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H&W Investigations #1
Hunted by the Others
Shiarra Waynest's detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm - if it doesn't kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York's most powerful vampires. As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend - a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing - and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren't always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil - whether she likes it or not...
337 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2010
99 people are currently reading
4196 people want to read
About the author
Jess Haines
20 books525 followersI'm a USA Today and international bestselling author. I consider myself a displaced New Yorker with a penchant for the silly, the obscure, and the fantastical. These days, you can find me in the Tampa area. I'm currently working on the H&W Investigations urban fantasy series and the Blackhollow Academy young adult/new adult contemporary fantasy series. Find out more about my books, drop me a line, or join my mailing list at www.jesshaines.com!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 294 reviews
February 4, 2012
The heroine is not particularly likeable (in fact, she's a cry-baby wuss, NOT what I've come to expect from uf heroines), and there is a lack of forward action here. The dialogue is clunky and amateurish.
December 14, 2012
I made it 3/4 of the way through this book before finally giving up in disgust. I'm sad it didn't work out because I kind of liked the premise of a protagonist being in over her head among the world of “others” that are supernaturally powerful.
So here's the problem: it seems that the preferred logic in the novel is that the author says it is so. I'll give an example or two, but note that these are just that: examples. The book is rife with these things.
One of the biggest problems in the background of the story is that Haines gives us specific legal customs that are so common as to be boilerplate contracts between humans and “others” (vampires, weres and witches). These contracts allow the “other” (I’m going to stop it with the quotes, now. You get the picture) to do whatever they want to the human (including killing them outright) and prevent the human from doing anything at all about it. It's legalized slavery. Since others have only been out a decade, this kind of legal structure makes no sense whatsoever. No contract is enforceable that allows the arbitrary taking of life. You can't tell me that ten years is enough for this bedrock legal distinction to be overcome so easily. It just wouldn't happen. Not without systemic changes that would make that kind of contract completely unnecessary—in other words, the others would have to already dominate society before that became even possible.
On a more personal level, Shiarra makes so little sense that I fail to have any sympathy with the trouble she finds herself in. Let me ask you this: if a big-bad threatened to kill you, your friend, and all of your family if you don't let him kill you outright, where do you go to hide? Do you even consider hiding at your friend's sister's house? Seriously? Just because the big-bad didn't specifically threaten to go after your friend's family, does that mean you feel safe running there for much-needed rest and recuperation? Personally, I’d use a park bench, first.
In the end, Shiarra herself is the biggest drawback to the story. She's supposed to be a professional PI but she has all the cunning of a particularly stupid doorstop. Her friend comes up with the only reasonable plan in the whole book (to as far as I got) and her employer gives her the only useful tools she has (which, frankly, are another example of nonsensical authorial intrusion but I've already made that point). Someone going up against supernatural opponents needs to be able to compete in that arena using something other than blind luck and/or authorial dictate. Generally speaking, that would be using her brains or wit or integrity or... something... to overcome their inherent advantages. Shiarra has none of these. All she has is a sympathetic author willing to manipulate circumstances to protect her from herself. Ugh.
So here's the problem: it seems that the preferred logic in the novel is that the author says it is so. I'll give an example or two, but note that these are just that: examples. The book is rife with these things.
One of the biggest problems in the background of the story is that Haines gives us specific legal customs that are so common as to be boilerplate contracts between humans and “others” (vampires, weres and witches). These contracts allow the “other” (I’m going to stop it with the quotes, now. You get the picture) to do whatever they want to the human (including killing them outright) and prevent the human from doing anything at all about it. It's legalized slavery. Since others have only been out a decade, this kind of legal structure makes no sense whatsoever. No contract is enforceable that allows the arbitrary taking of life. You can't tell me that ten years is enough for this bedrock legal distinction to be overcome so easily. It just wouldn't happen. Not without systemic changes that would make that kind of contract completely unnecessary—in other words, the others would have to already dominate society before that became even possible.
On a more personal level, Shiarra makes so little sense that I fail to have any sympathy with the trouble she finds herself in. Let me ask you this: if a big-bad threatened to kill you, your friend, and all of your family if you don't let him kill you outright, where do you go to hide? Do you even consider hiding at your friend's sister's house? Seriously? Just because the big-bad didn't specifically threaten to go after your friend's family, does that mean you feel safe running there for much-needed rest and recuperation? Personally, I’d use a park bench, first.
In the end, Shiarra herself is the biggest drawback to the story. She's supposed to be a professional PI but she has all the cunning of a particularly stupid doorstop. Her friend comes up with the only reasonable plan in the whole book (to as far as I got) and her employer gives her the only useful tools she has (which, frankly, are another example of nonsensical authorial intrusion but I've already made that point). Someone going up against supernatural opponents needs to be able to compete in that arena using something other than blind luck and/or authorial dictate. Generally speaking, that would be using her brains or wit or integrity or... something... to overcome their inherent advantages. Shiarra has none of these. All she has is a sympathetic author willing to manipulate circumstances to protect her from herself. Ugh.
May 17, 2010
Quick & Dirty: An enjoyable read with danger, tension and a fascinating paranormal world.
Opening Sentence: Long, delicate fingers caressed the stem of a wineglass, trailing upward to catch a few small beads of condensation on the glass.
The Review:
Supernatural elements known as the Others have revealed themselves to the public. Our protagonist, Shiarra Waynest, is a private investigator struggling to make ends meet. Seeing no other alternatives, and against her better judgment, she decides to accept an assignment from a coven of mages known as The Circle. The Circle wants Shiarra to obtain an important artifact from Alec Royce. He’s a very powerful vampire and runs a large portion of New York City. Royce is basically the supernatural King of New York. Naturally, things don’t go as planned, and Shiarra finds herself facing dangers from all sides.
Shiarra isn’t the typical urban fantasy heroine. She has her share of flaws, and comes across as much more vulnerable, inadequate, and unsure of how to handle certain situations than the typical take charge/kick-butt action heroine. Shiarra isn’t unrealistically competent or proficient in the field of investigative work. She really does capture the essence of what it’s like being human and trying to navigate dark and deadly territories. Fear, prejudice and inexperience make her irrational at times. Shiarra is leery of supernatural creatures, and really doesn’t want to get close with them. At times she was so caught up in her disdain and biases against the Others that she wasn’t able to clearly access the situation. Ultimately, Shiarra leads readers on an amazing journey filled with danger and mayhem. Hunted by the Others isn’t an overly dark and gritty story, but it’s a solid urban fantasy. Ms. Haines delivers plenty of action and character development.
A well-rounded supporting cast of characters help to give the story depth, and keep the story interesting enough to keep readers engaged. Sara plays the role of Shiarra’s business partner and best friend. Chaz is Shiarra’s ex-boyfriend with some supernatural secrets of his own. He plays a large part in getting Shiarra to deal with her fears and judgment about the Others. Arnold, who is a mage from The Circle, also helps Shiarra navigate the deadly elements plaguing this supernatural world. I know that there is something deeper going on with him, but I guess I will have to wait until the next installment to find out. Royce is definitely an intriguing character and I’m looking forward to learning more about him. I don’t want to give too many details away, but I like what Ms. Haines does with the White Hats and the concept of legal arrangements between humans and the Others.
Overall, this urban fantasy romp doesn’t disappoint. Hunted by the Others is an absorbing and fast-paced tale. Ms. Haines does a fabulous job worldbuilding and her characterization is excellent. I loved being pulled into the supernatural world that Ms. Haines created. I’m looking forward to visiting this world again in Taken by the Others, which is scheduled to be released on January 4, 2011.
Notable Scene:
He rose slowly, unfolding from the chair like some great predatory bird preparing to dive down on its prey. I shrank back even further as he came around the desk, slowly and deliberately setting his hands on the arms of my chair and leaning forward right into my face. Both of my hands involuntarily walked up to shield my neck as I slid back in the chair. My knees drew up to my chest as he glared down at me, my mouth dropping open and eyes wide in shock and fear. His breath, when he finally spoke, smelled like a mix of mint and copper, cloying and chokingly thick.
The H&W Investigations Series:
1. Hunted by the Others
2. Taken by the Others – January 4, 2011
FTC Advisory: The author provided me a copy of Hunted by the Others. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
Opening Sentence: Long, delicate fingers caressed the stem of a wineglass, trailing upward to catch a few small beads of condensation on the glass.
The Review:
Supernatural elements known as the Others have revealed themselves to the public. Our protagonist, Shiarra Waynest, is a private investigator struggling to make ends meet. Seeing no other alternatives, and against her better judgment, she decides to accept an assignment from a coven of mages known as The Circle. The Circle wants Shiarra to obtain an important artifact from Alec Royce. He’s a very powerful vampire and runs a large portion of New York City. Royce is basically the supernatural King of New York. Naturally, things don’t go as planned, and Shiarra finds herself facing dangers from all sides.
Shiarra isn’t the typical urban fantasy heroine. She has her share of flaws, and comes across as much more vulnerable, inadequate, and unsure of how to handle certain situations than the typical take charge/kick-butt action heroine. Shiarra isn’t unrealistically competent or proficient in the field of investigative work. She really does capture the essence of what it’s like being human and trying to navigate dark and deadly territories. Fear, prejudice and inexperience make her irrational at times. Shiarra is leery of supernatural creatures, and really doesn’t want to get close with them. At times she was so caught up in her disdain and biases against the Others that she wasn’t able to clearly access the situation. Ultimately, Shiarra leads readers on an amazing journey filled with danger and mayhem. Hunted by the Others isn’t an overly dark and gritty story, but it’s a solid urban fantasy. Ms. Haines delivers plenty of action and character development.
A well-rounded supporting cast of characters help to give the story depth, and keep the story interesting enough to keep readers engaged. Sara plays the role of Shiarra’s business partner and best friend. Chaz is Shiarra’s ex-boyfriend with some supernatural secrets of his own. He plays a large part in getting Shiarra to deal with her fears and judgment about the Others. Arnold, who is a mage from The Circle, also helps Shiarra navigate the deadly elements plaguing this supernatural world. I know that there is something deeper going on with him, but I guess I will have to wait until the next installment to find out. Royce is definitely an intriguing character and I’m looking forward to learning more about him. I don’t want to give too many details away, but I like what Ms. Haines does with the White Hats and the concept of legal arrangements between humans and the Others.
Overall, this urban fantasy romp doesn’t disappoint. Hunted by the Others is an absorbing and fast-paced tale. Ms. Haines does a fabulous job worldbuilding and her characterization is excellent. I loved being pulled into the supernatural world that Ms. Haines created. I’m looking forward to visiting this world again in Taken by the Others, which is scheduled to be released on January 4, 2011.
Notable Scene:
He rose slowly, unfolding from the chair like some great predatory bird preparing to dive down on its prey. I shrank back even further as he came around the desk, slowly and deliberately setting his hands on the arms of my chair and leaning forward right into my face. Both of my hands involuntarily walked up to shield my neck as I slid back in the chair. My knees drew up to my chest as he glared down at me, my mouth dropping open and eyes wide in shock and fear. His breath, when he finally spoke, smelled like a mix of mint and copper, cloying and chokingly thick.
The H&W Investigations Series:
1. Hunted by the Others
2. Taken by the Others – January 4, 2011
FTC Advisory: The author provided me a copy of Hunted by the Others. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review. In addition, I don’t receive affiliate fees for anything purchased via links from my site.
September 26, 2014
Reviewed by: Rabid Reads.
Several of my favourite Urban Fantasy series’ wrapped-up earlier this year which means that I finally have time to add a new one to my reading rotation, and Jess Haines’ H&W INVESTIGATIONS was next in line. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up book 1, because reviews have been fairly mixed, but as far as first impressions go—I liked it! The author’s writing style flowed well, the pacing was excellent, and the story wasn’t weighed down by the dreaded information dump. In HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, readers get to witness the making of a vampire hunter, and I personally really enjoyed Haines’ introduction to her characters and paranormal universe.
Heavy world-building is usually a given in a first installment, so I was pleasantly surprised by how the author handled this aspect of her story. New terminology, magical rules, and artifacts are explored, but I didn’t find any of these aspects overwhelming at all. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the latter because they helped give the heroine the tools she needed to tackle the big bad by shortening Shiarra’s learning curve which in turn led to more action, and less bumbling about. I liked learning about The Circle, White Hats, vampires and werewolves, and I thought that the mandatory Other contracts whenever humans were involved added an interesting safety net for the weaker mortals.
Shiarra finds herself in quite the conundrum when all facets of the Others start vying for her attention because of her latest assignment, and I was shocked by the sheer magnitude of character growth that she underwent in only one book. Waynest begins this story as a terrified P.I. flat out refusing to even consider taking a non-human case, only to end up just only in the thick of things, but actually fairing surprisingly well, although having a werewolf pack at her back, and a geeky sidekick certainly helped. Sara, Royce, Arthur, and Chaz were easy to like, and how can you not love a mouse named Bob? I found that some of Haines’ name choices left something to be desired, but I’m sure that they will grow on me in time.
The plot was entertaining, and I’ll be curious to see how Shiarra’s relationship with Alec plays out in future installments. There wasn’t much romance in this novel, but by the end pretty much all of the characters were paired off, so I can only assume that there will be some steam later down the line. The only thing that kind of bugged me were all of the lesbian jokes—now, I’m all for same sex couples in fiction, and the protagonist is obviously hetero, so why the jabs? They just felt unnecessary, and I’m sure that some readers might even take offense. I did however like how this book’s story arc was resolved because I 100% agreed with Waynest’s solution; it demonstrated both fortitude, and good judgement on her part.
HUNTED BY THE OTHERS went down easy, and left me itching for more. Next please!
Several of my favourite Urban Fantasy series’ wrapped-up earlier this year which means that I finally have time to add a new one to my reading rotation, and Jess Haines’ H&W INVESTIGATIONS was next in line. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when I picked up book 1, because reviews have been fairly mixed, but as far as first impressions go—I liked it! The author’s writing style flowed well, the pacing was excellent, and the story wasn’t weighed down by the dreaded information dump. In HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, readers get to witness the making of a vampire hunter, and I personally really enjoyed Haines’ introduction to her characters and paranormal universe.
