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Cheshire Red Reports #2
Hellbent
BAD TO THE BONE
Vampire thief Raylene Pendle doesn’t need more complications in her life. Her Seattle home is already overrun by a band of misfits, including Ian Stott, a blind vampire, and Adrian deJesus, an ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen. But Raylene still can’t resist an old pal’s seek out and steal a bizarre set of artifacts. Also on the hunt is a brilliant but certifiably crazy sorceress determined to stomp anyone who gets in her way. But Raylene’s biggest problem is that the death of Ian’s vaunted patriarch appears to have made him the next target of some blood-sucking sociopaths. Now Raylene must snatch up the potent relics, solve a murder, and keep Ian safe—all while fending off a psychotic sorceress. But at least she won’t be alone. A girl could do a lot worse for a partner than an ass-kicking drag queen—right?
Vampire thief Raylene Pendle doesn’t need more complications in her life. Her Seattle home is already overrun by a band of misfits, including Ian Stott, a blind vampire, and Adrian deJesus, an ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen. But Raylene still can’t resist an old pal’s seek out and steal a bizarre set of artifacts. Also on the hunt is a brilliant but certifiably crazy sorceress determined to stomp anyone who gets in her way. But Raylene’s biggest problem is that the death of Ian’s vaunted patriarch appears to have made him the next target of some blood-sucking sociopaths. Now Raylene must snatch up the potent relics, solve a murder, and keep Ian safe—all while fending off a psychotic sorceress. But at least she won’t be alone. A girl could do a lot worse for a partner than an ass-kicking drag queen—right?
338 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
50 people are currently reading
1307 people want to read
About the author
Cherie Priest
73 books4,374 followersCherie Priest is the author of about thirty books and novellas, most recently the modern gothics It Was Her House First, The Drowning House, and Cinderwich. She's also the author of the Booking Agents mysteries, horror projects The Toll and The Family Plot – and the hit YA graphic novel mash-ups I Am Princess X and its follow up, The Agony House. But she is perhaps best known for the steampunk pulp adventures of the Clockwork Century, beginning with Boneshaker. She has been nominated for the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award, and the Locus award – which she won with Boneshaker.
Cherie has also written a number of urban fantasy titles, and composed pieces (large and small) for George R. R. Martin’s shared world universe, the Wild Cards. Her short stories and nonfiction articles have appeared in such fine publications as Weird Tales, Publishers Weekly, and numerous anthologies – and her books have been translated into nine languages in eleven countries.
Although she was born in Florida on the day Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, for the last twenty years Cherie has largely divided her time between Chattanooga, TN, and Seattle, WA – where she presently lives with her husband and a menagerie of exceedingly photogenic pets.
Cherie has also written a number of urban fantasy titles, and composed pieces (large and small) for George R. R. Martin’s shared world universe, the Wild Cards. Her short stories and nonfiction articles have appeared in such fine publications as Weird Tales, Publishers Weekly, and numerous anthologies – and her books have been translated into nine languages in eleven countries.
Although she was born in Florida on the day Jimmy Hoffa disappeared, for the last twenty years Cherie has largely divided her time between Chattanooga, TN, and Seattle, WA – where she presently lives with her husband and a menagerie of exceedingly photogenic pets.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 303 reviews
September 12, 2011
2.5 stars
Hellbent was not what I thought it would be. After the mediocre first installment, I’d hoped that the second book would show some improvement plotwise and character-wise. However, Hellbent was, in my opinion, inferior to Bloodshot in every way.
The events of Bloodshot proved to be life-changing for vampire Raylene Pendle. (And yes, I still find that name to be very inappropriate for a kickass vampire thief.) Raylene was never much of a team player: she found a way to leave her vampire House unharmed and she always did her very best to stay isolated. But after the loss of her apartment and her warehouse in Bloodshot, she rented a new building and invited some of our old acquaintances to live with her. Pepper and Domino, homeless siblings who squatted in Ray’s old warehouse somehow became her responsibility along with Ian, her blind vampire sometimes-boyfriend. If you add to that the ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen Adrian, Raylene suddenly has a pretty large and fairly dysfunctional family to provide for. Normally, I would have loved that development seeing as I find most of these characters very interesting. Who wouldn’t like a hot vampire who lost his eyesight after the government kidnapped him and subjected him to various cruel experiments? However, in all this, Raylene was very lost as a character. I loved her as a professional thief, but this time around she didn’t really take serious assignments. The brave, resourceful and daredevilish side of her felt completely watered down, not nearly as interesting and/or scary, and she reminded me of a soccer mom.
