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Jesse Alexander #1
Water Viper
ASIN B071S3XFMM moved to the latest edition as per guidelines.
During Starfall, magic flooded the Earth and destroyed most technology while humans developed strange new powers. As the scion of a male-dominated clan, Jesse should have risen to become a hero.
She chose to become a woman instead, ruining her hopes for the future.
Years later, weary of life as an assassin, she retires to enjoy raising horses and delivering messages. When her plans fall apart, she has one final chance to set everything right. Should she fail to redeem herself, she'll lose everything she's ever held dear, including her friends, her family, and her life.
During Starfall, magic flooded the Earth and destroyed most technology while humans developed strange new powers. As the scion of a male-dominated clan, Jesse should have risen to become a hero.
She chose to become a woman instead, ruining her hopes for the future.
Years later, weary of life as an assassin, she retires to enjoy raising horses and delivering messages. When her plans fall apart, she has one final chance to set everything right. Should she fail to redeem herself, she'll lose everything she's ever held dear, including her friends, her family, and her life.
494 pages, ebook
First published May 11, 2017
186 people are currently reading
650 people want to read
About the author
R.J. Blain
84 books1,314 followersRJ Blain suffers from a Moleskine journal obsession, a pen fixation, and a terrible tendency to pun without warning.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
When she isn't playing pretend, she likes to think she's a cartographer and a sumi-e painter. In reality, she herds cats and a husband, and obeys the commands of Tsu Dhi, the great warrior fish.
In her spare time, she daydreams about being a spy. Should that fail, her contingency plan involves tying her best of enemies to spinning wheels and quoting James Bond villains until she is satisfied.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
January 31, 2022
Okay, I'll grant ya that this is a huge book. 720 pages is a lot, but sometimes you want to dig into a book for a while. This book has some interesting world building. Meteorites landed on Earth and instead of just making a huge hole, they changed the nature of the world.
It's an exciting idea and follows along the plot idea of 'What if' all good writers use. This book was a lot of fun to read. The plot is good, and the world building is, too. My only problem was with the character development. Our heroine seemed to only develop physically, and our main hero seemed to develop backwards. He dropped the ball to be a strong character. Also, there are parts where the plot jumped ahead haphazardly.
Overall, it was a good book and I plan to read the next in the series, especially since I like this writer.
It's an exciting idea and follows along the plot idea of 'What if' all good writers use. This book was a lot of fun to read. The plot is good, and the world building is, too. My only problem was with the character development. Our heroine seemed to only develop physically, and our main hero seemed to develop backwards. He dropped the ball to be a strong character. Also, there are parts where the plot jumped ahead haphazardly.
Overall, it was a good book and I plan to read the next in the series, especially since I like this writer.
June 5, 2017
Starfall changed everything, leaving some cities in ruins while survivors in others developed magical abilities. Jesse Alexander, once the pride of her clan, ran away after accidentally choosing to become a woman and is now a respected bodyguard who moonlights as the infamous assassin, Water Viper. A fateful encounter in a sinking Miami leaves her with a pulsing Starfall stone that could burst at any moment and a high bounty on her head. With herself, her secrets, and her friends in danger, Jesse skips town and disappears, retiring to raise horses and work as a courier. A promise forces her to return to her erstwhile home in Charlotte and Jesse finds herself at the centre of a dangerous situation. This could be her chance to right all the wrongs of her past, if she survives.
The post-Starfall world RJ Blain has created is realistic, exciting, and populated with memorable characters. It’s always refreshing to encounter a post-apocalyptic style setting where the government hasn’t fallen apart. The prose is direct and evokes vivid descriptions with a minimum of exposition. In general, I avoid books involving shifters, but Water Viper is one of the few that incorporates them while maintaining a balanced plot and allowing the characters to retain their higher thinking processes. There’s a trick to creating strong female characters and Blain has mastered it. Jesse strikes the perfect balance between physical strength, skill, and vulnerability. Water Viper is the most enjoyable book I’ve read this year, and the latest addition to my list of favourites.