Heavy world-building is usually a given in a first installment, so I was pleasantly surprised by how the author handled this aspect of her story. New terminology, magical rules, and artifacts are explored, but I didn’t find any of these aspects overwhelming at all. I especially enjoyed the inclusion of the latter because they helped give the heroine the tools she needed to tackle the big bad by shortening Shiarra’s learning curve which in turn led to more action, and less bumbling about. I liked learning about The Circle, White Hats, vampires and werewolves, and I thought that the mandatory Other contracts whenever humans were involved added an interesting safety net for the weaker mortals.
Shiarra finds herself in quite the conundrum when all facets of the Others start vying for her attention because of her latest assignment, and I was shocked by the sheer magnitude of character growth that she underwent in only one book. Waynest begins this story as a terrified P.I. flat out refusing to even consider taking a non-human case, only to end up just only in the thick of things, but actually fairing surprisingly well, although having a werewolf pack at her back, and a geeky sidekick certainly helped. Sara, Royce, Arthur, and Chaz were easy to like, and how can you not love a mouse named Bob? I found that some of Haines’ name choices left something to be desired, but I’m sure that they will grow on me in time.
The plot was entertaining, and I’ll be curious to see how Shiarra’s relationship with Alec plays out in future installments. There wasn’t much romance in this novel, but by the end pretty much all of the characters were paired off, so I can only assume that there will be some steam later down the line. The only thing that kind of bugged me were all of the lesbian jokes—now, I’m all for same sex couples in fiction, and the protagonist is obviously hetero, so why the jabs? They just felt unnecessary, and I’m sure that some readers might even take offense. I did however like how this book’s story arc was resolved because I 100% agreed with Waynest’s solution; it demonstrated both fortitude, and good judgement on her part.
HUNTED BY THE OTHERS went down easy, and left me itching for more. Next please!
August 5, 2011
3.5 stars
Hunted by the Others is a solid start to Jess Haines’ H&W Investigations series.
Shiarra (Shia) Waynest is a private investigator. She has avoided taking on cases for the Others, mainly because they terrify her. However, bills must be paid and Shia is hired by The Circle to find a small object thought to be in the hands of the local vampire master Alec Royce.
The author’s incorporation of the supernatural world with the human world was well done. In this book, The Others – vampires, werewolves, and magi – came out into the open on 9/11, using their enhanced senses to find survivors and their cash reserves to jumpstart the economy. Their patriotism allowed them to gain a sort of acceptance into human society.
I chuckled when the vampires and werewolves were included under the Americans with Disabilities Act for daylight impairment and monthly furriness. I found it funny that most of the Others’ interactions with humans required some sort of legal document. For example, if a human wanted to consort with a vampire or werewolf, they were required to sign a contract to avoid wrongful death suits. Clever.
I had a little trouble relating to Shia’s character at first. I found her a little impulsive and seriously lacking self-preservation skills. People needed to constantly point out that she wasn’t safe at home, at work, at friends’ homes, or at her family’s home. She is also a little wishy-washy relationship-wise, telling off her ex-boyfriend in one breath, and then having second thoughts about the breakup a little later.
Shia is in her glory the moment Arnold gets her properly outfitted to meet the vampire. She puts on the Hunter’s belt and suddenly I like this Shia much better. The Hunter’s belt is a cool item – it includes a sentient being that speaks to Shia. I hope we get to see more of it in the next books.
I loved the secondary characters. Arnold was a great addition as a geeky magi. He had the right mix of arrogance, sarcasm, and drama queen while being exceptionally knowledgeable in both magic and computers. Chaz played the extremely handsome ex-boyfriend well. As an added bonus, his status as an Alpha was very useful to Shia. I was intrigued by Royce and I hope to see him in the next books.
I’m looking forward to reading Taken by the Others (book 2) and Deceived by the Others (book 3).
Guest post on Paranormal Wastelands
Hunted by the Others is a solid start to Jess Haines’ H&W Investigations series.
Shiarra (Shia) Waynest is a private investigator. She has avoided taking on cases for the Others, mainly because they terrify her. However, bills must be paid and Shia is hired by The Circle to find a small object thought to be in the hands of the local vampire master Alec Royce.
The author’s incorporation of the supernatural world with the human world was well done. In this book, The Others – vampires, werewolves, and magi – came out into the open on 9/11, using their enhanced senses to find survivors and their cash reserves to jumpstart the economy. Their patriotism allowed them to gain a sort of acceptance into human society.
I chuckled when the vampires and werewolves were included under the Americans with Disabilities Act for daylight impairment and monthly furriness. I found it funny that most of the Others’ interactions with humans required some sort of legal document. For example, if a human wanted to consort with a vampire or werewolf, they were required to sign a contract to avoid wrongful death suits. Clever.
I had a little trouble relating to Shia’s character at first. I found her a little impulsive and seriously lacking self-preservation skills. People needed to constantly point out that she wasn’t safe at home, at work, at friends’ homes, or at her family’s home. She is also a little wishy-washy relationship-wise, telling off her ex-boyfriend in one breath, and then having second thoughts about the breakup a little later.
Shia is in her glory the moment Arnold gets her properly outfitted to meet the vampire. She puts on the Hunter’s belt and suddenly I like this Shia much better. The Hunter’s belt is a cool item – it includes a sentient being that speaks to Shia. I hope we get to see more of it in the next books.
I loved the secondary characters. Arnold was a great addition as a geeky magi. He had the right mix of arrogance, sarcasm, and drama queen while being exceptionally knowledgeable in both magic and computers. Chaz played the extremely handsome ex-boyfriend well. As an added bonus, his status as an Alpha was very useful to Shia. I was intrigued by Royce and I hope to see him in the next books.
I’m looking forward to reading Taken by the Others (book 2) and Deceived by the Others (book 3).
Guest post on Paranormal Wastelands
January 14, 2011
It was free on kindle and i still feel like i'm owed something! Too much seen before dribble.... maybe if too many good books weren't out this month i could have attempted to read it!
I finished 51% of the book! Pretty bad book!
THINGS I HATED:
#1- She's a detective that does work within the area of supernaturals, but she's Extremly Afraid of them and Doesn't know anything about them! She has no idea how to kill a vampire or shoot a gun... Why the hell are you doing this job? At least the Anita BLake series (before the books became smutty) had Anita afraid of them but her fear gave her the motivation to be excellent at her job. Make the character have some KNOWLEDGE in her field!!
#2-She is mad that her x-boyfriend (that she'd known for a long time, is madly in love with, and who's family loved him) told her he was a were-wolf by shifting for her AND she's mad that he didn't tell her earlier! I think the author could have thought of something more original and exciting then that!
#3- She's OH SO AFRAID of the main vampire but she's OH SO TURNED ON by him too. Get a grip! Which is it? She shakes in fear as her panties wet with desire. Really?
#4-She SO FORCED to work with witches and vampires that she's SO AFRAID of, Because she doesn't have the money for her business EVEN though her business partner is filthy rich and has been funding the business. Sounds like BS to me! I'm afraid of serial killers and murderers THEREFORE I don't hunt them or work in a field that involves them... I stay away from them
#5 There were alot of inaction scenes where we are just sitting in her head. which would be cool if she wasn't a complete moron that I didn't respect.
THINGS I LIKED.
#1- It was cool that the existence of supes were known due to Sept 11. That was prob the most creative thing in the book.
#2-I liked the arcane office descriptions.
#3- The writing style wasn't too bad.
I finished 51% of the book! Pretty bad book!
THINGS I HATED:
#1- She's a detective that does work within the area of supernaturals, but she's Extremly Afraid of them and Doesn't know anything about them! She has no idea how to kill a vampire or shoot a gun... Why the hell are you doing this job? At least the Anita BLake series (before the books became smutty) had Anita afraid of them but her fear gave her the motivation to be excellent at her job. Make the character have some KNOWLEDGE in her field!!
#2-She is mad that her x-boyfriend (that she'd known for a long time, is madly in love with, and who's family loved him) told her he was a were-wolf by shifting for her AND she's mad that he didn't tell her earlier! I think the author could have thought of something more original and exciting then that!
#3- She's OH SO AFRAID of the main vampire but she's OH SO TURNED ON by him too. Get a grip! Which is it? She shakes in fear as her panties wet with desire. Really?
#4-She SO FORCED to work with witches and vampires that she's SO AFRAID of, Because she doesn't have the money for her business EVEN though her business partner is filthy rich and has been funding the business. Sounds like BS to me! I'm afraid of serial killers and murderers THEREFORE I don't hunt them or work in a field that involves them... I stay away from them
#5 There were alot of inaction scenes where we are just sitting in her head. which would be cool if she wasn't a complete moron that I didn't respect.
THINGS I LIKED.
#1- It was cool that the existence of supes were known due to Sept 11. That was prob the most creative thing in the book.
#2-I liked the arcane office descriptions.
#3- The writing style wasn't too bad.
December 8, 2015
Hunted by the Others is my kind of paranormal / urban fantasy! Shiarra is a very good heroine, in that she is definitely flawed, but fiercely loyal and strong minded.This review was originally posted on (un)Conventional Bookviews
January 20, 2011
Hunted by the Others is the first installment in the H&W Investigations series by Jess Haines, published by Zebra Books.
I picked this up on a whim. I was in the mood for a Urban Fantasy with Romance, particularly vampire that day, and came across this novel. I seen this novel around a bunch for the past little while, but I didn't know what to expect. Quickly in, I realized I was going to really enjoy this book.
The H&W Investigations series is based in our modern day world with a twist. Vampires, werewolves and mages exist alongside us humans, but the immortal beings and humans don't get along as some series portray, not to mention the hostility between the immortals themselves.
Before I go on, I want to say how much I enjoy the Vampire vs Were tale. Natural enemies with a centuries-old-grudge is always a fun read.
Vampire vs Weres vs Mages. It's always a fun concept.
First off, the "immortals" of this novel were hidden for centuries, until 9/11, then they soon came out to the world. Some are fine with it, but most aren't.. there are orginaztions against them like every other "what's different is wrong" type group. The White Hats are an example of that. They are the extremists and anti-other beings of the series, which I really didn't like... but I think that was the point of them in the story.
The story is narrated in first person by Shiarra. Shiarra is a tough ass, normal hard working woman, looking out for herself and her friends while working as private investigator and barley getting by. The novel starts with Shiarra and a woman at a restaurant. That particular woman is head in an organization called The Circle. The Circle wants to hire Shiarra to recover a magical artifact called a focus from a ancient, very good looking vampire, named Alec Royce. The last thing Shiarra wants to do is tangle with immortals, but her bank account says otherwise, and the Circle has money to spare..and then some.
The mesmerizing vampire named Alec Royce was unique. In some ways he reminded me of Jean-Claude from The Anita Blake series, but with less personility. (He's also the head vampire in New York, like Jean Claude is the master vampire of St. Louis) Considering he wasn't always in "his" state of mind...(Which I won't get into detaile about..) we didn't get to much of a personility vibe from him. (IMO anyway) Don't get me wrong, what I read, I liked, but I just didn't feel like he was the main male for the story, but just the hot, mysterious male of the story. I have a feeling he will be much bigger a character throughout the series. I can't wait. ;)
Shiarra's Ex, Chaz was a hit in my book. Yes, he was the protective, jealous, hot werewolf, but I couldn't help but love him. I wasn't sure waht his angle was, but I didn't care, I like his character. I can't wait to see more of him as well.. I'm wanting both, and waiting to see what Haines decides!
The rest of the secondary characters were also a hit for me. I really enjoyed Arnold, the geeky mage, who was a great friend in this novel. I was surprised of his interests, but I thought it went well with the story. He's a favorite of mine.
Sara was a great friend and character, she's Shiarra's Ivy to her Rachel (The Hollows series by Kim Harrison) minus the sexual tension. haha!Oh, and I cannot forget the talking stake belt. It was weird, but I liked it.. I won't give to much away, but lets say, it's unique.
As for the storyline, I found it very enjoyable. Good pacing,plenty of action and romance. An enteraining read that will keep you on your toes, filled with supernatural and fantasy. Hunted by the Others is a must read for all Urban Fantasy lovers. It delivers everything you've come to expect from this genre. I cannot wait to read Taken by others tonight!
I picked this up on a whim. I was in the mood for a Urban Fantasy with Romance, particularly vampire that day, and came across this novel. I seen this novel around a bunch for the past little while, but I didn't know what to expect. Quickly in, I realized I was going to really enjoy this book.
The H&W Investigations series is based in our modern day world with a twist. Vampires, werewolves and mages exist alongside us humans, but the immortal beings and humans don't get along as some series portray, not to mention the hostility between the immortals themselves.
Before I go on, I want to say how much I enjoy the Vampire vs Were tale. Natural enemies with a centuries-old-grudge is always a fun read.
Vampire vs Weres vs Mages. It's always a fun concept.
First off, the "immortals" of this novel were hidden for centuries, until 9/11, then they soon came out to the world. Some are fine with it, but most aren't.. there are orginaztions against them like every other "what's different is wrong" type group. The White Hats are an example of that. They are the extremists and anti-other beings of the series, which I really didn't like... but I think that was the point of them in the story.
The story is narrated in first person by Shiarra. Shiarra is a tough ass, normal hard working woman, looking out for herself and her friends while working as private investigator and barley getting by. The novel starts with Shiarra and a woman at a restaurant. That particular woman is head in an organization called The Circle. The Circle wants to hire Shiarra to recover a magical artifact called a focus from a ancient, very good looking vampire, named Alec Royce. The last thing Shiarra wants to do is tangle with immortals, but her bank account says otherwise, and the Circle has money to spare..and then some.
The mesmerizing vampire named Alec Royce was unique. In some ways he reminded me of Jean-Claude from The Anita Blake series, but with less personility. (He's also the head vampire in New York, like Jean Claude is the master vampire of St. Louis) Considering he wasn't always in "his" state of mind...(Which I won't get into detaile about..) we didn't get to much of a personility vibe from him. (IMO anyway) Don't get me wrong, what I read, I liked, but I just didn't feel like he was the main male for the story, but just the hot, mysterious male of the story. I have a feeling he will be much bigger a character throughout the series. I can't wait. ;)
Shiarra's Ex, Chaz was a hit in my book. Yes, he was the protective, jealous, hot werewolf, but I couldn't help but love him. I wasn't sure waht his angle was, but I didn't care, I like his character. I can't wait to see more of him as well.. I'm wanting both, and waiting to see what Haines decides!
The rest of the secondary characters were also a hit for me. I really enjoyed Arnold, the geeky mage, who was a great friend in this novel. I was surprised of his interests, but I thought it went well with the story. He's a favorite of mine.