AND she didn’t steal a damn thing!
Of the three cases she was working on this time, I only found one somewhat interesting, and it was the one that got solved pretty fast. The penis bones were pretty hilarious at first and I loved the opening chapter. However, soon after that, the book took a seriously wrong turn and ended up being pretty boring. And this coming from someone who’s usually a huge fan of vampire politics.
It was still a pretty enjoyable read and I think I might even read the next book. Maybe. Probably not.
So to sum it all up, if you liked Bloodshot, you can pretty much expect more of the same from Hellbent.
I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Hellbent was not what I thought it would be. After the mediocre first installment, I’d hoped that the second book would show some improvement plotwise and character-wise. However, Hellbent was, in my opinion, inferior to Bloodshot in every way.
The events of Bloodshot proved to be life-changing for vampire Raylene Pendle. (And yes, I still find that name to be very inappropriate for a kickass vampire thief.) Raylene was never much of a team player: she found a way to leave her vampire House unharmed and she always did her very best to stay isolated. But after the loss of her apartment and her warehouse in Bloodshot, she rented a new building and invited some of our old acquaintances to live with her. Pepper and Domino, homeless siblings who squatted in Ray’s old warehouse somehow became her responsibility along with Ian, her blind vampire sometimes-boyfriend. If you add to that the ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen Adrian, Raylene suddenly has a pretty large and fairly dysfunctional family to provide for. Normally, I would have loved that development seeing as I find most of these characters very interesting. Who wouldn’t like a hot vampire who lost his eyesight after the government kidnapped him and subjected him to various cruel experiments? However, in all this, Raylene was very lost as a character. I loved her as a professional thief, but this time around she didn’t really take serious assignments. The brave, resourceful and daredevilish side of her felt completely watered down, not nearly as interesting and/or scary, and she reminded me of a soccer mom.
AND she didn’t steal a damn thing!
Of the three cases she was working on this time, I only found one somewhat interesting, and it was the one that got solved pretty fast. The penis bones were pretty hilarious at first and I loved the opening chapter. However, soon after that, the book took a seriously wrong turn and ended up being pretty boring. And this coming from someone who’s usually a huge fan of vampire politics.
It was still a pretty enjoyable read and I think I might even read the next book. Maybe. Probably not.
So to sum it all up, if you liked Bloodshot, you can pretty much expect more of the same from Hellbent.
I recieved a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
October 12, 2011
From the beginning, I felt that this sequel missed the verve, the fun, of the first installment. I read on, hoping that things would pick up once Priest got through filling in new readers on "in last week's episode." Instead the story seemed more and more haphazard. Things happen out of the blue, characters behave in ways that don't make any sense. How could a vampire survive acting as stupid as Raylene does here? Letting a dangerous wizard who is mentally unstable spend the day in your room while you're unconscious? Right after you for no reason helped her escape capture for killing hundreds of innocent people just to off her ex-boss? This kind of made me want all the characters to snuff it.
Ditto the author, because after that she just DROPS the wizard and the quest for the magical penis bones, introduces some new people and a new little plot line, crushes that into a dozen pages, and rushes back to Seattle. Maybe you should just stay in Seattle, Ms. Priest, and finally get around to thoroughly exploring those gas-zombies you keep half-assedly bringing into your steampunk series.
I don't know if Priest has changed editors, or what. I never felt like the underpinnings -- pacing, consistency -- were her strong points, so maybe someone else was riding her on those and now isn't. Or maybe she wrote this for contractual reasons and wasn't feeling it. Certainly the weakest of her books that I've read so far.
