A Snake in the Grass

Jesse James Dawson #4

by K.A. Stewart

Jesse James Dawson never wanted to find himself in the middle of a demonic war. However, with the addition of 275 extra souls to his life, he’s got a target painted on his back in the most literal sense. With his apprentice, Estéban Perez, in tow, he heads to Mexico where the boy’s mother, a powerful bruja, will hopefully be able to extract the souls without harm to any party involved.

Champions for generations, the Perez family knows all there is to know about magic and taking out demons. But, like every family, there is drama bubbling beneath the surface. Add to that an ancient evil that has been waiting for just this chance, and of course, things are all going straight to Hell.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Magic, Fiction, Demons, Urban, Ebooks

284 pages, Paperback

First published July 6, 2014

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

KA Stewart keeps the magic going with another entertaining entry in the Jesse James Dawson series.

Now burdened with 275 souls, the magical equivalent of a nuclear bomb, Jesse isn’t safe. Neither is his family, and with son born Jesse is determined to figure out how to get rid of the souls in his possession and the target off his back. So he heads to Mexico with his apprentice Esteban to see if his mother, a powerful practitioner, can find out how to extract the souls before the demons find him. Even among the safety of a family of demon hunters though, Jesse isn’t safe.

More of the same from this series, which is a very good thing in my opinion. This time the setting is Mexico where see get to see Esteban’s family and their history of fighting demons stretching back generations. There are a few new characters introduced, including a pair of champions tasked with keeping Jesse safe.

All the same goodness from the previous books is back again, with fantastic humor and a more grounded urban fantasy series. My only (minor) complaint is that is seemed that the ending seemed a touch anticlimactic. Still another excellent entry in one of the most fun urban fantasy series around.

[Mihir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full review over at Fantasy Book Critic

ANALYSIS: After reading the third volume of the Jesse James Dawson series, I was excited about the direction of the series. However to mine & everyone’s disappointment, the publishers choose not to continue with the series & left the author in a slight lurch. The author though courageously promised that she would continue the series and hopefully self-publish the rest of the books (which at the moment is looking to be two books more).

Which brings us to the fourth volume titled A Snake In The Grass. It begins within a few weeks of the events in Los Angeles as Jesse is back in Kansas City & mighty conflicted about sharing his body with the 275 other souls. This soul addition has wrought havoc with his body’s status psychologically (to a minor degree) & physiologically (majorly). Not sure with what to do & being a target for demons, he decides to go away to Mexico with his protégé Estéban to visit Carlotta Perez who herself is a Bruja & try to extract the souls without any harm coming to either parties. Joining him as his entourage are Svetlana & Terrance who add to the magical firepower along with physical strength.

What he doesn’t count upon is facing problems from the familial elements in Estéban’s life. An older cousin has some resentments about Estéban taking up the family machete and might be getting a little other-worldly support as well. It falls upon Jesse and gang to figure what truly is at stake and who’s puling the actual strings in Mexico.

As far as middle volume titles go, there a re a lot of issues for the author to overcome. The back story most importantly, how much to reveal and how much to make it a standalone. With this volume, the author makes it more of a standalone nature and we get a story that focuses more on Estéban and his family in Mexico. For some that will be a plus, for those looking more of Jesse, you’ll get him but with a side of Mexicana. For those following the previous titles, we know that there’s been a lot of underground dealing with Axel in the middle. This book almost gives us all the clues as to what is truly happening and also reveals the major big bad for the future big books.

As compared to the previous two books, the action and mystery are a bit toned down as this book mainly deals with family issues. Not that it should be boring, if handled correctly, it can be quite nail biting. That sadly is not the case over here, in the first quarter of the book, the pace of the book is on the slower side as the readers are introduced to the life down south and the Perez familia is introduced. What helps is Jesse being his quippy self along with a huge dry side of Svetlana who while being deadly is a constant source of dry, dark humor whenever she appears on the pages. The book’s humor content does not take a back seat and that was a huge positive. With the series getting darker with each volume, it often helps that the author manages to level the grim nature via the protagonist’s quips as well as certain sardonic characters.

Another wildly entertaining character who makes a cameo debut is Henry & I can’t wait to read more of Jesse’s and Henry’s interactions. With Jesse being the sole narrator, its very hard to get a proper view of the other characters and in this book, I would have enjoyed a look into Estéban’s mind as there are several things that occur that become bothersome and only so much can be attributed to teenage immaturity. While we don’t get much insight into his thoughts, his actions and the explanation provided do offer some succor. But again I believe this issue could have been neatly sidestepped with simply allowing Estéban his own POV.