Sara was a great friend and character, she's Shiarra's Ivy to her Rachel (The Hollows series by Kim Harrison) minus the sexual tension. haha!Oh, and I cannot forget the talking stake belt. It was weird, but I liked it.. I won't give to much away, but lets say, it's unique.
As for the storyline, I found it very enjoyable. Good pacing,plenty of action and romance. An enteraining read that will keep you on your toes, filled with supernatural and fantasy. Hunted by the Others is a must read for all Urban Fantasy lovers. It delivers everything you've come to expect from this genre. I cannot wait to read Taken by others tonight!
August 25, 2010
Thoughts:
Haines has created a fantastic world where the Others (vampires, mages, and werewolves) have emerged from the dark. When 9-11 happened werewolves offered to help locate the victims stuck in the rubble, from there the rest came out. The rules and regulations put in place are very realistic. My favorite touch is that those who are consorting with the others have to sign wavers. So if their lovers kill them or turn them all the legals are covered. This just puts a smile on my face, after all just like the main character thinks, there are people stupid enough to sign these things. Of course not everyone is happy about the Others living among us. One of the names for the more fanatic groups is the White Hats, which just tickles me. Finding out the names of radical factions in UF books is one of the ups of reading the genre. Plus the White Hats, have pins to go with it!!
Shiarra—leading lady—is not some sassy loud mouth chic, who thinks she’s bad ass enough to throw her nonexistent weight to fight the baddies—not that those characters aren‘t awesome. Instead the reader gets to watch a polite PI grow into someone who knows when it’s time to break the rules and kill the baddies. A pleasant change in the standard UF heroine. The running dialogue is pretty funny too, and I love how the reader gets to see some of Shiarra’s witty remarks that she holds back from mouthing off to the baddies with.
There was one sour point about Shiarra that continued to grate on my nerves. At times Shiarra didn't have two cents to rub together, her moments of stupidity had me wondering if that was why her PI business was going under. Evil villains were telling her what they were going to do to hurt her and all of their evil villain intentions. The character blatantly goes home, and has other characters continuously reminding her that she needs to be careful and lay low. An idea of a safe hide away was her best friends sister's place, after the hotel was too creepy to stay at.
Side characters were really fun, but my personal favorite was the Hunter’s Belt. A belt that has the spirit--or soul--of an Other hunter in it. It has some stakes attached to it that will always return to the wearer and it can’t be taken off until the sunset after the wearer puts it on. The belt doesn’t get as much dialogue as I would like. If I think about it, maybe ten lines max? Still I have high hopes for the belt. (If you’ve ever read Mercedes Lakey’s Winds of Change book, it has a sassy warrior trapped in a belt that was an awesome character.)
The love interests are something to look forward to. Chaz the charmingly sweet Alpha werewolf--and I was complaining that they don’t exist. Sure he lied to Shiarra about being a werewolf, but only because she was prejudice against Others. It is fantastic to watch Shiarra get over her fear of the others, enough so that she’s trying to work things out with Chaz. Alec Royce is the missing vampire link in the standard love triangle for UF books. He’s not fully realized at this point, but he’s a promising character. Personally the heat for the love interests weren’t there yet, but that doesn’t bother me seeing as all the action in this book has doesn’t give Shiarra time to really deal with boy drama.
The action is pretty packed, and with the help of the Hunter’s Belt Shiarra can deliver! The plot is agreeably fast past and a rush of fun. I wanted to know why Shiarra was being dragged into this, and the petty excuse just made my day!
Bottom Line:
Jess Haines Shiarra Waynest books are clearly something to keep an eye on. The main character is clearly someone who grows on you, lets hope she grows some smarts. This is a promising debut, with some wicked new ideas to add to the genre. I’m eager to get my hands on the next book to see what shenanigans Shiarra gets in and I look forward to the series getting more fleshed out.
Sexual Content:
Pretty clean, I don’t believe there was to much sex chat, and only kissing.
Rating: 3/5- Good, I liked it.
Haines has created a fantastic world where the Others (vampires, mages, and werewolves) have emerged from the dark. When 9-11 happened werewolves offered to help locate the victims stuck in the rubble, from there the rest came out. The rules and regulations put in place are very realistic. My favorite touch is that those who are consorting with the others have to sign wavers. So if their lovers kill them or turn them all the legals are covered. This just puts a smile on my face, after all just like the main character thinks, there are people stupid enough to sign these things. Of course not everyone is happy about the Others living among us. One of the names for the more fanatic groups is the White Hats, which just tickles me. Finding out the names of radical factions in UF books is one of the ups of reading the genre. Plus the White Hats, have pins to go with it!!
Shiarra—leading lady—is not some sassy loud mouth chic, who thinks she’s bad ass enough to throw her nonexistent weight to fight the baddies—not that those characters aren‘t awesome. Instead the reader gets to watch a polite PI grow into someone who knows when it’s time to break the rules and kill the baddies. A pleasant change in the standard UF heroine. The running dialogue is pretty funny too, and I love how the reader gets to see some of Shiarra’s witty remarks that she holds back from mouthing off to the baddies with.
There was one sour point about Shiarra that continued to grate on my nerves. At times Shiarra didn't have two cents to rub together, her moments of stupidity had me wondering if that was why her PI business was going under. Evil villains were telling her what they were going to do to hurt her and all of their evil villain intentions. The character blatantly goes home, and has other characters continuously reminding her that she needs to be careful and lay low. An idea of a safe hide away was her best friends sister's place, after the hotel was too creepy to stay at.
Side characters were really fun, but my personal favorite was the Hunter’s Belt. A belt that has the spirit--or soul--of an Other hunter in it. It has some stakes attached to it that will always return to the wearer and it can’t be taken off until the sunset after the wearer puts it on. The belt doesn’t get as much dialogue as I would like. If I think about it, maybe ten lines max? Still I have high hopes for the belt. (If you’ve ever read Mercedes Lakey’s Winds of Change book, it has a sassy warrior trapped in a belt that was an awesome character.)
The love interests are something to look forward to. Chaz the charmingly sweet Alpha werewolf--and I was complaining that they don’t exist. Sure he lied to Shiarra about being a werewolf, but only because she was prejudice against Others. It is fantastic to watch Shiarra get over her fear of the others, enough so that she’s trying to work things out with Chaz. Alec Royce is the missing vampire link in the standard love triangle for UF books. He’s not fully realized at this point, but he’s a promising character. Personally the heat for the love interests weren’t there yet, but that doesn’t bother me seeing as all the action in this book has doesn’t give Shiarra time to really deal with boy drama.
The action is pretty packed, and with the help of the Hunter’s Belt Shiarra can deliver! The plot is agreeably fast past and a rush of fun. I wanted to know why Shiarra was being dragged into this, and the petty excuse just made my day!
Bottom Line:
Jess Haines Shiarra Waynest books are clearly something to keep an eye on. The main character is clearly someone who grows on you, lets hope she grows some smarts. This is a promising debut, with some wicked new ideas to add to the genre. I’m eager to get my hands on the next book to see what shenanigans Shiarra gets in and I look forward to the series getting more fleshed out.
Sexual Content:
Pretty clean, I don’t believe there was to much sex chat, and only kissing.
Rating: 3/5- Good, I liked it.
July 31, 2010
It isn’t that Hunted by Others is a bad book. It’s just not terribly original. I’ve read so much urban fantasy/paranormal romance in the past few years, that I can’t help but compare this book to more successful, prominent series in the genre. This debut novel was enjoyable for a time, but I found myself losing interest the further I got into the story. I also couldn’t help but notice the glaring similarities between this book and Kim Harrison’s Rachel Morgan series. Three stars is generous considering that I skimmed the last hundred pages. Perhaps had I been new to the genre, I would have enjoyed this book more. It’s really difficult nowadays to find a series that brings something new and different to urban fantasy.
The story centers on a young woman named Shiarra Waynest, a private detective who gets hired by the Circle (a group of mages) to find an ancient artifact that can control vampires and werewolves. Shiarra is living in a world where those of supernatural origins chose to reveal themselves to human society after the events of 9/11. Since Shiarra is human, she is reluctant to get involved in paranormal politics, but agrees to take on this very dangerous case because the money turns out to be too good to pass up and without it she risks losing her business. The job entails that she get up close and personal with the infamous vampire Royce who owns half the city and is suspected of being in possession of the artifact in question. She also finds that she has become a target of the werewolves and the whites hats (an organization of humans who hate supernatural beings and whose goal is to exterminate them). With the help of her business partner Sara, a quirky mage named Arnold, and a special belt that gives her super strength and speed, Shiarra fights to stay alive and finish what she started.
There is something incredibly unappealing about a main character who is afraid of everything. Any time Shairra was confronted with something supernatural and/or magical she either A. screamed her head off, B. shook uncontrollably, or C. curled into a fetal position. It wasn’t until she got the belt that she started to show any emotional/physical strength whatsoever. I should also point out that all skills used when wearing the belt, including any semblance of calm that she conveys during a fight comes from the dead hunter’s spirit that gives the belt power. The belt part was nifty, but the main character was annoying and weak and redeemed herself only towards the end of the story.
The story centers on a young woman named Shiarra Waynest, a private detective who gets hired by the Circle (a group of mages) to find an ancient artifact that can control vampires and werewolves. Shiarra is living in a world where those of supernatural origins chose to reveal themselves to human society after the events of 9/11. Since Shiarra is human, she is reluctant to get involved in paranormal politics, but agrees to take on this very dangerous case because the money turns out to be too good to pass up and without it she risks losing her business. The job entails that she get up close and personal with the infamous vampire Royce who owns half the city and is suspected of being in possession of the artifact in question. She also finds that she has become a target of the werewolves and the whites hats (an organization of humans who hate supernatural beings and whose goal is to exterminate them). With the help of her business partner Sara, a quirky mage named Arnold, and a special belt that gives her super strength and speed, Shiarra fights to stay alive and finish what she started.
There is something incredibly unappealing about a main character who is afraid of everything. Any time Shairra was confronted with something supernatural and/or magical she either A. screamed her head off, B. shook uncontrollably, or C. curled into a fetal position. It wasn’t until she got the belt that she started to show any emotional/physical strength whatsoever. I should also point out that all skills used when wearing the belt, including any semblance of calm that she conveys during a fight comes from the dead hunter’s spirit that gives the belt power. The belt part was nifty, but the main character was annoying and weak and redeemed herself only towards the end of the story.
August 27, 2016
I found HUNTED BY THE OTHERS one of those light urban fantasy reads and in the beginning it did appeal to me, but after those first few chapters I was greatly let down.
I felt like the main character was so unlikable that I had to put this book down every chapter and pick it up again. Shiarra is a detective that works in the area of the supernatural, but she is oh, so terrified of them. And I am just in the mind of thinking why is this woman the heroine of the story. She also doesn't know anything about any of the supernaturals. I found her quite annoying at times, and sometimes it's hard to be able to read a book when you hate your heroine.
Another thing is we here that Shiarra broke up with her ex boyfriend that is a were previous to the start of this book and the reason for the break up is because he is a were and didn't tell her. Okay...I have read many books for break ups previous to the start of the book and this is so lame. Couldn't their break up be something different?
The one reason why I wanted to push through this book was the one and only, Alec Royce. I heard rumor of a hot sexy vampire and those rumors are true. Alec Royce is the definition of HOT! I wanted to keep reading this book for him and only for him.
The plot of this book was a little slow and I skimmed half the time while reading this and I don't think that is a good sign. I also think that none of the characters, except Alec Royce were appealing enough to continue. This book is fast paced which is good, but it just to appeal to me enough to keep going. The book would be best described as average.
I felt like the main character was so unlikable that I had to put this book down every chapter and pick it up again. Shiarra is a detective that works in the area of the supernatural, but she is oh, so terrified of them. And I am just in the mind of thinking why is this woman the heroine of the story. She also doesn't know anything about any of the supernaturals. I found her quite annoying at times, and sometimes it's hard to be able to read a book when you hate your heroine.
Another thing is we here that Shiarra broke up with her ex boyfriend that is a were previous to the start of this book and the reason for the break up is because he is a were and didn't tell her. Okay...I have read many books for break ups previous to the start of the book and this is so lame. Couldn't their break up be something different?
The one reason why I wanted to push through this book was the one and only, Alec Royce. I heard rumor of a hot sexy vampire and those rumors are true. Alec Royce is the definition of HOT! I wanted to keep reading this book for him and only for him.
The plot of this book was a little slow and I skimmed half the time while reading this and I don't think that is a good sign. I also think that none of the characters, except Alec Royce were appealing enough to continue. This book is fast paced which is good, but it just to appeal to me enough to keep going. The book would be best described as average.
September 13, 2010
Hunted by the Others is a solid urban fantasy. I found myself thinking about the book after reading the first chapter of the book. A world filled with Others that include mages, vampires and werewolves is such an interesting concept. However, one thing that made it kind of confusing for me was the fact that they had to have contracts with one another in order to have a relationship. It adds something special, but it wasn't really my thing.
I thought the plot was a little slow only because I wanted much more to happen between Shia and Alec. I kept reading just for him. As for Shia's other interest, Chaz, I found myself annoyed by his possessiveness. He did something awful to Shia and he's in the dog pound for me. So until he can prove he is truly sorry and cares for her, then he can stay there for now.
Arnold is a good guy too. I hope he gets together with Sara. They are so cute together. I know there's a short story about the two in another anthology. I'm interested in reading that and seeing how they get along with one another.
One other thing I really liked this book is the fact that Shia is a human and she does show fear. I like my heroines very tough and kickass, but it was refreshing to see Shia show some vulnerability. It makes her character that much more real.
Also, Alec Royce? I read this book for him. He's so hot.
I thought the plot was a little slow only because I wanted much more to happen between Shia and Alec. I kept reading just for him. As for Shia's other interest, Chaz, I found myself annoyed by his possessiveness. He did something awful to Shia and he's in the dog pound for me. So until he can prove he is truly sorry and cares for her, then he can stay there for now.
Arnold is a good guy too. I hope he gets together with Sara. They are so cute together. I know there's a short story about the two in another anthology. I'm interested in reading that and seeing how they get along with one another.
One other thing I really liked this book is the fact that Shia is a human and she does show fear. I like my heroines very tough and kickass, but it was refreshing to see Shia show some vulnerability. It makes her character that much more real.
Also, Alec Royce? I read this book for him. He's so hot.