Ditto the author, because after that she just DROPS the wizard and the quest for the magical penis bones, introduces some new people and a new little plot line, crushes that into a dozen pages, and rushes back to Seattle. Maybe you should just stay in Seattle, Ms. Priest, and finally get around to thoroughly exploring those gas-zombies you keep half-assedly bringing into your steampunk series.
I don't know if Priest has changed editors, or what. I never felt like the underpinnings -- pacing, consistency -- were her strong points, so maybe someone else was riding her on those and now isn't. Or maybe she wrote this for contractual reasons and wasn't feeling it. Certainly the weakest of her books that I've read so far.
September 20, 2011
Soo I really liked the first book in this series, and enjoyed a lot of things about this followup. There were fun trips into "House" vampire lore, I liked the subplot with the magic "penis bones" (although there were about 100 too many boner jokes, even for ME!!! :) ) Conclusion: It's a sold urban fantasy series that I will continue to enjoy!
SPOILERS:
I guess the only drawback is that overall plot-wise it felt like a side-trip from what drew me into the last book. I mean, I missed any progress in the Ian relationship, I missed seeing the kids (but LOVE the kitten thing, it was so cute and funny!) and I missed the overall conspiracy plot that was SO thick in the first installment. Now, the author WELL establishes in the writing that all those ideas will get kick started in the next book, and a big ally has been added to the whole "family" and they create a House in Seattle so I see WHY the plot is why it is, but I can't say I didn't miss more significant time spent on those things. Guess I will excitedly read about them in book three!
SPOILERS:
I guess the only drawback is that overall plot-wise it felt like a side-trip from what drew me into the last book. I mean, I missed any progress in the Ian relationship, I missed seeing the kids (but LOVE the kitten thing, it was so cute and funny!) and I missed the overall conspiracy plot that was SO thick in the first installment. Now, the author WELL establishes in the writing that all those ideas will get kick started in the next book, and a big ally has been added to the whole "family" and they create a House in Seattle so I see WHY the plot is why it is, but I can't say I didn't miss more significant time spent on those things. Guess I will excitedly read about them in book three!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 14, 2011
Penis bones.
That's how this book starts. With Penis Bones and Antiques Roadshow.
You'd think with something that funny this book would be as good as Bloodshot, which was a fun romp, whose humor more than made up for the flaws.
Sadly, this book is a disappointment.
What humor there is simply recycled from the first volume. Adrian, who seemed so alive in the first book, seems totally a cipher here. Raylene seems to have taken stupid pills.
And for the record, just because someone rescues a kitten doesn't mean she is a big old good hearted softee who wouldn't really hurt a fly. There were some mean bastards who were very nice to thier pets. It is a stupid, lazy writing short-cut. (What's next, hamster rescuing?) (Actually, it occured to me after I clicked on this too fix something, that maybe the penis bones are for the kitten cause he might need them).
In terms of the plot, there is, paradoixcally, too much going on and not enough. A good portion of the book is simply repeating the following facts ad nasuem (1)Raylene has OCD (2) Adrian is a good drag queen who has a really big piece of equipment that he tuck away (3) plot points that you just saw played out. Honestly, even giving leeway for a plot rehash for anyone who reads the books out of order, there seems to be a large amount of words that don't need to be there. Even Raylene seems to see this for she keeps saying she didn't mean to mention it (so, honey, why did you?).
The whole resolution of Penis Bones (what would Monty Python could've done with that) does not make sense. I'm glad that Priest kept Raylene's dark side, sorta. But taking in Elizabeth doesn't make sense. It really doesn't.
In the first book, there were few over used urban fantasy cliches, here there are too many. And honestly, anyone with half a brain can figure out the solution to Ian's problem long before the end, like right when it gets mentioned.
The book is flat, it misses the charm, the humor, the sparkle of the first (and no, I'm not refering to Adrian's throng) is gone. Even parts that should be emotional, lack the emotion they should have. There are glimmers of Priest and her better work (like Dreadful Skin) here and there, but the book is flat. And I know writing is hard. I know people get tired, burnt out, overworked. I know. This book doesn't make me swear off Priest, and I will get the next one. But someone - Priest or more importantly her secondary readers or editor - should've noticed something.
That's how this book starts. With Penis Bones and Antiques Roadshow.