Overall this is a good fourth entry and kudos to the author for continuing this series for us fans. Lastly another positive factor is the cover art and design which is very much inline with those of its predecessors published by ROC. In this regards, the author has to be commended for giving us OCD fans (who would like the covers to match) a freaking fantastic look to her first self-published effort. Now the only things that didn’t work for me were the slow pace in the start, Axel's negligible presence and that we didn’t get an all too-clear reveal about the events that have happened before. While the slow pace does impede the read in the first quarter, once the plot picks up the reader will be flipping pages constantly to see how it ends. The reveal which occurs only to the characters, I would have liked to know but I trust the author & will eagerly await the fifth volume to see what happens next.

CONCLUSION: A Snake In The Grass is a commendable self-published effort from Kari Stewart, not only does it match the look of the previous titles externally, for those awaiting Jesse, Axel and the rest of the gang. You won’t be disappointed with the direction being taken & now I believe the final two volumes await, wherein there will be a glorious and bitter battle.

[Jon]

3.5 stars

Not a lot of action and not really an urban setting, but still a fun read. I loved Sveta and would like to learn more about her character.

[Dr susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Too many of the series I love are not getting renewed. Thank the gods for indie publishing!! Otherwise, I would still be whimpering while curled up in a corner under my blankie clutching my plush Cookie Monster after hearing Mindspace Investigations did not get renewed. It took me weeks to leave my corner when I found out about Horngate Witches, and I learned last week an indie book #5 should be out this summer. And Kelly Keaton/ Kelly Gay has gone indie with both her Gods ..oops! Phone crashed!.... and Monsters and Charlie Madigan series. K.A. Stewart went indie with A Snake in the Grass, and I am so glad she did! Jesse James Dawson is one character I would sorely miss if his story had ended with Wolf.

I have delayed reading Snake in the Grass, because I was worried Stewart would decide to end the series. Some readers may not like Snake. There is less action and more people interaction, but I love this book. Not every book can be thrilling action and demon fights without time being taken to build the big story. Snake is a building book. Sveta is a scream, and the Perez family is entertaining. Reading about Jesse's attempts to make peace with his guests and a new...friend not only held my attention but made me giggle... "Hem Haw"....

[June Kramin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could put into words how much I love this series. K A Stewart has such a way with writing Jessie, I find myself swooning. (Yes, I wrote "swooning".) I never thought I'd read a series about a demon slayer, but the characters sure do it for me. I don't tweet many authors while I'm reading, but there were so many things that made me LOL throughout the book that I just couldn't keep to myself. I have a new phrase or 2 as well ...but I'm not giving them away! :) As always, great story line & awesome characters. Keep it up!

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I love the characters. I love the wide variety of ethnicities, if not races. I love how he has been married throughout the whole series to a powerful woman and they are totally in love. I love how much his daughter means to him and she’s a typical 6 year old, not some wise beyond her years or smart alecky teen in a little girl’s body. I loved the visit to Mexico and how the family members were portrayed, especially the pack of boys.

But there was a huge shortage of action. At 40% nothing had happened yet. When action finally starts, it’s someone else, he’s on the sidelines watching, time and again. When his turn finally comes, he does a hell of a lot of talking. I don’t think he ever even picked up his sword. He held a big knife once but didn’t do anything with it.

It was kind of boring. I mean, I read it straight through waiting for something to happen, like a lot of mild foreplay with nothing much afterwards.

This story is trying to not be sexist but there’s only been on female champion; the Perez family is waiting for a male to get old enough to take over as head of the household away from the mom; when recovering from a spell, it was the two women who took much longer to heal, not the drunk old man; and one guy referred to the others as “ladies” derogatorily which I know is common but it’s really offensive. It’s like saying something is “so gay.” Do you ever hear women derogatorily call other women “gentlemen” or even “boys”?

The ending was soooo anticlimactic. I’m going to read the next one because I want more, but I’m not happy with this compared to the other books. It’s still better than the majority of UF out there which is why I’m rounding up.

My nitpick of the day: Their scrying was stupid. A map and pendulum would make way more sense and probably less use magic.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still stuck with the 275 extra souls he inherited from Gretchen Keene, Jesse accompanies his protegé Estéban home to to Mexico where his mother Carlotta, a powerful bruja and matriarch of the Perez family, will try to find a way to free him from this unexpected burden. To ensure Jesse's safety, Ivan has sent fellow champion Sveta as well as Terrence, whose magical skills rival Carlotta's, along for protection - protection that will come in very handy considering the demonic trouble they're about to run into.