February 18, 2016
So I'm giving Ms. Haines the benefit of the doubt. I'm going to believe that she didn't completely rip-off Kim Harrison's A Fistful of Charms.
But it isn't going to be easy.
Differences are:
1. Shia is not a witch.
2. Ex-boyfriend is not a wannabe master thief.
3. Vampires aren't quite as sinister.
Oh, there are tons of dissimilarities, but far more than the basic premise is the same. And I don't think this is one of those retelling-of-popular-folklore situations either. At least I've never heard of an artifact that grants the owner control over the supernatural species.
Unless it's The One Ring.
Whatever. It's not in Katharine Briggs or any of the other myriad and sundry fairy tales/folk stories/mythologies that I've read (and that's kind of my thing), but I'm not omniscient, so I could have just missed it.
The story was entertaining and the characters likable enough that I'll probably give the next book a shot, but if it too bares striking similarities to something written five years previously, I'm going to be highly irritated.
But it isn't going to be easy.
Differences are:
1. Shia is not a witch.
2. Ex-boyfriend is not a wannabe master thief.
3. Vampires aren't quite as sinister.
Oh, there are tons of dissimilarities, but far more than the basic premise is the same. And I don't think this is one of those retelling-of-popular-folklore situations either. At least I've never heard of an artifact that grants the owner control over the supernatural species.
Unless it's The One Ring.
Whatever. It's not in Katharine Briggs or any of the other myriad and sundry fairy tales/folk stories/mythologies that I've read (and that's kind of my thing), but I'm not omniscient, so I could have just missed it.
The story was entertaining and the characters likable enough that I'll probably give the next book a shot, but if it too bares striking similarities to something written five years previously, I'm going to be highly irritated.
June 27, 2017
3.5 Stars
The premise of this story starts out interestingly enough that I wanted to check it out. I was looking for a slow burn romance, you know the type, the ones where the relationship takes like 3 books to come to fruition, and they sorta fight their attraction for each other? Well, after reading the synopsis of this book I totally though this might be the case, and I had found The One. But alas, it was a bit of a let down.
Shiarra is a human PI who specializes in finding missing persons, things, or cheating spouses. But when we meet her she is at a meeting with Victoria, someone from The Circle, which I gathered are a group of mages (or magi as they call them)kinda like a coven. She's trying to recruit Shia to do a task for her and since there are bill issues with her business naturally takes up this offer. She wants her to get close to the vampire, Royce, to find out where this artifact is. Royce is a smart vampire and always like 5 steps ahead.
But things don't go as planned. And we have a lot of half-ass investigating and a lot of Shia relying on a lot of the Others rather than herself. However, I can't really fault her for this since she is human. She's totally outclassed. So she does need help.
I did like however that one of the suspects I had thought of that Shia did herself. She didn't sit there ignoring the possible giant elephant in the room and gloss over what the audience might have gleaned from her story, no she analyzed that too. Which this surprised me. So I loved her logical jump, and how she said this was the best she could come up with because I too thought these same thoughts.
But, there wasn't a slow burn romance yet. Shiarra, has an ex boyfriend who showed her one night that he was a Were, and had never mentioned it, or hinted at it before. And Shia is so wrapped up in her own world and things she never noticed him missing on full moons. She freaked, and ended it with him but mainly because he kept it a secret. The Others have been out for about 10 years now, so he didn't have to hide it. Despite this, she eventually gives into their relationship, but I don't have breath that it will last.
See, at the end of the book and I believe this will allude to a possible relationship, of the slow burn variety, in the future! Which I'm actually excited for, and I will probably be reading the next book.
However if you're looking for a romance focused book, this is NOT it, at least book 1 isn't. I'll let you know about book 2. Romance isn't really even a side plot either. So like 1% romance in this one lol. But very Urban Fantasy.
The premise of this story starts out interestingly enough that I wanted to check it out. I was looking for a slow burn romance, you know the type, the ones where the relationship takes like 3 books to come to fruition, and they sorta fight their attraction for each other? Well, after reading the synopsis of this book I totally though this might be the case, and I had found The One. But alas, it was a bit of a let down.
Shiarra is a human PI who specializes in finding missing persons, things, or cheating spouses. But when we meet her she is at a meeting with Victoria, someone from The Circle, which I gathered are a group of mages (or magi as they call them)kinda like a coven. She's trying to recruit Shia to do a task for her and since there are bill issues with her business naturally takes up this offer. She wants her to get close to the vampire, Royce, to find out where this artifact is. Royce is a smart vampire and always like 5 steps ahead.
But things don't go as planned. And we have a lot of half-ass investigating and a lot of Shia relying on a lot of the Others rather than herself. However, I can't really fault her for this since she is human. She's totally outclassed. So she does need help.
I did like however that one of the suspects I had thought of that Shia did herself. She didn't sit there ignoring the possible giant elephant in the room and gloss over what the audience might have gleaned from her story, no she analyzed that too. Which this surprised me. So I loved her logical jump, and how she said this was the best she could come up with because I too thought these same thoughts.
But, there wasn't a slow burn romance yet. Shiarra, has an ex boyfriend who showed her one night that he was a Were, and had never mentioned it, or hinted at it before. And Shia is so wrapped up in her own world and things she never noticed him missing on full moons. She freaked, and ended it with him but mainly because he kept it a secret. The Others have been out for about 10 years now, so he didn't have to hide it. Despite this, she eventually gives into their relationship, but I don't have breath that it will last.
See, at the end of the book and I believe this will allude to a possible relationship, of the slow burn variety, in the future! Which I'm actually excited for, and I will probably be reading the next book.
However if you're looking for a romance focused book, this is NOT it, at least book 1 isn't. I'll let you know about book 2. Romance isn't really even a side plot either. So like 1% romance in this one lol. But very Urban Fantasy.
January 11, 2012
Since Shiarra works as a private detective and owns her own agency, I expected her to be observant and intelligent, but she often comes off as a bit of an idiot; for her first meeting as Royce her proposed cover story [which she refers to as a stroke of genius] is pretending to be a reporter or restaurant guide reviewer, but, luckily for her, her business partner points out that Royce owns multiple restaurants and clubs and has staff who would handle media. Speaking of Royce, he is a high profile vampire and Shiarra refers to when someone tried to stake him at one of his public appearances, and then there is his high profile lawsuit with another company, but she still doesn't recognise the man when she meets him in person. The number one standout moment, over the many other instances, is that she fails to immediately recognize a man who broke into her apartment and held her at knife point.
Being so sharp eyed and a quick-thinker, it was a huge surprise to learn that her business is failing.
At one point she worries about what to say to someone, as she doesn't want to sound like an unenlightened raciest. But the thing is, she IS an unenlightened raciest, so the book is actually quite unpleasant to read at times. And as the book is in first person, readers also have to sit through her thoughts too. Yay.
Her biggest hatred/fear is mainly reserved for the vampires, which I just don't understand. It's the mages who drag her into the mess in the first place and she already has had some unpleasant dealings with werewolves, so I can sort of understand why she isn't so fond of their races. However she has had no prior dealings or experiences with vampires to cause her prejudgement. In fact there isn't anything in the book to suggest that she has even been within ten feet of a vampire before.
And she doesn't know anything about vampires in general, as evidenced by a scene where she reads a email from Royce - it was sent during the day and she wonders how he sent it, as she thought vampires slept during the day. If vampires are a reality in her world, why does she only know 'movie rules' about them and no hard facts?
Royce is the vampire she is dealing with and he only pays specific attention to her AFTER she initiates contact with him [for their first meeting she wears a crucifix necklace and displays it in full view]. Until he learns about her involvement with the mages and White Hats, he seems very helpful and polite towards her - to the point of applying for a extermination of another vampire on her behalf.
So, despite knowing that her target is a high profile vampire, she A) doesn't recognize him in person, and, B) doesn't bother finding the answers to basic info on vampires of her world. Shiarra's dumb moments and general bigotry makes me pro-vampire and makes me hope that she does get bitten before the book is over.
Not only do I dislike Shiarra, but there is the problem of Chaz - her ex-boyfriend. He is also a werewolf, which means that he is the standard alpha male prototype, so I've taken an instant dislike to him. He's so possessive, he has a secret romantic side... What?! It comes of more like she's a toy, that he won't let anyone else touch. There's nothing much to say about him - he's both irritating and boring.
I just knew this would pop up; multiple love interests. Not only is this a angle that bores me and can be a irritant if the heroine picks someone I don't care for, but in this book I just don't get why anyone would want Shiarra; just what do they see in a often brainless raciest?
My main grievances are with the heroine [and Chaz], the other secondary characters are much more appealing; Shiarra's business partner Sara, mage Arnold who offers to act as a security guard to Shiarra and poor Royce. It's a shame, the author has some solid secondary characters, so who knows why she picked the worst one to lead the way?
The plot itself is fast-paced and entertaining, mixing drama, horror, action, the odd bit of humour and mystery together successfully, for the most part. Let's just hope that the sequel [Taken By The Others] shows a different side to Shiarra, otherwise these books will be deleted during my next Kindle clean-up.
Being so sharp eyed and a quick-thinker, it was a huge surprise to learn that her business is failing.
At one point she worries about what to say to someone, as she doesn't want to sound like an unenlightened raciest. But the thing is, she IS an unenlightened raciest, so the book is actually quite unpleasant to read at times. And as the book is in first person, readers also have to sit through her thoughts too. Yay.
Her biggest hatred/fear is mainly reserved for the vampires, which I just don't understand. It's the mages who drag her into the mess in the first place and she already has had some unpleasant dealings with werewolves, so I can sort of understand why she isn't so fond of their races. However she has had no prior dealings or experiences with vampires to cause her prejudgement. In fact there isn't anything in the book to suggest that she has even been within ten feet of a vampire before.
And she doesn't know anything about vampires in general, as evidenced by a scene where she reads a email from Royce - it was sent during the day and she wonders how he sent it, as she thought vampires slept during the day. If vampires are a reality in her world, why does she only know 'movie rules' about them and no hard facts?
Royce is the vampire she is dealing with and he only pays specific attention to her AFTER she initiates contact with him [for their first meeting she wears a crucifix necklace and displays it in full view]. Until he learns about her involvement with the mages and White Hats, he seems very helpful and polite towards her - to the point of applying for a extermination of another vampire on her behalf.
So, despite knowing that her target is a high profile vampire, she A) doesn't recognize him in person, and, B) doesn't bother finding the answers to basic info on vampires of her world. Shiarra's dumb moments and general bigotry makes me pro-vampire and makes me hope that she does get bitten before the book is over.
Not only do I dislike Shiarra, but there is the problem of Chaz - her ex-boyfriend. He is also a werewolf, which means that he is the standard alpha male prototype, so I've taken an instant dislike to him. He's so possessive, he has a secret romantic side... What?! It comes of more like she's a toy, that he won't let anyone else touch. There's nothing much to say about him - he's both irritating and boring.
I just knew this would pop up; multiple love interests. Not only is this a angle that bores me and can be a irritant if the heroine picks someone I don't care for, but in this book I just don't get why anyone would want Shiarra; just what do they see in a often brainless raciest?
My main grievances are with the heroine [and Chaz], the other secondary characters are much more appealing; Shiarra's business partner Sara, mage Arnold who offers to act as a security guard to Shiarra and poor Royce. It's a shame, the author has some solid secondary characters, so who knows why she picked the worst one to lead the way?
The plot itself is fast-paced and entertaining, mixing drama, horror, action, the odd bit of humour and mystery together successfully, for the most part. Let's just hope that the sequel [Taken By The Others] shows a different side to Shiarra, otherwise these books will be deleted during my next Kindle clean-up.
April 29, 2010
Review courtesy of AllThingsUrbanFantasy.blogspot.com
HUNTED BY THE OTHERS reminded me why I fell in love with the urban fantasy genre in the first place.
Shiarra Waynest is about to lose her P.I business because she can’t pay her bills. Rather then be seen as a failure in the eyes of her family, she accepts a case from a client who’s willing to pay big. The only problem is that the client is a Mage and the job involves getting close enough to steal from Alex Royce, the most powerful Vampire in New York. Working for the Others (e.g. Vampires, Weres, Mages, Elves etc.) isn’t exactly high on Shia’s to do list. In fact it ranks just above getting back together with her lying Were ex-boyfriend. But she really needs the money. Soon, Shia finds herself shopping at The Circle’s armory and outfitted by the White Hats underground anti-Other store as she prepares for a showdown with something worse than the Vampires and Weres put together—the person who’s controlling them.
Fans of Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series will love the world building in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS. Immediately following the attacks on 9/11, the Others seized the opportunity to reveal their existence to the world. Weres were among those rescuing people at ground zero, and Mages provided significant financial aid to prevent economic collapse in the days that followed. These efforts greatly helped ease public acceptance of the Others, but fear and hatred resulted in forming groups like the White Hats who’s sole purpose was to eradicate the Others from the face of the earth.
While the fanatics formed several hate groups, the more sane yet cautious members of society sought out political means of protecting themselves: laws. One of the more interesting legal arrangements allows humans to contractually sign their lives away to Others (the Others have lawyers too). These forms have to be signed prior to any kind of intimate (pleasant or otherwise) contact between humans and Others. These legal arrangements make for some very interesting and terrifying (depending on your perspective) scenes in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS.
Shiarra isn’t a White Hat nor is she exactly ready to cozy up with the Others (at least not knowingly). She’s just a normal person who unwillingly gets caught up in a power struggle between the Others. She exhibits real fear in the face of danger, but she never lets that fear paralyze her. She forces herself to be brave (along with some encouragement and a healthy dose of magic from a possessed Vampire Hunter’s belt, that is) when those she cares about are in danger.
And speaking of danger, Alex Royce is seductive and scary (which according to a recent Throwdown makes him the best kind of Vampire). Half the time he is stalking Shia I don’t think even he knew if he wanted to eat her or sleep with her. So, yeah, plenty of romantic tension here. I can’t wait to see where that relationship goes in the next book.
HUNTED BY THE OTHERS is everything you want in an urban fantasy: A paranormal world that sucks you in, characters you actually care about, romantic tension that truly sizzles, and did I mention Royce? Taken By The Others (H&W Investigations, book 2) is tentatively scheduled for release December 2010/January 2011, and I’m already counting down the days.
Sexual Content: References to sex
HUNTED BY THE OTHERS reminded me why I fell in love with the urban fantasy genre in the first place.