(Reviewed for Reader's Favorite)
The post-Starfall world RJ Blain has created is realistic, exciting, and populated with memorable characters. It’s always refreshing to encounter a post-apocalyptic style setting where the government hasn’t fallen apart. The prose is direct and evokes vivid descriptions with a minimum of exposition. In general, I avoid books involving shifters, but Water Viper is one of the few that incorporates them while maintaining a balanced plot and allowing the characters to retain their higher thinking processes. There’s a trick to creating strong female characters and Blain has mastered it. Jesse strikes the perfect balance between physical strength, skill, and vulnerability. Water Viper is the most enjoyable book I’ve read this year, and the latest addition to my list of favourites.
(Reviewed for Reader's Favorite)
April 22, 2018
3.5 stars Good story and characters but it was too long. The same story could still have been told without quite so many things happening. And whilst i enjoyed each of the events and interactions in their own right there were just too many of them for best readability and absolutely nothing would have been lost by substantially reducing them. Also given how freaking long the story was having no resolution or progression with the romance was frustrating in the extreme. Especially when it is clear they are into each other and there are no impediments to their relationship. That being said overall it was still a good fun UF read with a pretty kickass heroine.
December 8, 2019
I liked it. It was better than the witch and wolf books and slightly more serious than the romantic comedy series. The ending as always on these books is open and I’m looking forward to the next one. Jesse is strong but emotionally scarred finding her way through life as an assassin and finding where she belongs. Not much on the romance front, it’s subtle but falls along the lines of lifetime mates. I liked the troublesome trio.
March 11, 2020
I wasn't sure about this from the blurb .. but took a chance.
Definitely worth it! Funny, action packed, slightly different take on a Magic Apocalypse and what would happen thereafter.
Stayed up waaaay too late but enjoyed every minute. :)
Definitely worth it! Funny, action packed, slightly different take on a Magic Apocalypse and what would happen thereafter.
Stayed up waaaay too late but enjoyed every minute. :)
January 24, 2018
A peculiarly rambling book in a very peculiar setting. I didn't dislike it, per se, but I couldn't in all honesty recommend it to anyone. It's vaguely like Laurel K. Hamilton fanfic, with a protagonist who is saved from Mary-Sue-ness only by lacking violet eyes. She turns out to be advantageously special at every turn in a world where there are five or six ways to measure that. So... probably not one to chase down.
December 9, 2021
DNF … 24 pages in the heroine keeps mentioning that she was supposed to be a man! But chose to be a woman instead and then bitch and moan about how : Men are better! Men are stronger blah blah blah! Never gonna be a MAN!
Well it’s just that shit that pisses me the fuck off!
Does it get better -Maybe!
Do I want to find out? Fuck no!
Do I care that TA White is reading this ? Ahhmmm …hell yeah!
Well it’s just that shit that pisses me the fuck off!
Does it get better -Maybe!
Do I want to find out? Fuck no!
Do I care that TA White is reading this ? Ahhmmm …hell yeah!
December 3, 2021
2021 bk 366. I'm trying a number of R.J. Blain's books to see how they compare to her (Susan Copperfields) Royal States series. It took three tries - but I finally became engaged enough with the characters to read through most of the night and ditch what I was supposed to be doing this morning in favor of completing Water Viper. This is a complex, distopian world that that Blain introduces us to. It is a world of mystics and shapeshifters. A world where activated stones cause changes, communications are ify, guns rarely work, and a good swordsman or woman is honored. Into this world comes Jesse Alexander. A daughter of a back hills tribe known for its ability to make fine blades. Thrust into the rest of the world at age 11, with only fighting skills, Jess becomes first an assassin. It is her abililty to change her life focus and draw on her strengths to create change that intrigued me. I think if there is a novel where the character took over the author and forced her to write a specific way - this is one of those. I'm looking forward to #2, after I at least get some dishes washed!
March 26, 2024
DNF@ 70% - I liked the premise and the world building, but the pacing of the plot was interminable and there was just too much going on and too many consequential characters to hold my attention. Once Jessie was rescued by Anatoly and met the president it just felt like the pace plateaued and we were in exposition for what should really be a second novel. There's just too many good books on my TBR to read to continue on with this one.
January 19, 2023
I have to start with the fact that this book has vivid world building and characters that steal your heart from beginning to end. But I gave it 3 stars because although the setup was fantastic, the book was extremely repetitive and has a ton of information that felt too excessive and unnecessary to the story. They could have taken out half of the book with all the extra mumbo jumbo, and it would have been at least a 4 and a half star book, in my opinion.