Another highly entertaining quick read. I hope Sveta is going to stick around for quite some time, gotta love her and her itchy triggerfinger.

[Daniella Featherstone · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can only really class this book as an introduction to the final book. It wasn't as entertaining as the other books. The plot wasn't really there. Probably my favourite character in the whole series, Axel, only showed up twice. I liked the way it showed Jesse's relationship with Etseban and his humour but it didn't seem as prevalent in this book as others.
Also I noticed a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes that it started to bother me.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered K.A. Stewart’s Jesse James Dawson series several years ago when the first installment, A Devil In The Details, hit the shelves. Featuring demon-slaying samurai family man Jesse, the storyline and characters were a breath of fresh air in the crowded and often over-amped urban fantasy market. Jesse puts his own soul on the line in order to win back others’ from the demons. Sort of like betting at poker, except the cards are swords, the cash is souls, and the other players are demons! I loved the action, wit, and strong character relationships (not to mention a certain mysterious demon pal), so I devoured the next two books in the series, A Shot In The Dark and A Wolf At The Door.

After book three, however, and much to my disappointment and that of other fans, Roc declined to continue the series. Seriously, guys, the end of book three was not a happy place for Jesse. He’s shouldering—literally—275 human souls, which makes him the biggest prize in the growing demonic war…not to mention the biggest target.

So, I was thrilled when Stewart announced she’d be continuing it on her own. The self-publishing route was a brilliant way to complete the series, please her readers, and avoid leaving her character in a lurch.

That brings us to book four, A Snake In The Grass, which released earlier this summer. First, I’ve gotta say I’m so excited Stewart was able to match the gorgeous cover art of the series. She makes several ambitious decisions with this story and some work better than others. First, she takes us out of the Kansas City area where the prior books had largely been centered, and lands us in Mexico among the family of Jesse’s apprentice, Esteban Perez, whose ancestors have been using magic and hunting demons for centuries. The plan is to seek the family’s help to extricate those 200-plus souls from Jesse’s back while shielding him from any demons in pursuit. But you know what they say about the best laid plans…

What unfolds is a mix of action and family drama as Esteban strives to accept the mantle of family patriarch (aka lead demon hunter), redeem relatives who are flirting with the dark side, and avoid lectures from his powerful and pragmatic mom. I’ve liked Esteban’s character throughout the series, and it was fun to see him grow and come into his own here. It was definitely “his” book.

A Snake In The Grass displays quite a bit more maturity than the average coming of age tale, with much higher personal stakes. Esteban’s memory of the older brother he lost in battle and the pseudo father-son conversations between him and Jesse were some of my favorites in the book. Esteban also owns most of the large-scale action scenes as Jesse opts out in order to protect the souls he’s carrying. While I thought it was an interesting choice for Stewart to essentially sideline her main character from much of the action, I did miss Jesse in the battles. The good news is that his jokes and colorful assessments are still in hefty supply!

Stewart’s decision also sets up some great internal conflict for Jesse, because he wants so badly to jump in and help his apprentice, yet can’t. Sort of like being charged to protect a nuke while watching your friends charge into hand-to-hand combat just down the street. You know you can’t leave your station, but you’d take every other measure you possibly could to help. It’s not a situation many authors choose for their action-oriented fantasy heroes, and I liked that Stewart played with it.

As usual, she also has a well-developed supporting cast. Svetlana, Jesse’s hyper-vigilant body guard/house guest, and Carlotta, Esteban’s mother, were my favorites. I found Svetlana to be both hilarious (in her dry, overly serious fashion) and intriguing – I really want to know about her past and why she became a hunter. And Carlotta managed to feel like a genuine worried mom AND an ultra-powerful bruja, leading a powerful family.

The other great character I’ll mention is Henry, who doesn’t get a name until the final page, but definitely won an odd little place in my heart. Part of that is due to Stewart’s spot-on description of him, and the fact that she manages to do it through a Star Wars reference. Double points! Henry plays a pivotal role in this book, and I’m excited to see where Stewart takes him next in the series.

Henry also fills a gap I sorely missed for most of the book – Axel. Friend? Informant? Demon? Axel is, at times, all three. He makes a few appearances in A Snake In The Grass (I cheered), but I get the sense that Stewart used this book as set up for Axel’s future story. While I got a kick out of Jesse’s mini-confrontation with Axel during the big reveal at the book’s end, I hope we get more details about Axel’s explanation of the war. It felt crammed here, and I’m not sure it needed to be. I would have liked to see a little less detail on the drama in Mexico and a little more about the (major!) turn of events in the demonic war.