Shiarra Waynest is about to lose her P.I business because she can’t pay her bills. Rather then be seen as a failure in the eyes of her family, she accepts a case from a client who’s willing to pay big. The only problem is that the client is a Mage and the job involves getting close enough to steal from Alex Royce, the most powerful Vampire in New York. Working for the Others (e.g. Vampires, Weres, Mages, Elves etc.) isn’t exactly high on Shia’s to do list. In fact it ranks just above getting back together with her lying Were ex-boyfriend. But she really needs the money. Soon, Shia finds herself shopping at The Circle’s armory and outfitted by the White Hats underground anti-Other store as she prepares for a showdown with something worse than the Vampires and Weres put together—the person who’s controlling them.
Fans of Laurel K. Hamilton's Anita Blake series and Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series will love the world building in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS. Immediately following the attacks on 9/11, the Others seized the opportunity to reveal their existence to the world. Weres were among those rescuing people at ground zero, and Mages provided significant financial aid to prevent economic collapse in the days that followed. These efforts greatly helped ease public acceptance of the Others, but fear and hatred resulted in forming groups like the White Hats who’s sole purpose was to eradicate the Others from the face of the earth.
While the fanatics formed several hate groups, the more sane yet cautious members of society sought out political means of protecting themselves: laws. One of the more interesting legal arrangements allows humans to contractually sign their lives away to Others (the Others have lawyers too). These forms have to be signed prior to any kind of intimate (pleasant or otherwise) contact between humans and Others. These legal arrangements make for some very interesting and terrifying (depending on your perspective) scenes in HUNTED BY THE OTHERS.
Shiarra isn’t a White Hat nor is she exactly ready to cozy up with the Others (at least not knowingly). She’s just a normal person who unwillingly gets caught up in a power struggle between the Others. She exhibits real fear in the face of danger, but she never lets that fear paralyze her. She forces herself to be brave (along with some encouragement and a healthy dose of magic from a possessed Vampire Hunter’s belt, that is) when those she cares about are in danger.
And speaking of danger, Alex Royce is seductive and scary (which according to a recent Throwdown makes him the best kind of Vampire). Half the time he is stalking Shia I don’t think even he knew if he wanted to eat her or sleep with her. So, yeah, plenty of romantic tension here. I can’t wait to see where that relationship goes in the next book.
HUNTED BY THE OTHERS is everything you want in an urban fantasy: A paranormal world that sucks you in, characters you actually care about, romantic tension that truly sizzles, and did I mention Royce? Taken By The Others (H&W Investigations, book 2) is tentatively scheduled for release December 2010/January 2011, and I’m already counting down the days.
Sexual Content: References to sex
June 27, 2013
What took me so long to try this series? OK, I know the answer to that. I've seen mixed reviews. Some people really, really liked it, while others took issue with a few particular elements that essentially ruined the book for them. I came out on the side of those who enjoyed it. I found it a fun and entertaining ride.
Shiarra is a private investigator who works in a world where the supernatural exists. The "Others" came out after September 11th, making awareness of them relatively new, but the knowledge has been out there long enough that there isn't mass hysteria. Shiarra doesn't work with the Others as a rule (mostly because they scare the pants off her.) But her business is in dire financial trouble and a magi offers her a job too lucrative to refuse.
Her mission is to recover a powerful device from an ancient vamp. Royce is sexy, scary and older than dirt. And it takes him no time at all to realize what Shia is after. So she basically gets stuck between two supernatural factions --and somehow ends up more powerful than anyone could have predicted.
I won't spoil the details of the plot, but I will say that I found the progression of Shiarra's character interesting. When I said she was afraid, that was a huge understatement. She was terrified, but over the course of the book, she became pretty bad ass. I know some readers didn't like the Shiarra at the beginning of the book: the quivering bundle of nerves who broke up with her boyfriend because he was a were. But I think the reason we meet Shiarra this way is to be able to appreciate the contrast when we see what she becomes... and the struggles she continues to have as she works to overcome her fears.
I like the cast of characters... the supportive best friend, the nerdy Magi, the earnest ex and the sexy vamp. Yes, some of the names are unfortunate (ie. Shiarra and Chaz,) but Jess Haines made me feel like I had a vested interest in them all. I loved Arnold and Chaz --and I was intrigued by Royce. And I believed in each role that they played in Shiarra's mission. I liked the world-building. It's simple and easy to understand. It has a similar feel to Kim Harrison's The Hollows world, but it's not a copycat by any stretch. It has mostly traditional UF elements with its own little quirks.
There's not quite a romance, but there's a hint of one (or two) --enough to satisfy my need for a love interest. There is no sex, though. I would have liked to see more of Royce --there was lot of build up there-- but I feel like it's more of a setup on him for future books.
I'm definitely going to keep reading to see what happens next.
Rating: B+
Shiarra is a private investigator who works in a world where the supernatural exists. The "Others" came out after September 11th, making awareness of them relatively new, but the knowledge has been out there long enough that there isn't mass hysteria. Shiarra doesn't work with the Others as a rule (mostly because they scare the pants off her.) But her business is in dire financial trouble and a magi offers her a job too lucrative to refuse.
Her mission is to recover a powerful device from an ancient vamp. Royce is sexy, scary and older than dirt. And it takes him no time at all to realize what Shia is after. So she basically gets stuck between two supernatural factions --and somehow ends up more powerful than anyone could have predicted.
I won't spoil the details of the plot, but I will say that I found the progression of Shiarra's character interesting. When I said she was afraid, that was a huge understatement. She was terrified, but over the course of the book, she became pretty bad ass. I know some readers didn't like the Shiarra at the beginning of the book: the quivering bundle of nerves who broke up with her boyfriend because he was a were. But I think the reason we meet Shiarra this way is to be able to appreciate the contrast when we see what she becomes... and the struggles she continues to have as she works to overcome her fears.
I like the cast of characters... the supportive best friend, the nerdy Magi, the earnest ex and the sexy vamp. Yes, some of the names are unfortunate (ie. Shiarra and Chaz,) but Jess Haines made me feel like I had a vested interest in them all. I loved Arnold and Chaz --and I was intrigued by Royce. And I believed in each role that they played in Shiarra's mission. I liked the world-building. It's simple and easy to understand. It has a similar feel to Kim Harrison's The Hollows world, but it's not a copycat by any stretch. It has mostly traditional UF elements with its own little quirks.
There's not quite a romance, but there's a hint of one (or two) --enough to satisfy my need for a love interest. There is no sex, though. I would have liked to see more of Royce --there was lot of build up there-- but I feel like it's more of a setup on him for future books.
I'm definitely going to keep reading to see what happens next.
Rating: B+
July 6, 2011
Hunted by the Others takes place in present day New York City where vampires and werewolves have come out of hiding after 9/11. There are some humans who are very bigoted against them, mainly from a group called the White Hats. Shia is a bit bigoted herself when it comes to the vamps and the werewolves. She’s just broken up with her boyfriend, Chaz, who kept his true werewolf nature from her, but surprised her while they were in bed together one night. Both vampires and werewolves make no excuses for what they are and they expect humans to accept them. Shia gets up close and personal with the vampires when she takes on a job in finding an ancient artifact that can control them. Shia doesn’t really want the job, but she needs the money. This is where she comes in contact with Alec Royce, one of the most publically known vampires in the US who rules over most of the tri-state area. Royce is a near perfect specimen of manhood. He’s a superstar with a great deal of money and property. Shia doesn’t really stand a chance against him because Royce is just too smart and experienced. He and Shia don’t hit it off at all and she thinks he’s going to kill her. But surprise, he does something she doesn’t see coming and forces Shia to sign a contract to bind her to him. Royce also wouldn’t mind turning her into a vampire. But all is not lost, because Shia has backup and is able to turn the tables on Royce. Now not only does Shia have to contend with a more than cranky vampire who can snap her in two, but also with Chaz, her shady ex werewolf boyfriend, who wants to get back with her.
Shia is now forced into a world filled with mages, witches and other scary individuals who want to finish her off. And since Shia is a lowly human and very vulnerable she has to turn to Royce and Chaz for protection. Hunted by the Others sets up this world and new people Shia has become involved with. She’s given an awesome magical belt that only talks to her and helps her defeat the bad guys. For a debut novel, this was a pretty solid read.
Shia is now forced into a world filled with mages, witches and other scary individuals who want to finish her off. And since Shia is a lowly human and very vulnerable she has to turn to Royce and Chaz for protection. Hunted by the Others sets up this world and new people Shia has become involved with. She’s given an awesome magical belt that only talks to her and helps her defeat the bad guys. For a debut novel, this was a pretty solid read.
November 29, 2010
Review posted at http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blo...
Shiarra Waynest is a Human PI who does NOT want to work anything having to do with the Others. Her business is having money issues so she decides to take a mage up on a seemingly easy case of recovering an artifact that is owned by a local, very powerful (and sexy) vampire Alec Royce. She instantly finds herself in over her head with The White Hats (an anti-other group), the vampires and even the Weres who can be controlled by the artifact. She gets help from Sara her best Friend and business partner, Arnold a Mage she has just met from The Circle that has a hidden agenda and eventually her ex boyfriend Chaz who happens to be a werewolf. They all play roles in making the story exciting, dangerous and entertaining. The action was fantastic, I love when I can lose myself in a good fight and there were many points in the book where I refused to put it down to even make dinner. Hunted By the Others will leave you far from disappointed its a MUST read!!
Shiarra Waynest is a Human PI who does NOT want to work anything having to do with the Others. Her business is having money issues so she decides to take a mage up on a seemingly easy case of recovering an artifact that is owned by a local, very powerful (and sexy) vampire Alec Royce. She instantly finds herself in over her head with The White Hats (an anti-other group), the vampires and even the Weres who can be controlled by the artifact. She gets help from Sara her best Friend and business partner, Arnold a Mage she has just met from The Circle that has a hidden agenda and eventually her ex boyfriend Chaz who happens to be a werewolf. They all play roles in making the story exciting, dangerous and entertaining. The action was fantastic, I love when I can lose myself in a good fight and there were many points in the book where I refused to put it down to even make dinner. Hunted By the Others will leave you far from disappointed its a MUST read!!
May 3, 2010
Why I read: Author asked for a review
Favorite Quote: "I don't bite without permission, Ms. Waynest. Or did you want to stay and chat?"
Shiarra Waynest lives in a world where vampires, werewolves and magi came out to the public after 9/11 deciding to use their supernatural strength and financial backing to help the US pull out of the devastation. Since then, through many court battles, the supernaturals have won against discrimination and have the same rights as humans. However, just because there are laws, doesn’t mean people are still not afraid.
Shia and her friend Sara own and operate H&W investigations, a firm that tracks missing people or does surveillance for clients, while they let the police do the actual enforcing. One evening Shia finds herself having dinner with Veronica, a mage whom belongs to The Circle. Veronica needs help – she suspects a vampire, Alec Royce has a focus, a magical device that can allow the owner to control a vampire or werewolf and do evil bidding. The Circle wants a human to get close to Alec, having no magic or supernatural abilities to make him suspicious and find out where he is hiding the magical stone. Shia is terrified of this job, but desperate for money, and she figures she can do this one job and live comfortably the rest of the year.
Alec has other plans for her – and she soon finds herself with the tables turned. When Veronica meets an unfortunate demise and she is forced to work with another magi, Arnold, she realizes many are out to get her, even those that call themselves The White Hats – a radical human group that oppose supernaturals. After her ex-boyfriend reappears in her life, and surprise he is a werewolf, Shia feels her life is getting out of control and she will need all of her friends help if she is to make it in this supernatural world.
Hunted by the Others is the first in the H&W Investigations series by debut author Jess Haines. Shiarra is a very human person in a very supernatural world. At times I felt like she was way out of her league when dealing with these vampires and magi – which is not necessarily a bad thing. I like that this heroine is not always in control, and terrified of the things that go bump in the night. The times when an actual confrontation occurred, she seems to turn into a badass girl that could kick butt. She has the help of a special belt that gives her an edge during fighting, but I didn’t always buy into her abilities. There is no mention of her training or anything to fight these evil beings, yet she prevails against some of the evilest of them all.
My other complaint is the lack of action in this book. There is a lot of talking, cute talking, but still a lot of words, and not a lot of action. We are introduced to Alec Royce at the very beginning. Mysterious, wealthy Mr. Sexy vampire, only to have him barely make an appearance. I wanted something more at times, more than just Shia and friends planning on what they were going to do.
That being said, I immensely enjoyed her friends. We have Chazz, her ex-lover who never told her he was a werewolf until he surprised her by changing in her living room. He wants back in her life badly, and with a little help from over obtrusive mom, he gets that wish. Arnold plays a big role and becomes a friend as well as Magi protector. I wasn’t too sure why she was afraid of Veronica the first mage she meets, and then when Arnold offers his help, she takes it without being afraid of him. But he is a good character and brings fun into the story.
Although I have some reservations with Hunted by the Others , I am still interested to see where Jess Haines takes us with the sequel. A decent foundation has been set, and I think Shia and company have some good adventures ahead of them.
Rating: 3.5/5
Favorite Quote: "I don't bite without permission, Ms. Waynest. Or did you want to stay and chat?"
Shiarra Waynest lives in a world where vampires, werewolves and magi came out to the public after 9/11 deciding to use their supernatural strength and financial backing to help the US pull out of the devastation. Since then, through many court battles, the supernaturals have won against discrimination and have the same rights as humans. However, just because there are laws, doesn’t mean people are still not afraid.
Shia and her friend Sara own and operate H&W investigations, a firm that tracks missing people or does surveillance for clients, while they let the police do the actual enforcing. One evening Shia finds herself having dinner with Veronica, a mage whom belongs to The Circle. Veronica needs help – she suspects a vampire, Alec Royce has a focus, a magical device that can allow the owner to control a vampire or werewolf and do evil bidding. The Circle wants a human to get close to Alec, having no magic or supernatural abilities to make him suspicious and find out where he is hiding the magical stone. Shia is terrified of this job, but desperate for money, and she figures she can do this one job and live comfortably the rest of the year.
Alec has other plans for her – and she soon finds herself with the tables turned. When Veronica meets an unfortunate demise and she is forced to work with another magi, Arnold, she realizes many are out to get her, even those that call themselves The White Hats – a radical human group that oppose supernaturals. After her ex-boyfriend reappears in her life, and surprise he is a werewolf, Shia feels her life is getting out of control and she will need all of her friends help if she is to make it in this supernatural world.