July 10, 2023
I enjoyed it, quite funny at times, but it's too long!
April 30, 2021
3.9
So, this book was good. I was a bit surprised how into the story I was, because quite frankly, I didn't think the plot arcs were all that brilliantly written, they were even confusing at some points. Regardless, the big bits of the story came through and left me intrigued. I listened to this story as an audiobook during a road trip, so mainly, I just ask that the book hold my interest enough to keep me awake. I must say it did so quite sufficiently, and I even wanted to keep listening after my road trip was over. So it gets big bonus points for that. I'll even admit some of my confusion may stem from the issue of listening whilst driving. It meant that I didn't rewind (similar to how I would re-read a page if I was struggling to understand), so I couldn't ascertain if the confusing parts of the story had to do with my mind wandering or an issue with the writing.
This book did seem to have a slight issue with being a bit too long. To the author's credit nearly every, if not every scene was relevant to the plot, but I'm not so sure that every scene was absolutely necessary to plot, either. Just a touch of editing back the story may have made the story more streamlined.
From my perspective and personal preferences, I felt some frustration towards the main character, Jesse, because she seemed awfully reactionary; more so that I typically love in a main character. She spent a lot of the story drugged from nefarious plots against her (here is where not all of the drugged scenes were strictly necessary). She rarely had her own initiative and usually only when other characters had backed her into a corner, and she was reacting to their decisions. She was a bad-ass and had plenty of talents, but she was also emotionally immature and and underestimated anyone who was close to her.
I believe this story has a sequel, and I am interested in seeing what it is about, but I'm not quite jumping to go pick it up. I feel more casually interested in getting the next one.
So, this book was good. I was a bit surprised how into the story I was, because quite frankly, I didn't think the plot arcs were all that brilliantly written, they were even confusing at some points. Regardless, the big bits of the story came through and left me intrigued. I listened to this story as an audiobook during a road trip, so mainly, I just ask that the book hold my interest enough to keep me awake. I must say it did so quite sufficiently, and I even wanted to keep listening after my road trip was over. So it gets big bonus points for that. I'll even admit some of my confusion may stem from the issue of listening whilst driving. It meant that I didn't rewind (similar to how I would re-read a page if I was struggling to understand), so I couldn't ascertain if the confusing parts of the story had to do with my mind wandering or an issue with the writing.
This book did seem to have a slight issue with being a bit too long. To the author's credit nearly every, if not every scene was relevant to the plot, but I'm not so sure that every scene was absolutely necessary to plot, either. Just a touch of editing back the story may have made the story more streamlined.
From my perspective and personal preferences, I felt some frustration towards the main character, Jesse, because she seemed awfully reactionary; more so that I typically love in a main character. She spent a lot of the story drugged from nefarious plots against her (here is where not all of the drugged scenes were strictly necessary). She rarely had her own initiative and usually only when other characters had backed her into a corner, and she was reacting to their decisions. She was a bad-ass and had plenty of talents, but she was also emotionally immature and and underestimated anyone who was close to her.
I believe this story has a sequel, and I am interested in seeing what it is about, but I'm not quite jumping to go pick it up. I feel more casually interested in getting the next one.
May 4, 2018
Water Viper by R.J. Blain
This is the toughest review I have had to write so far this year. It maybe should have been 3 stars because of what I don't like, but what I do like, I like strongly enough to add the extra star.
What I like: This is a long book, really long, but it stays consistent and it tugged me along for the ride. I love the plot and all of the characters. It created a new world and stayed true to it throughout. The descriptions were spot on every time and maintained vivid images for me.
What I didn't love: There are some pretty glaring editing errors, but given the overall size of this book, the ratio is pretty small. Mostly it was not too difficult to fill in the blanks. But what I really, really didn't love was the ending. And here is the spoiler, so stop reading now. I happily followed Jesse through this entire journey and stayed solidly behind her the entire way...until the end. As a book 1, I expected a cliff hanger. I did not get a cliff hanger. I don't fell like I received an ending at all. It feels like a "deadline reached, lets stop now" thing where every single one of the threads unraveled. There was zero sense of anything. Jesse melted at the end, but didn't follow any of the predetermined patterns. I get it, she is a new shifter so a lot changed in a hurry. But I didn't get a sense that any of the basic premise of the book had been met. A solid foundation appeared to have been built only to drop off drastically at the end.