You'd think with something that funny this book would be as good as Bloodshot, which was a fun romp, whose humor more than made up for the flaws.
Sadly, this book is a disappointment.
What humor there is simply recycled from the first volume. Adrian, who seemed so alive in the first book, seems totally a cipher here. Raylene seems to have taken stupid pills.
And for the record, just because someone rescues a kitten doesn't mean she is a big old good hearted softee who wouldn't really hurt a fly. There were some mean bastards who were very nice to thier pets. It is a stupid, lazy writing short-cut. (What's next, hamster rescuing?) (Actually, it occured to me after I clicked on this too fix something, that maybe the penis bones are for the kitten cause he might need them).
In terms of the plot, there is, paradoixcally, too much going on and not enough. A good portion of the book is simply repeating the following facts ad nasuem (1)Raylene has OCD (2) Adrian is a good drag queen who has a really big piece of equipment that he tuck away (3) plot points that you just saw played out. Honestly, even giving leeway for a plot rehash for anyone who reads the books out of order, there seems to be a large amount of words that don't need to be there. Even Raylene seems to see this for she keeps saying she didn't mean to mention it (so, honey, why did you?).
The whole resolution of Penis Bones (what would Monty Python could've done with that) does not make sense. I'm glad that Priest kept Raylene's dark side, sorta. But taking in Elizabeth doesn't make sense. It really doesn't.
In the first book, there were few over used urban fantasy cliches, here there are too many. And honestly, anyone with half a brain can figure out the solution to Ian's problem long before the end, like right when it gets mentioned.
The book is flat, it misses the charm, the humor, the sparkle of the first (and no, I'm not refering to Adrian's throng) is gone. Even parts that should be emotional, lack the emotion they should have. There are glimmers of Priest and her better work (like Dreadful Skin) here and there, but the book is flat. And I know writing is hard. I know people get tired, burnt out, overworked. I know. This book doesn't make me swear off Priest, and I will get the next one. But someone - Priest or more importantly her secondary readers or editor - should've noticed something.
August 26, 2011
Book: B+
Narration: A-
So the other night Raylene Pendle was telling me this story... What's that? That was an audiobook? Someone named Natalie Ross narrated it? Nope. Sorry. You’ve got it all wrong. I don't know where you’re getting your information but that was Raylene telling me the story of her adventures. I don't know who this Ross person is. So as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted....
Raylene and I are friends, you see. She confides all the sordid details of her life to me and I listen and nod and often snort whatever I’m drinking out my nose. She's a vampire and a famous (or is that infamous?) sneak-thief. The funniest things happen to her! We were up half the night yesterday while she told me all about this really weird job she took on. You see, she was hired to steal some baculum (yeah, you’re going to have to consult the Oracle at Google for that one just like I did: I don’t want to kick off any more jokes about it than I’ve already heard from Raylene - she’s got a bit of a dirty mouth, you know. Oh, but wait until you’re not at work to do it, ‘k?). Anywho… she's usually pretty tight-lipped about her jobs but get a single glass of wine in her and you don’t have to tip her ‘cause she'll spill. Oh, don’t worry if you are thinking of hiring her; she has some discretion about her work because she obviously changed names and locations and has never really been to the area she said her last job was in. I can tell because of how she pronounces Willamette.
So like I was saying… she was almost blown up while on this job and when she got home her roommate, Ian, had just found out his patriarch… oh, yeah, Ian’s a vampire too… had died and Ian was suddenly in line to take his place. Only, that’s a bad idea because Ian is blind. So Raylene took off for California to sort things out for him and her pal Adrian (he’s an ex-Navy SEAL/current drag-queen) went too. Then there was this crazy sorceress who wanted the baculum for herself and so Raylene had to deal with that also. Well, you’ll just have to get her to tell you the whole story herself. I can’t do it justice at all.