Hunted by the Others is the first in the H&W Investigations series by debut author Jess Haines. Shiarra is a very human person in a very supernatural world. At times I felt like she was way out of her league when dealing with these vampires and magi – which is not necessarily a bad thing. I like that this heroine is not always in control, and terrified of the things that go bump in the night. The times when an actual confrontation occurred, she seems to turn into a badass girl that could kick butt. She has the help of a special belt that gives her an edge during fighting, but I didn’t always buy into her abilities. There is no mention of her training or anything to fight these evil beings, yet she prevails against some of the evilest of them all.
My other complaint is the lack of action in this book. There is a lot of talking, cute talking, but still a lot of words, and not a lot of action. We are introduced to Alec Royce at the very beginning. Mysterious, wealthy Mr. Sexy vampire, only to have him barely make an appearance. I wanted something more at times, more than just Shia and friends planning on what they were going to do.
That being said, I immensely enjoyed her friends. We have Chazz, her ex-lover who never told her he was a werewolf until he surprised her by changing in her living room. He wants back in her life badly, and with a little help from over obtrusive mom, he gets that wish. Arnold plays a big role and becomes a friend as well as Magi protector. I wasn’t too sure why she was afraid of Veronica the first mage she meets, and then when Arnold offers his help, she takes it without being afraid of him. But he is a good character and brings fun into the story.
Although I have some reservations with Hunted by the Others , I am still interested to see where Jess Haines takes us with the sequel. A decent foundation has been set, and I think Shia and company have some good adventures ahead of them.
Rating: 3.5/5
January 5, 2011
3.75 Stars
What exactly does it take to be a heroine in today’s paranormal genre?
Guns? Check. Knives and Swords? Check. Superpowers? Check. But what if our heroine in question doesn’t really have all of these…yet?
The draw to Jess Haines’ new series Hunted by the Others is its very ordinary, mousy heroine. For those with jaded tastes and who adore souped-up urban fantasy and paranormals, Shiarra Waynest could prove to be a bit too vanilla…but I found her and her exploits to be quite refreshing. And that should not deter anyone from diving feet first into Jess Haines’ world. Hunted by the Others was an engrossing feast that I gorged on. And I want more!
If you have read a lot of pnr/uf, you will notice the similarities that have become part and parcel of the genre: the great reveal….the natural conflict between weres and vampires….pesky magick users, and a heroine that has a destiny to be realized. This has become the template for the pnr genre and Haine’s debut series is no different. But there is a subtle twist to Haines’ writing….an earthiness that appeals more than the typical pretentiousness that can be found between the pages of a similar novel. That earthiness, and genuine normalcy is what the reader identifies with, and I was immediately drawn in.
When Shiarra finds herself accepting an offer from The Circle to acquire the Dominiari Focus from sexy alpha vamp Alec Royce, she doesn’t know that her quiet PI career is going to plumb new depths. The focus which was lost long ago, has the ability to control Others and their actions. And everyone wants it. For those who are big Kim Harrison fans, you will recognize the similarities in the Hollow’s series with regard to Rachel Morgan’s quest to wrest the focus from competing factions.
Shiarra, in many ways reminds one of Sookie in the early days….wet behind the ears, bumbling, innocent and ignorant. And that shows when in one particular scene, Alec Royce manages to manipulate her into signing a blood contract. Her natural fear and spinelessness could have worked against her but it doesn’t. Readers have to remember that this is a character evolving. It’s the journey that this character has to go through and Haines has dropped many hints throughout the book that Shiarra has a destiny to fulfill: the prophetic statements that Arnold makes when he throws the dice, the reason why The Circle chose Shiarra for the job, the affinity the belt has for her, and the obsession of the White Hats to join their cause. All of these clues point to Haines and the fact that she’s got plans for Shiarra. And hopefully scrumptious Alec Royce.
What are the ultimate goals of a pnr novel? To entertain, to seduce, to thrill, to transport, and to create a desire for more. Hunted by The Others has won on all fronts. Jess Haine’s easy-peasy Rachel Ray-writing style made it easy to breeze through Hunted, and readers will revel in this infectious romp as a fiery haired Shiarra plays hardball with the baddies. It’s genuinely enjoyable and addictive! I enjoyed every minute of it.
I cannot wait to jump into more of this fun series. Haines’s sequel Taken by the Others is out today (which I am dying to dive into) and the third book in the series Deceived by the Others is out in July. Sweet.
A Fiendishly Bookish Review (and one grumpy cat)
What exactly does it take to be a heroine in today’s paranormal genre?
Guns? Check. Knives and Swords? Check. Superpowers? Check. But what if our heroine in question doesn’t really have all of these…yet?
The draw to Jess Haines’ new series Hunted by the Others is its very ordinary, mousy heroine. For those with jaded tastes and who adore souped-up urban fantasy and paranormals, Shiarra Waynest could prove to be a bit too vanilla…but I found her and her exploits to be quite refreshing. And that should not deter anyone from diving feet first into Jess Haines’ world. Hunted by the Others was an engrossing feast that I gorged on. And I want more!
If you have read a lot of pnr/uf, you will notice the similarities that have become part and parcel of the genre: the great reveal….the natural conflict between weres and vampires….pesky magick users, and a heroine that has a destiny to be realized. This has become the template for the pnr genre and Haine’s debut series is no different. But there is a subtle twist to Haines’ writing….an earthiness that appeals more than the typical pretentiousness that can be found between the pages of a similar novel. That earthiness, and genuine normalcy is what the reader identifies with, and I was immediately drawn in.
When Shiarra finds herself accepting an offer from The Circle to acquire the Dominiari Focus from sexy alpha vamp Alec Royce, she doesn’t know that her quiet PI career is going to plumb new depths. The focus which was lost long ago, has the ability to control Others and their actions. And everyone wants it. For those who are big Kim Harrison fans, you will recognize the similarities in the Hollow’s series with regard to Rachel Morgan’s quest to wrest the focus from competing factions.
Shiarra, in many ways reminds one of Sookie in the early days….wet behind the ears, bumbling, innocent and ignorant. And that shows when in one particular scene, Alec Royce manages to manipulate her into signing a blood contract. Her natural fear and spinelessness could have worked against her but it doesn’t. Readers have to remember that this is a character evolving. It’s the journey that this character has to go through and Haines has dropped many hints throughout the book that Shiarra has a destiny to fulfill: the prophetic statements that Arnold makes when he throws the dice, the reason why The Circle chose Shiarra for the job, the affinity the belt has for her, and the obsession of the White Hats to join their cause. All of these clues point to Haines and the fact that she’s got plans for Shiarra. And hopefully scrumptious Alec Royce.
What are the ultimate goals of a pnr novel? To entertain, to seduce, to thrill, to transport, and to create a desire for more. Hunted by The Others has won on all fronts. Jess Haine’s easy-peasy Rachel Ray-writing style made it easy to breeze through Hunted, and readers will revel in this infectious romp as a fiery haired Shiarra plays hardball with the baddies. It’s genuinely enjoyable and addictive! I enjoyed every minute of it.
I cannot wait to jump into more of this fun series. Haines’s sequel Taken by the Others is out today (which I am dying to dive into) and the third book in the series Deceived by the Others is out in July. Sweet.
A Fiendishly Bookish Review (and one grumpy cat)
September 16, 2010
Shiarra is the co-owner of a Private Investigation office with her friend Sara, usually they deal with cheating lovers and missing persons. All that changes when Veronica a member of The Circle (Mages) asks Shiarra to recover an item from vampire Alec Royce. Shiarra has her misgivings, she doesn’t want to deal with the Others but her current financial state and the high bonuses offered by Veronica make her say yes. Little does Shiarra know, the item she is to find, is an ancient artifact that every Other wants and they’re willing to kill her and everyone around her to get to it.
Hunted By Others is the first book in Jess Haines H & W Investigation Series and while I expected to enjoy it, I didn’t think it would turn into a five hour cover to cover marathon! I love when I get so involved in a book that time seems to fly by and it totally did while I was reading.
Right from the start I was drawn in, especially since Shiarra has all sorts of issues with Others. The Others came out of the “closet” right after 9/11 and while most of the population is okay with them, some are still pretty nervous around them, Shiarra included. The timing of the Others coming out made a lot of sense, they came out just after 9/11..the Weres to help find victims of the WTC attacks and vamps/mages to help with the financial impact 9/11 had. That alone made it a little bit more realistic to me as not many books deal with what people think of all these paranormal creatures coming out into the open. Shiarra has a hefty dose of fear that most of us would have, especially when she finds out her ex-boyfriend is a Were. Of course he chose the worst possible time to come out to her and she was scared to death.
Speaking of that ex, Chaz is a great character but I could feel all sorts of sexual tension between Alec Royce (vampire) right from Shiarra and his first meeting. I can’t wait to read more about how their relationship or lack there of turns out. There are a bunch of great characters in the book, even a magical belt…where can I get me one of those?
My only issue with Hunted by Others is that there was a lot of world set up and not enough action. I understand this is the first book in the series and it makes sense to set up the world, but at some points it was a little bit too much talk and not enough action. Regardless, it was still entertaining and a great foundation was laid. I can’t wait to see what happens next, I have a feeling its only going to get better.
Hunted By Others is the first book in Jess Haines H & W Investigation Series and while I expected to enjoy it, I didn’t think it would turn into a five hour cover to cover marathon! I love when I get so involved in a book that time seems to fly by and it totally did while I was reading.
Right from the start I was drawn in, especially since Shiarra has all sorts of issues with Others. The Others came out of the “closet” right after 9/11 and while most of the population is okay with them, some are still pretty nervous around them, Shiarra included. The timing of the Others coming out made a lot of sense, they came out just after 9/11..the Weres to help find victims of the WTC attacks and vamps/mages to help with the financial impact 9/11 had. That alone made it a little bit more realistic to me as not many books deal with what people think of all these paranormal creatures coming out into the open. Shiarra has a hefty dose of fear that most of us would have, especially when she finds out her ex-boyfriend is a Were. Of course he chose the worst possible time to come out to her and she was scared to death.
Speaking of that ex, Chaz is a great character but I could feel all sorts of sexual tension between Alec Royce (vampire) right from Shiarra and his first meeting. I can’t wait to read more about how their relationship or lack there of turns out. There are a bunch of great characters in the book, even a magical belt…where can I get me one of those?
My only issue with Hunted by Others is that there was a lot of world set up and not enough action. I understand this is the first book in the series and it makes sense to set up the world, but at some points it was a little bit too much talk and not enough action. Regardless, it was still entertaining and a great foundation was laid. I can’t wait to see what happens next, I have a feeling its only going to get better.
July 21, 2011
4.5/5
I almost missed these wonderful UF series, and I have no excuse why. So when this book was offered as a freebie on Amazon, of course I went and got it.
People, let me be frank. This is very good stuff. Funny, very easy to read, the characters are extremely likable. Royce and Chaz... yum! Some of the passages made me nostalgic, reminding of early Anita Blake and Rachel Morgan.
Shiarra has this unexplainable fear of vampires, she starts off as neurotic with a healthy dose of self-preservation. In other words, she is not a tough bitch from Hell.
When she accepts the contract from a mage to find a powerful magical object, currently in vampire's possession, the girl knows she is in trouble up to her neck. Everyone is gunning for the magical object and wants her out of the way. The magi connected to the contract drop dead and mutilated.
The world building is very interesting. The Others - vampires, werewolves and magi aka leeches, furballs and sparks came out after 9/11 to help people to rebuild, and since then have been accepted as citizens with full rights and a few perks. I can't wait to read more about it.
I love how Shiarra's fear for her friends and loved ones gives her courage to stand up for them and for herself, plus she receives a magical vampire hunter belt with the spirit of an old vampire hunter inside, which provides some funny dialogues and interesting supernatural abilities for her.
I had loads of fun with this book and despite my trouble with writing a decent review (there was a lot of bubbling! Pardon my excitement.) I hope I urged you enough to read the series and judge for yourself how good they are.
*feeling jittery*
I almost missed these wonderful UF series, and I have no excuse why. So when this book was offered as a freebie on Amazon, of course I went and got it.
People, let me be frank. This is very good stuff. Funny, very easy to read, the characters are extremely likable. Royce and Chaz... yum! Some of the passages made me nostalgic, reminding of early Anita Blake and Rachel Morgan.
Shiarra has this unexplainable fear of vampires, she starts off as neurotic with a healthy dose of self-preservation. In other words, she is not a tough bitch from Hell.
When she accepts the contract from a mage to find a powerful magical object, currently in vampire's possession, the girl knows she is in trouble up to her neck. Everyone is gunning for the magical object and wants her out of the way. The magi connected to the contract drop dead and mutilated.
The world building is very interesting. The Others - vampires, werewolves and magi aka leeches, furballs and sparks came out after 9/11 to help people to rebuild, and since then have been accepted as citizens with full rights and a few perks. I can't wait to read more about it.
I love how Shiarra's fear for her friends and loved ones gives her courage to stand up for them and for herself, plus she receives a magical vampire hunter belt with the spirit of an old vampire hunter inside, which provides some funny dialogues and interesting supernatural abilities for her.
I had loads of fun with this book and despite my trouble with writing a decent review (there was a lot of bubbling! Pardon my excitement.) I hope I urged you enough to read the series and judge for yourself how good they are.
*feeling jittery*
December 20, 2010
I definitely enjoyed this book. I liked the story building, the pace and the characters. I would have elaborated more on some of the characters like Royce or Chaz. The characters were an eclectic group of characters who you can easily relate to... They were funny, quick-witted, exasperating at times, and just fun to see how they all interact with each other given the current circumstances.
A big applause on the wardrobe change for Shia... Kick-ass girl outfit really wins me over. I did love the description of the wardrobe and the "hardware" that she was packing, kudos as well on the armor, it was a fresh take on a normally clichéd subject. The action sequence were ok, not overpowering the whole story but blending seamlessly into it, though I would like to see more elaborate fighting scenes in the future.
I would read the next installments of the books just to see if the characters evolve more, if there are changes with the world building and of course the new course that story will be going through as hinted at the end of this book.
I would recommend this books for those who like the supernatural beings: Vamps, Shifters, Warlocks etc... and a bit of action.
A big applause on the wardrobe change for Shia... Kick-ass girl outfit really wins me over. I did love the description of the wardrobe and the "hardware" that she was packing, kudos as well on the armor, it was a fresh take on a normally clichéd subject. The action sequence were ok, not overpowering the whole story but blending seamlessly into it, though I would like to see more elaborate fighting scenes in the future.