Now, because I loved the things that I loved, I will probably attempt to read the next in the series if/when it becomes available, but I am definitely going to need more answers. I unfortunately have no real desire to read more from this author as I feel cheated by this book.
This is the toughest review I have had to write so far this year. It maybe should have been 3 stars because of what I don't like, but what I do like, I like strongly enough to add the extra star.
What I like: This is a long book, really long, but it stays consistent and it tugged me along for the ride. I love the plot and all of the characters. It created a new world and stayed true to it throughout. The descriptions were spot on every time and maintained vivid images for me.
What I didn't love: There are some pretty glaring editing errors, but given the overall size of this book, the ratio is pretty small. Mostly it was not too difficult to fill in the blanks. But what I really, really didn't love was the ending. And here is the spoiler, so stop reading now. I happily followed Jesse through this entire journey and stayed solidly behind her the entire way...until the end. As a book 1, I expected a cliff hanger. I did not get a cliff hanger. I don't fell like I received an ending at all. It feels like a "deadline reached, lets stop now" thing where every single one of the threads unraveled. There was zero sense of anything. Jesse melted at the end, but didn't follow any of the predetermined patterns. I get it, she is a new shifter so a lot changed in a hurry. But I didn't get a sense that any of the basic premise of the book had been met. A solid foundation appeared to have been built only to drop off drastically at the end.
Now, because I loved the things that I loved, I will probably attempt to read the next in the series if/when it becomes available, but I am definitely going to need more answers. I unfortunately have no real desire to read more from this author as I feel cheated by this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 21, 2020
I don’t know why but didn’t like this one so much ...
Felt kind of YA with a lot of the characters exhibiting juvenile behaviour most of which felt like it was written as some kind of comic relief...
Found the book to be quite long. Could have used a bit more action. Also I wasn’t feeling the attraction between FMC and her love interest. For God’s sake they didn’t even kiss once in the whole book !!!! I like my fictional men to be a more sexually assertive please...
Felt kind of YA with a lot of the characters exhibiting juvenile behaviour most of which felt like it was written as some kind of comic relief...
Found the book to be quite long. Could have used a bit more action. Also I wasn’t feeling the attraction between FMC and her love interest. For God’s sake they didn’t even kiss once in the whole book !!!! I like my fictional men to be a more sexually assertive please...
May 1, 2023
I liked the world building and the plot but had a few issues with the book: the first half was better and went a little downhill from there. Too many repetitive sentences that I just wanted to shout out loud - OK I GET IT!!!! too many longggggg scenes that go on for pages, the MC was so insecure with such a huge chip on her shoulder...the banter between the characters felt a little forced at time and way too long. this book could have ended half its size if you eliminate the above....
August 20, 2017
Wow, amazing book to read!
This book is exceptional and I will most definitely be watching for more books by RJ Blain. The way the characters grew with the storyline was awesome and I particularly enjoyed that Jesse wasn't a meek little pet, she has claws and knows how to use them. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
This book is exceptional and I will most definitely be watching for more books by RJ Blain. The way the characters grew with the storyline was awesome and I particularly enjoyed that Jesse wasn't a meek little pet, she has claws and knows how to use them. I cannot wait to see what happens next!
March 4, 2021
3.5 to 4 stars for me. The world setting is highly intriguing and the characters are fun, but the story would have profited from cutting at least 1/3 of the scenes, as they did not contribute to story progress or character development in the slightest. The main character is kick-ass. I'd have liked to learn more background about her choice to become a woman instead of a man.
February 11, 2021
DNF. I honestly don't understand how this book got so many 5 stars. It was a constant jumble of ramblings, poor, juvenile choices, and posturing. Just ugh. The world sounded interesting, but alas all of the characters fell flat.
August 4, 2018
This was the worst one yet! I support a lot of authors and respect their creativity. I couldn’t even finish this book.
February 25, 2020
Started out great and was really interested and then it took a plot turn I decided not to follow. Nothing against the writer or storyline. Just not what I want to read at the moment.