Seriously, you should hear her when she talks about the people she meets. She's quite the impressionist. You'd think you were listening to a whole other person... or people. She’s such an amazing storyteller; before I knew it half the night was gone and let me tell you, the double entendres were just fa-LY-ing (as someone I know says). That Raylene, she's such a kick and let me tell you, she gets off some snarky zingers. She’s really smart too although when she first started telling me this story her humor was a little... well...I thought I was back in sixth grade again. I’m not usually much of a fan of that kind of humor but when Raylene laughs you just can’t help but laugh too. Now I need to go find some aspirin and a glass of water but gosh, I hope she stops by again soon. I can’t wait to find out what happens to her next.
What?! Would you please stop interrupting me?! What do you mean ‘Cherie Priest wrote that story about Raylene’? Whatever. I don't know who this Cherie Priest is or ... what was her name? Natalie Ross? but if they can tell a story half as good as Raylene can then they should… I don't know… write books or narrate audiobooks or something.
Narration: A-
So the other night Raylene Pendle was telling me this story... What's that? That was an audiobook? Someone named Natalie Ross narrated it? Nope. Sorry. You’ve got it all wrong. I don't know where you’re getting your information but that was Raylene telling me the story of her adventures. I don't know who this Ross person is. So as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted....
Raylene and I are friends, you see. She confides all the sordid details of her life to me and I listen and nod and often snort whatever I’m drinking out my nose. She's a vampire and a famous (or is that infamous?) sneak-thief. The funniest things happen to her! We were up half the night yesterday while she told me all about this really weird job she took on. You see, she was hired to steal some baculum (yeah, you’re going to have to consult the Oracle at Google for that one just like I did: I don’t want to kick off any more jokes about it than I’ve already heard from Raylene - she’s got a bit of a dirty mouth, you know. Oh, but wait until you’re not at work to do it, ‘k?). Anywho… she's usually pretty tight-lipped about her jobs but get a single glass of wine in her and you don’t have to tip her ‘cause she'll spill. Oh, don’t worry if you are thinking of hiring her; she has some discretion about her work because she obviously changed names and locations and has never really been to the area she said her last job was in. I can tell because of how she pronounces Willamette.
So like I was saying… she was almost blown up while on this job and when she got home her roommate, Ian, had just found out his patriarch… oh, yeah, Ian’s a vampire too… had died and Ian was suddenly in line to take his place. Only, that’s a bad idea because Ian is blind. So Raylene took off for California to sort things out for him and her pal Adrian (he’s an ex-Navy SEAL/current drag-queen) went too. Then there was this crazy sorceress who wanted the baculum for herself and so Raylene had to deal with that also. Well, you’ll just have to get her to tell you the whole story herself. I can’t do it justice at all.
Seriously, you should hear her when she talks about the people she meets. She's quite the impressionist. You'd think you were listening to a whole other person... or people. She’s such an amazing storyteller; before I knew it half the night was gone and let me tell you, the double entendres were just fa-LY-ing (as someone I know says). That Raylene, she's such a kick and let me tell you, she gets off some snarky zingers. She’s really smart too although when she first started telling me this story her humor was a little... well...I thought I was back in sixth grade again. I’m not usually much of a fan of that kind of humor but when Raylene laughs you just can’t help but laugh too. Now I need to go find some aspirin and a glass of water but gosh, I hope she stops by again soon. I can’t wait to find out what happens to her next.
What?! Would you please stop interrupting me?! What do you mean ‘Cherie Priest wrote that story about Raylene’? Whatever. I don't know who this Cherie Priest is or ... what was her name? Natalie Ross? but if they can tell a story half as good as Raylene can then they should… I don't know… write books or narrate audiobooks or something.
February 19, 2017
What a fiasco. It feels like this book has no plot but a series of stulid occurrences that somehow we are told and that are silly and make no sense whatsoever... and no, I am not being cruel: there are penis bones which a schizoprenic lady is using to blow buildins and undo the past. How this adds to the plot of Ian's House wanting him to man up and rule in the vacant place that has opened up I don't get. Other than the fact that Raylene has been hired at the beginning of the book to retrieve such penis bones.
The book doesn't follow the plot of the first book, it just has the same characters. O! And it keeps looking for Adrian's sister. In a happy-go-lucky way. I feel bad for having spend money in this book. Really.
The book doesn't follow the plot of the first book, it just has the same characters. O! And it keeps looking for Adrian's sister. In a happy-go-lucky way. I feel bad for having spend money in this book. Really.