I would read the next installments of the books just to see if the characters evolve more, if there are changes with the world building and of course the new course that story will be going through as hinted at the end of this book.
I would recommend this books for those who like the supernatural beings: Vamps, Shifters, Warlocks etc... and a bit of action.
January 18, 2011
I got this free on Amazon and I am so glad I did, it was really good. It had werewolves, vampires, mages, familiars, nutty people and some very funny moments. At the start of the book I thought it too detailed and somewhat jumbled, I quickly changed my mind on that. The author is very detail orientated and it fits well into the story with all the characters and mysteries happening, The world has been built and it is fully developed, I can't wait to read the next one.
Basically it is a story of a young human women PI who is thrown into the world of the "Others" and everything goes awry. An strong force is out there and she is hired to find it. She finds herself hunted by dangerous beings, her family and friends threatened. She must step into a role she is not comfortable with, armed to the teeth. Her ex the sexy were Chaz proves he is more than she thought he was, helping her in her darkest moments. She is teams up with the mysterious Arnold, a mage, geeky and smart. Sara, her trusted friend and partner. Royce the sexy evil (?) vampire is tall dark and dangerous. And an ancient belt...you'll have to read it to find out more.
Basically it is a story of a young human women PI who is thrown into the world of the "Others" and everything goes awry. An strong force is out there and she is hired to find it. She finds herself hunted by dangerous beings, her family and friends threatened. She must step into a role she is not comfortable with, armed to the teeth. Her ex the sexy were Chaz proves he is more than she thought he was, helping her in her darkest moments. She is teams up with the mysterious Arnold, a mage, geeky and smart. Sara, her trusted friend and partner. Royce the sexy evil (?) vampire is tall dark and dangerous. And an ancient belt...you'll have to read it to find out more.
December 28, 2011
Shiarra gets herself into some trouble. Vampires, Werewolves, and Mages all revealed themselves to the world after 9/11. Shiarra is a human whom fears "The Others". She should be. The high ranking mage ask Shiarra to locate and gather info on a relic in the hands of sexy, dangerous vampire Alec Royce. Everything goes downhill from there. Shiarra has her co-worker, a geeky mage, and her ex-BF (who is a werewolf) all work together to solve a murder and stop mass chaos. It was a good start. I don't care for her ex too much but I have a feeling they will be back together in all future books. Shiarra isn't the best heroine but not annoying. This is a good start and I will keep reading the series.
Liked: The plot
Disliked: Slow in parts
Favorite Character: Alec
Least Favorite Character: The bitch vamp
http://www.roseysreview.com/2011/12/b...
Liked: The plot
Disliked: Slow in parts
Favorite Character: Alec
Least Favorite Character: The bitch vamp
http://www.roseysreview.com/2011/12/b...
January 7, 2011
Excuse my language, but, that was just a damn good story! Now, I'm forced to buy Taken By the Others right away so I can see what happens next. I loved the strictly human side of things and all of the politics in the story. Yes, some things were familiar, but, it is hardly a chance that any one story will ever be purely original when there is so much out there. But, the method of telling the story and the development of the characters makes it original and that is just what I found in this book.
February 20, 2011
~* 3.5 Stars *~
Private Investigator Shiarra Waynest prefers to stay far away from the supernatural race of Others who made themselves known ten years ago, after 9/11 and the collapse of the Twin Towers. Frankly, they scare her. She even dumped her boyfriend when he revealed, in nearly as surprising and traumatic a way possible, that he was a werewolf (though that had less to do with him turning furry and more to do with him lying to her for months...so she says). Still, fear doesn't pay bills and it doesn't keep her intrepid business afloat, so when a mage from The Circle contacts her and offers her a lucrative amount of money to find an artifact for them, Shia takes the job. Even knowing that she's got to ingratiate herself with vampire mega-mogul Alec D. Royce. Even with the understanding that being in the same room with a vampire, let alone one as powerful and ancient as Royce, makes her shake with sheer, unadulterated terror.
The meeting doesn't go well. It doesn't look like Shiarra's life...which seems to be getting shorter by the moment...is going any better when the mage who hired her is brutally killed by what appears to be a combination of werewolf and vampire butchery, the vampire she's reluctantly dealing with has manipulated her into a contract she couldn't escape from, and members of an extremely militant anti-Other hate group, the self-named White Hats, are breaking into her home and threatening her.
One mostly scared human woman against a full clip of supernatural and human monsters? Yeah...that'll end well.
~*~
As you know, life is like a box of chocol....oh...wait...wrong metaphor. Sorry.
A book is like a fine piece of art (I know, not nearly as familiar as the Gump adage, but stick with me). Scenery rendered with careful strokes to create the background, a bit of shading and color to set the tone, characters added in repose, caught in a blink, imbued with vitality through a flick of red on a lip here, a hit of blush on a cheek there, shadows in the eye still there. Brush stroke, patience, canvas, light and darkness, life and its mimicry, merging together to create, in its completion, a masterpiece of talent and tenacity. Words in lieu of acrylics and oils. Paper verses canvas. Yes, a book is very much like a piece of art.
And like that art, regardless of how well it's painted, Dogs Playing Poker is still...well...a painting of dogs. Playing poker.
I was impressed with the brushstrokes, so to speak, of Jess Haines' writing. The way she tells a story appeals to me. I thought there was a pleasing balance of exposition and description, of world-building, the creation of mythos, and the explanation of how the world of Shiarra works. It blended well with the setup of the plot, then its description as it unfolds. It's a gift to be that talented with telling a story, and it's one I admire. Never once did I feel that the world, despite being new in this debut story, overwhelmed the action or characters, or vied for dominance against the developing plotline.
The world created here, the scenery, if you will, felt very well defined and thorough. The creation of the races, while perhaps not unique, was at least explained quickly, concisely, and never dragged down the pacing. There was also a pleasing and satisfying amount of attention given to the framework of race relations in the world and how humans and Others have adapted, how human society bent to allow for it. I'm not saying that I was totally sold on how much was supposedly achieved in a brief decade (that one strained my willing suspension of disbelief a little), but how it was written was very well done.
Unfortunately, the plot didn't match the level of skill with which the story was told.
There was potential there. In fact, I was completely hooked for the first 25% of the book. From the moment Shia caved so quickly to Royce, though, the cracks in the plot started to widen and deepen for me, and Shia started to look less and less like a heroine and more and more like a selfish, reactionary, highly bigoted, dimwitted scaredy cat with few morals and an unhealthy willingness to break whatever law necessary so long as her day isn't inconvenienced. And the ungainly plot stumbled along, lurching from point to awkward point, tumbling into plot holes, riddled with inconsistencies, contradictions, and contrivances.
Sadly, it just didn't make much sense to me, and too many of the characters decisions and actions lacked foundation or logic, too few showed even a glimmer of sense or intelligence.
I can handle some lack of originality in a book. I've never found that to be a serious detractor for me, especially if the common threads are in line with my preferences or favored aspects. I like paranormal and fantasy themed books, so arguing or being overly critical when one series has some similarity to another within those themes seems a bit like pointing to a barn and saying, "Dude...nice barn...but it's red..."
I noticed it's red, but it wasn't so red that I cringed when I saw it, like some bar- um, books and some series, which do more than paint the barn red, they build from the same blueprints and rustle all the animals (do I know how to beat a metaphor to death or what?). Sometimes, it is what it is, and a book about werewolves, vampires, and vampire hunters (or PIs who don't actually do any investigating) is going to look a lot like a bunch of other books with similar character archetypes. As I happen to like books about weres, vamps, and hunters, that's okay with me to a point. It certainly was okay with me in this book.
But the plot has to be better conceived, and no matter how well it's executed, how well written it is from both an artistic and technical standpoint, it has to make sense. All the way through. Otherwise, it's just dogs...playing poker.
I have high hopes that the skill that Haines showed off in her writing style rubs off on her ability to conceive and execute a coherent plot. There's a lot of promise in Shiarra's world, and I hope it's realized. We'll see, I guess, as I purchased the second book in the series, Taken By The Others. Such sophistication and skill in the telling of a story deserves rewarding, but the story itself has to improve if I'll continue the series beyond that.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
Private Investigator Shiarra Waynest prefers to stay far away from the supernatural race of Others who made themselves known ten years ago, after 9/11 and the collapse of the Twin Towers. Frankly, they scare her. She even dumped her boyfriend when he revealed, in nearly as surprising and traumatic a way possible, that he was a werewolf (though that had less to do with him turning furry and more to do with him lying to her for months...so she says). Still, fear doesn't pay bills and it doesn't keep her intrepid business afloat, so when a mage from The Circle contacts her and offers her a lucrative amount of money to find an artifact for them, Shia takes the job. Even knowing that she's got to ingratiate herself with vampire mega-mogul Alec D. Royce. Even with the understanding that being in the same room with a vampire, let alone one as powerful and ancient as Royce, makes her shake with sheer, unadulterated terror.
The meeting doesn't go well. It doesn't look like Shiarra's life...which seems to be getting shorter by the moment...is going any better when the mage who hired her is brutally killed by what appears to be a combination of werewolf and vampire butchery, the vampire she's reluctantly dealing with has manipulated her into a contract she couldn't escape from, and members of an extremely militant anti-Other hate group, the self-named White Hats, are breaking into her home and threatening her.
One mostly scared human woman against a full clip of supernatural and human monsters? Yeah...that'll end well.
~*~
As you know, life is like a box of chocol....oh...wait...wrong metaphor. Sorry.
A book is like a fine piece of art (I know, not nearly as familiar as the Gump adage, but stick with me). Scenery rendered with careful strokes to create the background, a bit of shading and color to set the tone, characters added in repose, caught in a blink, imbued with vitality through a flick of red on a lip here, a hit of blush on a cheek there, shadows in the eye still there. Brush stroke, patience, canvas, light and darkness, life and its mimicry, merging together to create, in its completion, a masterpiece of talent and tenacity. Words in lieu of acrylics and oils. Paper verses canvas. Yes, a book is very much like a piece of art.
And like that art, regardless of how well it's painted, Dogs Playing Poker is still...well...a painting of dogs. Playing poker.
I was impressed with the brushstrokes, so to speak, of Jess Haines' writing. The way she tells a story appeals to me. I thought there was a pleasing balance of exposition and description, of world-building, the creation of mythos, and the explanation of how the world of Shiarra works. It blended well with the setup of the plot, then its description as it unfolds. It's a gift to be that talented with telling a story, and it's one I admire. Never once did I feel that the world, despite being new in this debut story, overwhelmed the action or characters, or vied for dominance against the developing plotline.
The world created here, the scenery, if you will, felt very well defined and thorough. The creation of the races, while perhaps not unique, was at least explained quickly, concisely, and never dragged down the pacing. There was also a pleasing and satisfying amount of attention given to the framework of race relations in the world and how humans and Others have adapted, how human society bent to allow for it. I'm not saying that I was totally sold on how much was supposedly achieved in a brief decade (that one strained my willing suspension of disbelief a little), but how it was written was very well done.
Unfortunately, the plot didn't match the level of skill with which the story was told.
There was potential there. In fact, I was completely hooked for the first 25% of the book. From the moment Shia caved so quickly to Royce, though, the cracks in the plot started to widen and deepen for me, and Shia started to look less and less like a heroine and more and more like a selfish, reactionary, highly bigoted, dimwitted scaredy cat with few morals and an unhealthy willingness to break whatever law necessary so long as her day isn't inconvenienced. And the ungainly plot stumbled along, lurching from point to awkward point, tumbling into plot holes, riddled with inconsistencies, contradictions, and contrivances.
Sadly, it just didn't make much sense to me, and too many of the characters decisions and actions lacked foundation or logic, too few showed even a glimmer of sense or intelligence.
I can handle some lack of originality in a book. I've never found that to be a serious detractor for me, especially if the common threads are in line with my preferences or favored aspects. I like paranormal and fantasy themed books, so arguing or being overly critical when one series has some similarity to another within those themes seems a bit like pointing to a barn and saying, "Dude...nice barn...but it's red..."
I noticed it's red, but it wasn't so red that I cringed when I saw it, like some bar- um, books and some series, which do more than paint the barn red, they build from the same blueprints and rustle all the animals (do I know how to beat a metaphor to death or what?). Sometimes, it is what it is, and a book about werewolves, vampires, and vampire hunters (or PIs who don't actually do any investigating) is going to look a lot like a bunch of other books with similar character archetypes. As I happen to like books about weres, vamps, and hunters, that's okay with me to a point. It certainly was okay with me in this book.
But the plot has to be better conceived, and no matter how well it's executed, how well written it is from both an artistic and technical standpoint, it has to make sense. All the way through. Otherwise, it's just dogs...playing poker.
I have high hopes that the skill that Haines showed off in her writing style rubs off on her ability to conceive and execute a coherent plot. There's a lot of promise in Shiarra's world, and I hope it's realized. We'll see, I guess, as I purchased the second book in the series, Taken By The Others. Such sophistication and skill in the telling of a story deserves rewarding, but the story itself has to improve if I'll continue the series beyond that.
~*~*~*~
Reviewed for One Good Book Deserves Another.
June 4, 2010
Where should I start? When I first heard of this series--months, and months, and months ago--I shrugged it off, thinking to myself "oh no... not another cop/investigator story!" I do not particularly enjoy these sorts of stories. In fact, if I discover that the heroine in the book is on the police force, I shy away from that text. (Don't ask me why, investigation stories of that nature simply bore me.) Then a month or two later, before the book was released, I read a snippet. Then I started hearing the reviews. Despite myself, I was intrigued, especially after reading some of the guest posts Jess has written.
Imagine my delight when Jess approached me with an offer to review Hunted by the Others. Having the actual book in my clutches somehow managed to erase my initial trepidation. Now, imagine my pleasant surprise while reading through the text that I realize how un-police and investigator-like Shia (the main character) actually is. Here is a modern young woman who has fears, who is overworked, and who simply wants to earn enough money so as not to lose her business. She has no interest in meddling with immortal affairs. In fact, she makes it perfectly clear that if her company was not so pressed for money, she probably would have passed on the job offered during the initial stages of the novel.