December 29, 2017
Water Viper ,(Jesse Alexander 1), R.J. Blain
Review from Jeannie Zelos book reviews
Genre: Sci-fi and Fantasy
My first novel by this author, got it as part of some free book offer, I'd read the amazon sample and wanted to read more. Sadly I didn't note exactly how I came by this book, just found I'd filed it in the review collection....
Its a long book at almost 500 pages, and usually I love long books but TBH at times this felt a bit Padded, a little too much Filler and – heresy for me saying this – I think if it had been a little more succinct it would have been better for me.
There were story-lines which looking back the day after finishing I can't recall what was their purpose, nor what the resolution was in some of them. I'm thinking here of who was behind the second bounty/kidnapping attempt, the one where Henry and Anatoly find her? There are other parts too which were funny the first and second times but after a while....they got old. Its frustrating reading plots and then finding they don't actually add anything to the story.
I didn't see how on earth, even cleverly disguised, she thought she was still getting away with fooling everyone about who she really is/was when she was day to day living with people who she classed as friends, who knew her very well.
Set against those moans though was some subtle humour, some terrific characters, and a really interesting new world post Starfall, with a good mix of paranormal creatures. Sometimes the shifter/magic types stories feel like I'm reading the same ones but with minor plot changes and new names. This was very unusual and I really liked it.
Overall, even with my caveats, I really enjoyed the story, and would be happy to read more Jesse Alexander stories, or other characters set in this world. I think it has a lot of potential, and is an interesting take on a genre that can get tired from all the stories set in it.
Stars: Four, an interesting read, one I really enjoyed but which dragged at times, losing it a star.
August 31, 2019
This book frustrated the hell out of me...I still love it a lot, but it...really frustrated the hell out of me.
It's the time gap(s) (might be one of my pet peeves, almost), the fact that no one managed to do anything about the issue during the time gap, the whole complete avoidance of proper communication and the 'I know that you know that I know, but we will both pretend that we know nothing and never say anything' attitudes... The most appropriate name for the main character is not Dives Headlong Into Trouble, and neither is Hides Under Bush. It's Head In Ass. It's not that I don't understand why she can't get her head out of her ass for the whole duration of the book, but it's just so frustrating to watch...read...you know. Then there's also the fact that a number of important issues and relationships were left unaddressed.
Personally, I also found the lack of comfort rather frustrating. It would be nice if some relationships and interactions were not violence based at least some times.
Why do I even still love it after all this frustration? I don't know.
I'm probably mostly frustrated because I love the world and characters so much and they just can't dig their heads out of their asses, communicate with each other, and I have to wait for a sequel and hope they will be able to stop beating on each other long enough to achieve the above two points and get their issues resolved in book 2.
It's the time gap(s) (might be one of my pet peeves, almost), the fact that no one managed to do anything about the issue during the time gap, the whole complete avoidance of proper communication and the 'I know that you know that I know, but we will both pretend that we know nothing and never say anything' attitudes... The most appropriate name for the main character is not Dives Headlong Into Trouble, and neither is Hides Under Bush. It's Head In Ass. It's not that I don't understand why she can't get her head out of her ass for the whole duration of the book, but it's just so frustrating to watch...read...you know. Then there's also the fact that a number of important issues and relationships were left unaddressed.
Personally, I also found the lack of comfort rather frustrating. It would be nice if some relationships and interactions were not violence based at least some times.
Why do I even still love it after all this frustration? I don't know.
I'm probably mostly frustrated because I love the world and characters so much and they just can't dig their heads out of their asses, communicate with each other, and I have to wait for a sequel and hope they will be able to stop beating on each other long enough to achieve the above two points and get their issues resolved in book 2.
December 19, 2019
Starfall is a time where magic washed over our world giving strange powers to humans. Jesse Alexander makes the choice to stay a human. She leaves her clan and becomes an assassin called the Water Viper. Several years later she finds a piece of a Starfall stone and becomes a wanted woman. Jesse has the chance to correct her decision to stay a human but she is going to have to stay ahead of the people after her now.
Jesse is a great character. She is tough, strong, and has enough snark to keep me laughing through the whole book. I love how human she is with all the mistakes she makes. As for the story, there are several little off shooting plots and the main point of the book. I liked the little branches off the main story but at the same time they fell like filler and could have been left out with no problem.