November 30, 2011
http://bastardbooks.blogspot.com/2011...
I really enjoyed Bloodshot by Cherie Priest published earlier this year, first of the Cheshire Red Reports . It was fun, fast moving, and some good action. Was excited to learn a sequel was due out months later, one that I read recently. Hellbent continues the story of Raylene Pendle, an OCD vampire and master thief.
After the events of Bloodshot , we see Raylene in a more domestic setting living what can be construed as a family life. She gets contracted to steal mystical penis bones, which doesn't go as planned. Complicating matters, the patriarch from Ian's vampire house is murdered, making Ian next in line to become head of the house, something he can't do since he would get killed himself because of his current handicap. Yet, there are people who could get targeted if he doesn't avail himself, people he cares for. It's up to Raylene to figure out a way around this, travelling to California to investigate the matter. All the while, trying to recover the mystical penis bones in the hands of a crazy sorceress fueling her magic to disastrous proportions.
Hellbent was a fun roadtrip of a book, sadly it was simply that and left me wanting for something more. I really enjoy Raylene as a narrator, which I find to be pretty much the most important aspect in a first person narration. Not only that, the book is filled with some good dialogue and plenty of fun banter with other characters. The problem was that the book's plot was lacking and the action very much subdued, particularly when compared with Bloodshot .
I thought the best aspect of the book was Adrian, a Marine drag-queen who has become Raylene's sidekick. He's fairly badass, plus there's some cool banter with Raylene making the novel quite the fun read. But other than that, there wasn't much here. My other problem was that the resolution to the plot was heavily hinted at in the middle of the book, which made the ending quite predictable. Not only that, events occur in quite a convenient manner for our heroes, particularly towards the end. The book has some good humor, but it becomes a bit repetitive after a while so it got old for me fairly quickly.
Action-wise, which was one of the main draws of the first book and what many had praised Bloodshot for, was also scant. Though, at the risk of contradicting myself, there was still quite a bit of action. Problem was when the action was featured it wasn't as exciting as the first book. The sense of tension and danger was not present in this book, something which I thought Bloodshot did quite well.
Hate to be negative on this book because it's still an enjoyable read that I'm sure plenty urban fantasy readers would enjoy, but can't help feeling disappointed with the lackluster plot which didn't grab me. The novel itself serves more as a bridge novel to what is to come, and I'm still looking forward to reading more in the series now that the pieces are in their respective places. Sadly, I just learned that Cherie Priest only has a two book contract for this series, and it's unknown whether she'll be able to return to this series.
As mentioned before, I very much enjoy Raylene as a narrator, a very much needed bright-spot for this book. She comes off as this person you just met in the bar, who is a bit nuts, but there's an instant connection and you became quick best friends. There's an intimacy in the way she narrates, as she was speaking directly at you over a bottle of wine (I'd say beer, but Raylene prefers her wine).
Hellbent is simply quite an entertaining lighthearted roadtrip of a book with an OCD vampire which plenty will enjoy. Those looking for something more, particularly a strong plot, will have some trouble with it. In any case, hoping for more as I'm sure that series will get better from here, and hopefully back to the form we found in Bloodshot .
I really enjoyed Bloodshot by Cherie Priest published earlier this year, first of the Cheshire Red Reports . It was fun, fast moving, and some good action. Was excited to learn a sequel was due out months later, one that I read recently. Hellbent continues the story of Raylene Pendle, an OCD vampire and master thief.
After the events of Bloodshot , we see Raylene in a more domestic setting living what can be construed as a family life. She gets contracted to steal mystical penis bones, which doesn't go as planned. Complicating matters, the patriarch from Ian's vampire house is murdered, making Ian next in line to become head of the house, something he can't do since he would get killed himself because of his current handicap. Yet, there are people who could get targeted if he doesn't avail himself, people he cares for. It's up to Raylene to figure out a way around this, travelling to California to investigate the matter. All the while, trying to recover the mystical penis bones in the hands of a crazy sorceress fueling her magic to disastrous proportions.