Stewart planned a six book series, and in many ways, A Snake In The Grass is a classic middle-of-the-series novel. That said, I did enjoy this volume, and I’m very much looking forward to the next two. I’m really excited to see Jesse and Esteban fight side by side, and I can’t wait to get a better glimpse of the full scope of demonic scheming! (Originally posted on fantasy-faction.com)

[T. K. Elliott (Tiffany) · Rating 4 out of 5]

What did I think? I thought it was a great pity that this series has apparently been junked by the original publisher, and the author is having to go it alone and self-publish the rest of the series.

Glad she is, though.

Anyone who baulks at self-pubbed titles should not worry: I noted only a couple of editing errors (no more than in a traditionally published book). The quality is absolutely fine.

This book is an example of what the urban fantasy genre needs: a book with characters and plot. Both at the same time. This is not "romance" masquerading as urban fantasy.

Jesse James Dawson is a happily married man with a kid; he has a job (two jobs, if you count demon-slaying), responsibilities, and a demon who hangs around giving him cryptic hints. He is refreshingly different from the usual "kick ass" heroine (who never trains) who spends most of her time whining about something or other, or offending people for no good reason (being too arrogant to acquire basic social skills does not count as a good reason).

Stewart can write men. More, she can write blokes. Most of my own friends are male, and as far as I can tell, Stewart gets the male viewpoint spot on. It's refreshing to read an urban fantasy novel - other than Jim Butcher's - that does not treat men or women as sex objects, and allows the possibility that male and female characters can work together without either sex or some kind of gender war going on. Hooray for Stewart.

Some people don't like that in this book, Jesse doesn't kill any demons. In fact, there isn't a lot of fighting. Personally, I think that is because the book doesn't need it. Besides, a series consisting entirely of idiot-makes-deal-with-demon-Jesse-kills-demon would get really, really repetitive after a while. Like, three books. After that, it's really necessary to put something a bit more complex in. This book introduces another character (baddie) and we finally get a bit more information about what might be going on.

Of course, that's going to be really frustrating if Stewart doesn't manage to publish the next book. Hopefully, she will, and I will certainly be getting it when she does.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading about Jesse James Dawson and I'm glad Stewart found a way to continue this series after she was dropped by the original publisher. I am continually fascinated with how she manages to capture a male protagonist in first person and do in a way that sounds like a lot of the nerdy guys I know. Jesse has all the makings of an Indiana Jones-style lone wolf hero, except he isn't. He's got a support system, a wife and daughter he adores and another baby on the way, and he has no intention of running away from that responsibility. Indy would have been long gone on his next adventure, leaving everyone else to deal with the fallout.
In this story, Jesse and his protectors travel to Mexico to return his protege to his demon-slaying family and also see if there is any way to safely remove the 275 souls tattooed onto his back. Once there they discover they've stumbled into the heart of something over a thousand years in the making. Finally they start to get answers about the war that is brewing in Hell--a war they never wanted but as human Champions who have regular dealings with demons they can't help being caught in it.
The book meanders a little in the middle but it's a fast read so I didn't mind. The climax is epic and kept me up past bedtime to read it. I almost had to rush to the bathroom to throw up when I read the fate of one of the characters, it was so disturbing. But that doesn't keep me from being excited for the next installment of this series. I waited a long time for this book and it didn't disappoint.

[Ron · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting to bore. Same old, same old. What saved this particular story were the ancillary characters: Carlotte, Terrence and Svetlana, of course. And Henry.

The problem with series like this (and Kevin Hearne’s Iron Druid, D. B. Jackson’s Thieftaker or Jim Butcher’s Dresden Files series) is that the author some raise the stakes in each successive story … without becoming silly. (Yes, I know, it’s silly to quibble about verisimilitude when discussing fantasies. Stay with me.) Most of the way through this book, K. A. Steward worried me that she was losing it. This is the fourth Jesse James Dawson story. But the last few chapters, even though they weren’t really part of this story, gave a satisfying payoff.

That said, most of this novel consisted of dialogue, references to previous stories, more dialogue, the hero being stupid, more dialogue, the big confrontation (which wasn’t), and the post climax setting of hooks to continue the series. And Henry.

[Sherry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gah! Ends in a cliffhanger!