It has been a while since I have read a book by RJ Blain. I will be honest, when I saw that this book was 500 pages I started to wonder if I was going to have time to get through the book. I am happy to say that I quickly fell into this story and didn’t even notice that I had read the whole book so fast.
This is a great story with lots of action and humor. I really enjoyed how you have more story than romance/insta-love. I would recommend checking out Water Viper. I really enjoyed it and will continue reading this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
Jesse is a great character. She is tough, strong, and has enough snark to keep me laughing through the whole book. I love how human she is with all the mistakes she makes. As for the story, there are several little off shooting plots and the main point of the book. I liked the little branches off the main story but at the same time they fell like filler and could have been left out with no problem.
It has been a while since I have read a book by RJ Blain. I will be honest, when I saw that this book was 500 pages I started to wonder if I was going to have time to get through the book. I am happy to say that I quickly fell into this story and didn’t even notice that I had read the whole book so fast.
This is a great story with lots of action and humor. I really enjoyed how you have more story than romance/insta-love. I would recommend checking out Water Viper. I really enjoyed it and will continue reading this series.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. I voluntarily chose to read and post an honest review.
August 16, 2021
I was not expecting to love this book, especially one as little-known and underrated as this. I never go into urban fantasy with high expectations, but this... it was just a gorgeous experience. I discovered Water Viper from reading previous books by the same author (though none as good as this one). Even though I usually don't read books with so little ratings, I decided to give this one a try. And I am extremely glad that I did.
I usually hate assassin books. Half of them glamorize murder, and the other half feature naïve protagonists who shouldn't have even survived that long. But Jesse walks that fine line without falling into either of those pitfalls. She's not a saint, and she knows it. She doesn't enjoy killing, but accepts that it can be a necessity.
And the world-building! Oh, the world-building. I've read a lot of many genres, and nothing seems to surprise me anymore. But this world was exceptionally done, with so much creativity and originality. Seriously, how did Blain manage to come up with these things? Urban fantasy is usually just recycled tropes and worlds with the occasional new thing thrown in. But the world of the Jesse Alexander series is astounding. I don't want to list too many details, because if I start thinking about them, it'll take paragraphs upon paragraphs, but I just want to say... wow. I am extremely impressed.
I usually hate assassin books. Half of them glamorize murder, and the other half feature naïve protagonists who shouldn't have even survived that long. But Jesse walks that fine line without falling into either of those pitfalls. She's not a saint, and she knows it. She doesn't enjoy killing, but accepts that it can be a necessity.
And the world-building! Oh, the world-building. I've read a lot of many genres, and nothing seems to surprise me anymore. But this world was exceptionally done, with so much creativity and originality. Seriously, how did Blain manage to come up with these things? Urban fantasy is usually just recycled tropes and worlds with the occasional new thing thrown in. But the world of the Jesse Alexander series is astounding. I don't want to list too many details, because if I start thinking about them, it'll take paragraphs upon paragraphs, but I just want to say... wow. I am extremely impressed.
September 15, 2018
The world-building in this story is so well done. The author eases us into it as if it is something we already know rather than dumping it as a one-off prologue. It is constantly reinforced throughout the novel so that the locations seem like characters. I love the characters although we get far more on Jesse with mostly comedy from everyone else. While on the subject, the humor was great. I have a love/hate relationship with Jesse. She is sometimes so obstinate as to make her completely unlikable. I think you can only use the “tiger-temper” reasoning so far. Jesse does often redeem herself though...but she is walking a thin line with me.
One thing about this story shocked me and it was the 6-year time lapse. The story was moving so well and then, bang, she ran. That wasn’t surprising as she had already admitted to being a runner but where did a 6-year gap come from? I get that the courier service really moved the plot forward but it was so jarring.
I am super excited to follow-up on these characters. I loved this book (especially the horses)!
One thing about this story shocked me and it was the 6-year time lapse. The story was moving so well and then, bang, she ran. That wasn’t surprising as she had already admitted to being a runner but where did a 6-year gap come from? I get that the courier service really moved the plot forward but it was so jarring.