Alas, money is an actual problem, so Shia finds herself thrown none-too-nicely into the jaws of an extremely sexy and intimidating vampire: Royce. I guarantee you that most readers will probably fall for Royce. He is suave, dark, mysterious, and takes an initial interest in Shia... which means you will be reading more of him in this book and in later novels! But that is not it. Jess also introduces a geeky yet cute Magi, and an equally sexy alpha werewolf--who happens to be Shia's ex boyfriend--into the mix. What on earth is a girl supposed to do surrounded by all this testosterone?
An interesting new concept Haines has introduced into her world are contracts. When an Other manages to convince the humans in their lives to sign off on one of these contracts, said human pretty much sells their entire life to the immortal in question. Now, one would imagine this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if one had a sexy werewolf of vampire for a boyfriend. Think of it this way: if you were dating said vamp or were, and if they became overly excited and ended up biting half your face and neck off while you two were doing the deed, you could sue them. However, if you signed off on the contract, stating that you were their property (which is how I pretty much imagined it as), you cannot sue. You are theirs. If they decide to turn you, and the transformation leaves you horribly deformed, tough buttons. Doesn't sound so great after all, huh?
For me, this sort of contract, and the legalities behind it, really opened my eyes once again to the animalistic, predator-like qualities most immortals should have in paranormal books. Vampires aren't cuddly blocks of marble; they will suck you dry if they can. Werewolves aren't cute, cuddly puppies (though I would not mind cuddling up with Chaz). Magi will probably not be interested in making you appear eternally beautiful. The immortals--or rather, Others--in this book live up to my expectations of how they should act in books: cutthroat, self-interested, dark, mysterious, territorial, sneaky, conniving, etc. Basically, they don't play nice unless there's something to gain by doing so. Don't get me wrong, they also have redeeming qualities and are not entirely shallow either, but I'm growing fairly tired of books where authors make the immortals cute little play things for the humans in their tales.
One suggestion I would make is to explore Shia's intense fear of vampires a bit more. This was something that I could not seem to fully grasp, despite the obvious predator-ish qualities vamps like Royce had in this book. I felt as if her fear was more fear of the unknown as opposed to fearing the actual creature. This lack of grasping on my part was, in no way, the fault of Jess. I blame this more on the new "humanized" version of vampires, which has lessened their "badass" persona in my eyes. Nevertheless, exploration can never really hurt.
My only "complaint" is something extremely minor that most people probably won't even notice. Towards the beginning of Hunted by the Others, Shia thinks a lot. Now, thinking is not necessarily a bad thing, I simply felt that at some points, it tended to slow the pace of the story down a tad bit because of her worrying so much. So, if you read HbtO, and find the pace slowing in the beginning, do not let it deter you. Simply keep in mind that it does not last. In fact, if you're anything like me, you'll be glued to the pages once the story picks up speed shortly after.
Hunted by the Others is definitely one of those pleasantly surprising discoveries. Jess took vampires, werewolves, and magi, then transformed a typical investigation story into something so creatively unique and original, you can't help but beg for more.
Imagine my delight when Jess approached me with an offer to review Hunted by the Others. Having the actual book in my clutches somehow managed to erase my initial trepidation. Now, imagine my pleasant surprise while reading through the text that I realize how un-police and investigator-like Shia (the main character) actually is. Here is a modern young woman who has fears, who is overworked, and who simply wants to earn enough money so as not to lose her business. She has no interest in meddling with immortal affairs. In fact, she makes it perfectly clear that if her company was not so pressed for money, she probably would have passed on the job offered during the initial stages of the novel.
Alas, money is an actual problem, so Shia finds herself thrown none-too-nicely into the jaws of an extremely sexy and intimidating vampire: Royce. I guarantee you that most readers will probably fall for Royce. He is suave, dark, mysterious, and takes an initial interest in Shia... which means you will be reading more of him in this book and in later novels! But that is not it. Jess also introduces a geeky yet cute Magi, and an equally sexy alpha werewolf--who happens to be Shia's ex boyfriend--into the mix. What on earth is a girl supposed to do surrounded by all this testosterone?
An interesting new concept Haines has introduced into her world are contracts. When an Other manages to convince the humans in their lives to sign off on one of these contracts, said human pretty much sells their entire life to the immortal in question. Now, one would imagine this wouldn't necessarily be a bad thing if one had a sexy werewolf of vampire for a boyfriend. Think of it this way: if you were dating said vamp or were, and if they became overly excited and ended up biting half your face and neck off while you two were doing the deed, you could sue them. However, if you signed off on the contract, stating that you were their property (which is how I pretty much imagined it as), you cannot sue. You are theirs. If they decide to turn you, and the transformation leaves you horribly deformed, tough buttons. Doesn't sound so great after all, huh?
For me, this sort of contract, and the legalities behind it, really opened my eyes once again to the animalistic, predator-like qualities most immortals should have in paranormal books. Vampires aren't cuddly blocks of marble; they will suck you dry if they can. Werewolves aren't cute, cuddly puppies (though I would not mind cuddling up with Chaz). Magi will probably not be interested in making you appear eternally beautiful. The immortals--or rather, Others--in this book live up to my expectations of how they should act in books: cutthroat, self-interested, dark, mysterious, territorial, sneaky, conniving, etc. Basically, they don't play nice unless there's something to gain by doing so. Don't get me wrong, they also have redeeming qualities and are not entirely shallow either, but I'm growing fairly tired of books where authors make the immortals cute little play things for the humans in their tales.
One suggestion I would make is to explore Shia's intense fear of vampires a bit more. This was something that I could not seem to fully grasp, despite the obvious predator-ish qualities vamps like Royce had in this book. I felt as if her fear was more fear of the unknown as opposed to fearing the actual creature. This lack of grasping on my part was, in no way, the fault of Jess. I blame this more on the new "humanized" version of vampires, which has lessened their "badass" persona in my eyes. Nevertheless, exploration can never really hurt.
My only "complaint" is something extremely minor that most people probably won't even notice. Towards the beginning of Hunted by the Others, Shia thinks a lot. Now, thinking is not necessarily a bad thing, I simply felt that at some points, it tended to slow the pace of the story down a tad bit because of her worrying so much. So, if you read HbtO, and find the pace slowing in the beginning, do not let it deter you. Simply keep in mind that it does not last. In fact, if you're anything like me, you'll be glued to the pages once the story picks up speed shortly after.
Hunted by the Others is definitely one of those pleasantly surprising discoveries. Jess took vampires, werewolves, and magi, then transformed a typical investigation story into something so creatively unique and original, you can't help but beg for more.
July 23, 2011
*Rating* 3 stars
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
Hunted by the Others, by Jess Haines, is the first installment in the H&W Investigations series. The story is told in the POV of Shiarra Waynest, a private investigator who works and lives in New York City and is one hundred percent human.
Shiarra’s world changes when she is asked by Victoria Wright, a mage and a member of the Circle, to find a certain focus which is later revealed to be the Dominari Focus. Wright advises Shia that the focus is in the hands of one of the most power vampires living in the city and also one of the oldest in existence; Alex Royce. Wright asks Shia to retrieve it from him without letting him know that she is working for the Circle. The Mages and Vamps don’t exactly get along.
Shiarra is reluctant to take the job, but after learning about her personal finances, as well as that of her PI business H&W Investigations she runs with Sara Halloway, she realizes that she doesn’t have much of a choice in what jobs she accepts or turns down. She ends up accepting the case and gets thrown into a situation where she finds that there isn’t an easy way out of it for anyone.
Haines world is one in which werewolves came out to the general public after the events of 9/11. They were firefighters, and rescue workers who dug for body’s right along with humans. The mages extended protection around the cities that were attacked to prevent it from happening again. The vampires came out soon thereafter since they didn’t really have a choice.
It’s a world where in order for a human to be with a vampire, or werewolf, they must have a Human Notice of Willing Consent and Agreement to Binding Contract with Other Citizens on file at the local court house. Vamps and Weres also can’t change you against your will without being put to death by the courts.
It’s also a world, not unlike our own, where a group of Other haters called the White Hats, Mothers’ against Others, and Concerned Human Citizens exist for express desire to be haters and instigators. They are more like the KKK and terrorists than peaceful protestors. Shia, of course, becomes a target after they somehow learn that she is involving herself in the Other’s business; especially with Alec Royce.
Shiarra (Shia) isn’t what you would call a super heroine. She has no supernatural abilities, nor was she infected with shape shifting or vampire blood that enhances her hunting skills to another level. She wasn’t born as part of a human and Other sexual encounter that makes her a half breed.
She also hasn’t been transformed by the writer because she is grasping for straws to keep readers interested in her series. Her parents are completely human and really don’t care much for the Other’s existence.
After her ex-boyfriend Chaz shifted into his werewolf form in front of her, scaring her in the process, Shia wanted nothing to do with him, or any of the Other races that make their homes in NYC. This includes werewolves, vampires, and mages. Naturally, with the acceptance of this case, she finds that she doesn’t have a choice in avoiding the Others and thus a reunion with her Ex that leads her to change her mind about the Others.
Positives: Shia’s belt which is given to her by Arthur, the Security director as well as a mage for the Circle. It not only talks, (as it is possessed by the soul of a dead hunter), but it also gives the person wearing it increased strength, stamina, and heightened senses in order to put the user on a level playing field with the Other he/she is hunting. It gives Shia the ability to stay alive long enough to complete her mission.
Positives: No sex scenes. Sorry, but, I’m getting a little worn out with all the bloody sex scenes in the middle of Armageddon. You are supposed to be either retrieving the focus, or saving your partners life from the others, or ensuring that the bad guys don’t go after your family and friends. Worry about all the hot and steamy sex after you defeat the feckin bad guys. Then you can go freaking wild for all I care.
Negative: Shia is just bland for most of the book. She hides things from her family, knowing that they don’t much care for the others even though she dated someone her own mother thought was sweet and charming. Forget the fact that he is a werewolf and turns furry once a month. She cries, and whines and ends up bound to a vampire after breaking like a twig in the wind. She changes her tune after Chaz decides to throw himself in the middle of Shia’s case, thus causing her to rethink the whole not being with an Other ideology.
Negative: Ok, I’ll say it. Not enough of Alec except for the part where he tried unsuccessfully to transform her for his own agenda, and used her in order to get his hands on the Focus. Then there is the whole end books kiss that Alec and Shia exchange. Please Ms. Haines, not another feckin three way relationship. Please, please with lots of chocolate on top.
I shall endeavor to read the next book in the series and hope that things change for the better when it comes to Shia’s character and her ability to grate on my nerves.
2. Taken By The Others
3. Deceived By The Others
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
Hunted by the Others, by Jess Haines, is the first installment in the H&W Investigations series. The story is told in the POV of Shiarra Waynest, a private investigator who works and lives in New York City and is one hundred percent human.
Shiarra’s world changes when she is asked by Victoria Wright, a mage and a member of the Circle, to find a certain focus which is later revealed to be the Dominari Focus. Wright advises Shia that the focus is in the hands of one of the most power vampires living in the city and also one of the oldest in existence; Alex Royce. Wright asks Shia to retrieve it from him without letting him know that she is working for the Circle. The Mages and Vamps don’t exactly get along.
Shiarra is reluctant to take the job, but after learning about her personal finances, as well as that of her PI business H&W Investigations she runs with Sara Halloway, she realizes that she doesn’t have much of a choice in what jobs she accepts or turns down. She ends up accepting the case and gets thrown into a situation where she finds that there isn’t an easy way out of it for anyone.
Haines world is one in which werewolves came out to the general public after the events of 9/11. They were firefighters, and rescue workers who dug for body’s right along with humans. The mages extended protection around the cities that were attacked to prevent it from happening again. The vampires came out soon thereafter since they didn’t really have a choice.
It’s a world where in order for a human to be with a vampire, or werewolf, they must have a Human Notice of Willing Consent and Agreement to Binding Contract with Other Citizens on file at the local court house. Vamps and Weres also can’t change you against your will without being put to death by the courts.
It’s also a world, not unlike our own, where a group of Other haters called the White Hats, Mothers’ against Others, and Concerned Human Citizens exist for express desire to be haters and instigators. They are more like the KKK and terrorists than peaceful protestors. Shia, of course, becomes a target after they somehow learn that she is involving herself in the Other’s business; especially with Alec Royce.
Shiarra (Shia) isn’t what you would call a super heroine. She has no supernatural abilities, nor was she infected with shape shifting or vampire blood that enhances her hunting skills to another level. She wasn’t born as part of a human and Other sexual encounter that makes her a half breed.
She also hasn’t been transformed by the writer because she is grasping for straws to keep readers interested in her series. Her parents are completely human and really don’t care much for the Other’s existence.
After her ex-boyfriend Chaz shifted into his werewolf form in front of her, scaring her in the process, Shia wanted nothing to do with him, or any of the Other races that make their homes in NYC. This includes werewolves, vampires, and mages. Naturally, with the acceptance of this case, she finds that she doesn’t have a choice in avoiding the Others and thus a reunion with her Ex that leads her to change her mind about the Others.
Positives: Shia’s belt which is given to her by Arthur, the Security director as well as a mage for the Circle. It not only talks, (as it is possessed by the soul of a dead hunter), but it also gives the person wearing it increased strength, stamina, and heightened senses in order to put the user on a level playing field with the Other he/she is hunting. It gives Shia the ability to stay alive long enough to complete her mission.
Positives: No sex scenes. Sorry, but, I’m getting a little worn out with all the bloody sex scenes in the middle of Armageddon. You are supposed to be either retrieving the focus, or saving your partners life from the others, or ensuring that the bad guys don’t go after your family and friends. Worry about all the hot and steamy sex after you defeat the feckin bad guys. Then you can go freaking wild for all I care.
Negative: Shia is just bland for most of the book. She hides things from her family, knowing that they don’t much care for the others even though she dated someone her own mother thought was sweet and charming. Forget the fact that he is a werewolf and turns furry once a month. She cries, and whines and ends up bound to a vampire after breaking like a twig in the wind. She changes her tune after Chaz decides to throw himself in the middle of Shia’s case, thus causing her to rethink the whole not being with an Other ideology.
Negative: Ok, I’ll say it. Not enough of Alec except for the part where he tried unsuccessfully to transform her for his own agenda, and used her in order to get his hands on the Focus. Then there is the whole end books kiss that Alec and Shia exchange. Please Ms. Haines, not another feckin three way relationship. Please, please with lots of chocolate on top.
I shall endeavor to read the next book in the series and hope that things change for the better when it comes to Shia’s character and her ability to grate on my nerves.
2. Taken By The Others
3. Deceived By The Others
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