I've only recently learned that author Stewart plans on making the Jesse James Dawson saga into a six book series. I'm delighted!

First, I really liked it but it had the feeling of being an "in-between" story, the sort you write to fill in the gaps about characters. Though it does deal with Jesse's particular problem of the 175 souls he's carrying around, it is mostly about his protégé, Esteban. Still the plot comes round and makes it about Jesse in the end. All in all, this had a definite "mid-book" feel to the story (like being a middle child).

We are introduced to a new threat in this novel and will build some excitement for the ultimate conclusion which now looms large for Jesse and the set up is why this book gets 5 stars.

I'm all caught up on the series now and waiting for the next book like everyone else. I confess it was nice to read so many in short succession. So hurry, please, Stewart. You've hooked me!

[Jane · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this more as I enjoyed the first three books. Sadly, I felt this one didn't work as well. Nothing happened. There was barely any action and what little there was, the main character had no part in it. He didn't instigate it, he didn't partake in it. There was no real build up throughout the story leading to the finale. It kind of came out of nowhere. It didn't even work as a family drama as none of the family members were fleshed out sufficiently to care about them.

I was saddened to hear about the publisher dropping this series/author as I thought the first books were a nice change from the usual UF stories and I fully support Stewart's self-publishing endeavour. I'm just sorry it didn't appeal to me.

[Nayan Patel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am really glad that I was able to finish this book so quickly considering my hectic work schedule these days.

The story starts with Jesse deciding to accompany "young" Esteban back home where Carlotta and Terrence would help Jesse from releasing the 237 human souls trapped within his body. Acting as a beacon, he needs guarding at all times to ensure that no other demon is able to lay hands on this immense amount of power.

The story is well paced as usual and the characterization is top notch too. However, the action sequences aren't in the same league as the previous books in the series.

I would hence rate it an overall 4.5*

Highly recommended book and series for lovers of Urban Fantasy.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh goodness, what can I say about K.A. Stewart’s A Snake in the Grass? It’s amazing, action-filled, urban-fantasy deliciousness. With each installment of the Jesse James Dawson series, the stakes get higher and I just can’t get enough.

Axel is also back in his full glory. I can’t get into it much here because I don’t want to spoil things, but let’s just say we now know for sure who and what Axel is and it’s wonderful.

Stewart had set this up for a heck of a climax with the next book. Fans of Jim Butcher will love Jesse James Dawson. Long live “The Way.”

Five Freaking Awesome Stars

[Nicole Luiken · Rating 4 out of 5]

So glad the author decided to continue this series and not leave readers hanging! Jesse James Dawson fights demons, wagering his own soul to win back those who sold theirs. The events of last book have left him with the ability to sense magic for the first time, which makes for some cool scenes. This book also has a change of setting as Jesse and his Scooby gang travel to Mexico, the home of Jesse's protege Esteban. There are some very interesting developments in the long-arc foretold-demon-war plotline.

[B. Mantler · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is as good as the rest of the series and makes me want to go back to rest the previous ones just the enjoy the experience. Jesse sorta takes a side role due to his issue from the previous book, but he is still in the middle of the action at the end making it all worth it. He also doesn't think much of being pushed to the side by everyone else, which helps the reader with the situation. I can't wait for the next book as the last four have been so good.

[Tom DeWitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good JJD story from the talented K.A. Stewart. This one introduced to another Champion in the former of Sevtlana, and gave us more insight into Esteban's family. Although this book felt a little shorter than the previous novels, Ms. Stewart crafts a story although light on action sets the stage for the next and hopefully not last JJD novel. I hope we will have more JJD in the years to come.

[Darcy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was one of my more favorite series, but it's been a while since I read the last one. In a way I feel like this one didn't live up to the others. While there was some action, it was more about them trying to figure things out. The adventures in Mexico were a bit anti-climatic, it was more fun seeing Jesse interact with Esteban's family. The sit down at the end was slightly interesting, would be more if there were more books coming.

[Kiril Panchev · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story is too much stretched. I see that the author had to set some things in motion but a whole book for something that could be covered in 2-3 chapters? I was reading and waiting for something to happen. And we saw Axel only at the begining and the end. At least he has explained what is going on. And just foe the final chapter I would say I like the book.

[Ralph Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this series and now have to wait too long for the next one!

[TheThirdLie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. Definitely a "middle" book.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good but it just lacked something. The first books in this series were on par with Dresden Files. I shall read another and hope for better.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 :)

[Jp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun action novel.