I am super excited to follow-up on these characters. I loved this book (especially the horses)!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2017
A cataclysmic event sets the stage for a reinvented North America where combustion engines and electricity no longer function. Within this world, chronic loner Jesse Alexander struggles to find her place. The teenage assassin approaches her twenties with a plethora of problems to deal with--not least of which is the type of animal she'll eventually shift into.
Filled with a cast of characters who embrace their animal halves, growling and biting as often as not, Water Viper is full of action with a complex plot. I enjoyed unraveling the mysteries of Jesse's past and tagging along as she barrels head-first into a tangled web of deceit and danger. I found the world setting unique and creative, blending magic into a post-apocalyptic world with touches of steampunk and the wild west to boot.
Filled with a cast of characters who embrace their animal halves, growling and biting as often as not, Water Viper is full of action with a complex plot. I enjoyed unraveling the mysteries of Jesse's past and tagging along as she barrels head-first into a tangled web of deceit and danger. I found the world setting unique and creative, blending magic into a post-apocalyptic world with touches of steampunk and the wild west to boot.
January 17, 2022
Fantastic!
I adore all of RJ Blain’s books under all pseudonyms. She writes absolutely wonderful stories with realistic, relatable characters whether it’s set in the contemporary world or one of the fantasy world she created. Her characters aren’t the “perfect people” and have their own unique flaws just like any real person. Her sense of humor is fantastic. I absolutely adore all the snark. This particular book is a favorite (really they all are) that I’ll read and reread because I love it that much. Jesse is very much a strong, independent woman who slowly comes to learn about friendship and chosen families across the arc of this book. She also learns to own her choices and remains true to herself and her own sense of morality.
I adore all of RJ Blain’s books under all pseudonyms. She writes absolutely wonderful stories with realistic, relatable characters whether it’s set in the contemporary world or one of the fantasy world she created. Her characters aren’t the “perfect people” and have their own unique flaws just like any real person. Her sense of humor is fantastic. I absolutely adore all the snark. This particular book is a favorite (really they all are) that I’ll read and reread because I love it that much. Jesse is very much a strong, independent woman who slowly comes to learn about friendship and chosen families across the arc of this book. She also learns to own her choices and remains true to herself and her own sense of morality.
April 15, 2023
Love this book. Find that the world has changed. Well our characters are sitting in a bar when a stone rolls in and makes everyone in the bar about disappear from fear of it bursting and causing commotion. Female character is trying to drink her beer when the ones who haven’t runaway want the stone that is near her and they want it. Well Jessie has had it and takes out the men and one extra she gives him a gift to remember her buy and she also tells him her assassin name. Well then she gets out of Florida. Now she ends up taking a job only to find out she has a price out for a million dollars. She escapes only to come back and finally find out she is a bengal shifter dang the amusing life she goes through to find out all this
July 29, 2018
This is definitely one of the best stories I've read in a very long time. It was BIG...very, very big. I'd go so far as to call it a "sweeping epic". There was a lot of chaos and mayhem fit into one book. l cannot imagine where it will go in a second book, but I'm glad there will be another book coming. Naturally, with such a big story, there was a lot of world-building. The world itself wasn't entirely unique. In some ways, it was very similar to the world of Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series. To be fair, there were some portions of the story that I didn't follow or that I felt didn't hold together, but still, I couldn't stop until I got to the end.
October 29, 2019
Water Viper is an amazingly written urban fantasy that will blow you away! I was completely engrossed and couldn't put it down for a second.
Jesse is something else. She's fierce and badass, but also insecure and vulnerable. She's so much in one character and I loved every bit of her! I loved her snark and wit with the males in her life. Nate was so funny and awesome! The banter he threw at Jesse and everyone else was hilarious. All the characters you meet are amazing! I fell in love with the world and the people in it!
R.J. Blain has outdid herself with Water Viper. Everything about it draws you in and doesn't let go until you see "The End".
Jesse is something else. She's fierce and badass, but also insecure and vulnerable. She's so much in one character and I loved every bit of her! I loved her snark and wit with the males in her life. Nate was so funny and awesome! The banter he threw at Jesse and everyone else was hilarious. All the characters you meet are amazing! I fell in love with the world and the people in it!
R.J. Blain has outdid herself with Water Viper. Everything about it draws you in and doesn't let go until you see "The End".
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