Hellbent was a fun roadtrip of a book, sadly it was simply that and left me wanting for something more. I really enjoy Raylene as a narrator, which I find to be pretty much the most important aspect in a first person narration. Not only that, the book is filled with some good dialogue and plenty of fun banter with other characters. The problem was that the book's plot was lacking and the action very much subdued, particularly when compared with Bloodshot .
I thought the best aspect of the book was Adrian, a Marine drag-queen who has become Raylene's sidekick. He's fairly badass, plus there's some cool banter with Raylene making the novel quite the fun read. But other than that, there wasn't much here. My other problem was that the resolution to the plot was heavily hinted at in the middle of the book, which made the ending quite predictable. Not only that, events occur in quite a convenient manner for our heroes, particularly towards the end. The book has some good humor, but it becomes a bit repetitive after a while so it got old for me fairly quickly.
Action-wise, which was one of the main draws of the first book and what many had praised Bloodshot for, was also scant. Though, at the risk of contradicting myself, there was still quite a bit of action. Problem was when the action was featured it wasn't as exciting as the first book. The sense of tension and danger was not present in this book, something which I thought Bloodshot did quite well.
Hate to be negative on this book because it's still an enjoyable read that I'm sure plenty urban fantasy readers would enjoy, but can't help feeling disappointed with the lackluster plot which didn't grab me. The novel itself serves more as a bridge novel to what is to come, and I'm still looking forward to reading more in the series now that the pieces are in their respective places. Sadly, I just learned that Cherie Priest only has a two book contract for this series, and it's unknown whether she'll be able to return to this series.
As mentioned before, I very much enjoy Raylene as a narrator, a very much needed bright-spot for this book. She comes off as this person you just met in the bar, who is a bit nuts, but there's an instant connection and you became quick best friends. There's an intimacy in the way she narrates, as she was speaking directly at you over a bottle of wine (I'd say beer, but Raylene prefers her wine).
Hellbent is simply quite an entertaining lighthearted roadtrip of a book with an OCD vampire which plenty will enjoy. Those looking for something more, particularly a strong plot, will have some trouble with it. In any case, hoping for more as I'm sure that series will get better from here, and hopefully back to the form we found in Bloodshot .
December 17, 2011
This book was a total riot. On Raylene Pendle's second outing, the vampire thief gets contracted to steal a collection of supernatural penis bones. And in case you are cringing at the idea of a completely unironic penis bone search, I assure you that this quest is completely milked for all the jokes you can think of and then some. The wonderfully batshit crazy tone sets this series completely apart from all the other paranormal fantasy series out there.
When I read the first book in the series (that would be Bloodshot), I was rather pleased with the zany cast of characters. Hellbent ups the ante by introducing some more, and it occurred to me that Cherie Priest has done an awesome job of avoiding obvious stereotypes by treating her offbeat characters like normal people. She's got a drag queen, a schizophrenic rocket scientist, a trio of vampires with disabilities (one deaf, one blind, and one with OCD), and two homeless kids, and none of them are a punchline or caricature.
In sum: Awesome fun here, and it's done without being at the expense of a rather diverse group of characters.
When I read the first book in the series (that would be Bloodshot), I was rather pleased with the zany cast of characters. Hellbent ups the ante by introducing some more, and it occurred to me that Cherie Priest has done an awesome job of avoiding obvious stereotypes by treating her offbeat characters like normal people. She's got a drag queen, a schizophrenic rocket scientist, a trio of vampires with disabilities (one deaf, one blind, and one with OCD), and two homeless kids, and none of them are a punchline or caricature.
In sum: Awesome fun here, and it's done without being at the expense of a rather diverse group of characters.
October 31, 2011
Mwahahaha! How can you not like a book whose first chapter is just one long dick joke? And it's a true urban fantasy that is not a mis-labeled paranormal romance--there's no sex here, just a lot of hilarity about penis bones and how to steal them.
Thief and vampire Raylene Pendle is hired to retrieve some "bacula" (go ahead and make the joke--you know you want to and it doesn't stop Priest either) that have magical powers. (Yeah, yeah... every guy thinks their "wand" is magic, but these really are!) With her trusty ex-SEAL drag-queen friend along for his own reasons, Raylene plunges into the world of vampire politics, weird antiques, and freaky magic. It's a super-charged hoot from start to finish!
