very good story, though. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes lots of action and very little romance.
April 10, 2017
This series is quite interesting but I'll tell you I'm just reading it to see if anything happens between Jaz and Vayl their adventures are fun and their gang is quirky which I love they have some hysterical quotes, and I just love them. This adventure was wild and crazy and left me feeling tired, but I am obviously still interested I'm what they will be doing in their next mission.
August 22, 2017
Definitely stronger than the first book, and this one seems to hook me into the series a bit more. I liked the introduction of the Reaver beasties and Jaz's team of scoobies seems to be coming together a bit. This storyline has them following the trail of Ramos to TX and a subplot involving a possible war with China.
November 5, 2015
And I loved it as much as the first one. Can't wait to start the next one!
January 25, 2009
This author's style is not really my thing. Too many fantastical characters in addition to the vampires for me to truly believe in the world of the book.
May 27, 2009
Even better than the first. Lots of sarcasm and wit, and plain old ass kicking. Nice!
August 17, 2020
Another One Bites the Dust is the second book in the Jaz Parks series written by Jennifer Rardin. It centers on CIA operative Jasmine "Jaz" Parks, who is regularly partnered with her boss, the enigmatic vampire Vayl. They are tasked with stopping paranormal or mythological beings who've taken criminal roles in human society, or humans engaged in related activities.
Ever since letting Vayl snack on her blood, Jaz Park has gained a greater sensitivity to the supernatural and this skill becomes vital, where it allows her to identify and kill soul stealing reavers. The reavers are really just a distraction for her though, as her mission is to kill an evil and invulnerable Chinese vampire before he can start World War Three. As ever the uber-evil vampire Edward Samos a.k.a The Raptor is standing in the shadows pulling all the strings and dreaming of world domination.
Another One Bites the Dust is written rather well and is a fantastically good fun to read. It's a mixture of spy films seamlessly combined with the most popular elements of urban fantasy novels. The narrative is a tad derivative and upon reading it is clear to see the influence of many popular franchises and series. However, these influences are shaken up and mixed together rather well to create something new.
All in all, Another One Bites the Dust is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
Ever since letting Vayl snack on her blood, Jaz Park has gained a greater sensitivity to the supernatural and this skill becomes vital, where it allows her to identify and kill soul stealing reavers. The reavers are really just a distraction for her though, as her mission is to kill an evil and invulnerable Chinese vampire before he can start World War Three. As ever the uber-evil vampire Edward Samos a.k.a The Raptor is standing in the shadows pulling all the strings and dreaming of world domination.
Another One Bites the Dust is written rather well and is a fantastically good fun to read. It's a mixture of spy films seamlessly combined with the most popular elements of urban fantasy novels. The narrative is a tad derivative and upon reading it is clear to see the influence of many popular franchises and series. However, these influences are shaken up and mixed together rather well to create something new.
All in all, Another One Bites the Dust is written rather well and is a good continuation to what would hopefully be a wonderful series, which I plan to continue in the very near future.
November 1, 2017
The action was good and the plot was alright, not as good as the first book but not awful. The characters were exactly the same, not a whole lot of development. Jaz gets some information about her family and herself but Vayl gets absolutely nothing in the way of development. He just exists and he runs around wringing his hands over Jaz and her blackouts. He doesn't actually do much in this book and we only discover slightly more than we already knew about his past.
The main thing that annoyed me the most in this book was all the babies and mentioning of babies. There is a particular scene where Jaz tells Vayl that nothing is more important to her than babies, just because she is a girl. Uh, not true, some girls don't care for babies at all. That whole part where she is just so worried about a single baby when the whole world is at stake was just hard to believe. She's a tough as nails, get it done CIA assassin supposedly, but I haven't seen that Jaz at all. It would be nice if she stopped making a bunch of mistakes and was actually the character that everyone thinks she is.
Overall 2 out of 5 stars, mostly because Jaz is kind of lame and Vayl is made of cardboard. More development is needed.
The main thing that annoyed me the most in this book was all the babies and mentioning of babies. There is a particular scene where Jaz tells Vayl that nothing is more important to her than babies, just because she is a girl. Uh, not true, some girls don't care for babies at all. That whole part where she is just so worried about a single baby when the whole world is at stake was just hard to believe. She's a tough as nails, get it done CIA assassin supposedly, but I haven't seen that Jaz at all. It would be nice if she stopped making a bunch of mistakes and was actually the character that everyone thinks she is.
Overall 2 out of 5 stars, mostly because Jaz is kind of lame and Vayl is made of cardboard. More development is needed.
November 7, 2020
Solid followup. Still has a lot of the things that made the first so interesting. Namely a strongly female orient perspective that isn't focused on romance. Even though yes there's a fairly strong romantic overtone, but what she's most concerned about is juggling the relationships that make up her family unit. Her life is about keeping everyone happy not just with her but with each other.
But the plotline no matter how long it took me to read it was nothing super compelling beyond an impossible task and how do we do it anyway.
But the plotline no matter how long it took me to read it was nothing super compelling beyond an impossible task and how do we do it anyway.
January 26, 2018
By far the most unique paranormal book I've ever read. it's been years since I was able to finish a book that quickly. I was on the edge of my seat the entire book & it was full of surprises.
WARNING!!
Not for the faint of heart or weak stomachs.
WARNING!!
Not for the faint of heart or weak stomachs.
July 8, 2018
Being a big fan of vampire fic I did rather enjoy this. It has some very sassy characters in it but it is best if you have read the previous book in the sequel first as there are a lot of back references.
June 16, 2020
Good read
Nice story. The author really likes hyphenated words and long metaphors, but there is no eye rolling as in a lot of books in this genre. For that, I am truly grateful. I’ll definitely keep reading to see what develops between Jaz and her vamp.
Nice story. The author really likes hyphenated words and long metaphors, but there is no eye rolling as in a lot of books in this genre. For that, I am truly grateful. I’ll definitely keep reading to see what develops between Jaz and her vamp.
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