Sadly, this may be the last of the Cheshire Red books, since they don't seem to have found the big readership numbers the publisher was hoping for. That would suck because Raylene and her crew of off-kilter friends are delightful and always seem to have the most interesting adventures in Urban Fantasy. Love this book, buy this book, go forth and persuade others to do so, also. They'll thank you--it's fantastic and fun!
Thief and vampire Raylene Pendle is hired to retrieve some "bacula" (go ahead and make the joke--you know you want to and it doesn't stop Priest either) that have magical powers. (Yeah, yeah... every guy thinks their "wand" is magic, but these really are!) With her trusty ex-SEAL drag-queen friend along for his own reasons, Raylene plunges into the world of vampire politics, weird antiques, and freaky magic. It's a super-charged hoot from start to finish!
Sadly, this may be the last of the Cheshire Red books, since they don't seem to have found the big readership numbers the publisher was hoping for. That would suck because Raylene and her crew of off-kilter friends are delightful and always seem to have the most interesting adventures in Urban Fantasy. Love this book, buy this book, go forth and persuade others to do so, also. They'll thank you--it's fantastic and fun!
January 8, 2012
A Hell of a Good Time!
Say it ain’t so!! So I find a series that I genuinely enjoy. No mopey heroine (okay, maybe she’s a little obnoxious, but at least she’s fun about it), no emo vampires, just lots of action and fun. While it wasn’t a cliffhanger, I finished this book thinking there would be more in store. Well unfortunately Cherie Priest was only contracted for two books, meaning this may be the last we see of Raylene and friends unless the books sell more. So I guess I’m doing my part and recommending you guys read this one if you enjoy light urban fantasy series.
I read Hellbent (Book 2 of the Cheshire Red Reports) before the first and I believe it works well as a standalone. Raylene, our favorite professional vampire thief, is settling in well at her new digs after her old warehouse/home was raided by the Feds. She’s picked up a couple of new roomies too: blind vampire Ian Stott and my personal favorite Adrian deJesus, ex-Navy Seal and Drag Queen extraordinaire. While unconventional, a sense of domesticity is established as Ian helps mentor the orphan siblings Pepper and Domino who we met in Bloodshot. Adrian is still primarily focused on finding his sister who had been abducted along with Ian for that top secret government experiment that left him blind.
There is more development with that plot point, clearly establishing it as an overarcing storyline in the series. Aside from that, the master of Ian’s house has been murdered and he’s slated to take his place. This doesn’t sitting right with his brother whose been waiting in the wings to take control. Ray must protect Ian from the target on his back while taking on a side quest to collect powerful ancient artifacts.
While the books feel like more of the same, I actually think I liked the second book a bit more than the first. The characters are becoming more familiar with each other and beginning to settle into a dynamic. Who am I kidding, I liked that there was more Adrian. He’s a great sidekick for Raylene and even though she’s more powerful as a vampire, his skills, wits, and determination, allow him to keep up with her fairly well. The series doesn’t have a lot going on in the romance department, but it seems like the author wants to test the waters between both Adrian and Ian. Though her chemistry with Adrian is even stronger in this book and almost non-existent with Ian.
The vampire politics were interesting and ended up being the center of some of the best action. The humor is as strong as ever and I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. The characters are all likable in their own way…even Ray’s new kitty cat. The ending is predictable, but it makes sense. Overall, Hellbent is and enjoyable ride, but what bring the series down a bit is that it should have been structured as a duology if there was a risk that so many loose ends would be there when it’s all said and done.
If there is a book 3, I want it right away. But if there isn’t I do plan to follow Cherie Priest’s steampunk series because she’s a good writer and I like her style.
*ARC provided by NetGalley
*Review also posted to Amazon
Say it ain’t so!! So I find a series that I genuinely enjoy. No mopey heroine (okay, maybe she’s a little obnoxious, but at least she’s fun about it), no emo vampires, just lots of action and fun. While it wasn’t a cliffhanger, I finished this book thinking there would be more in store. Well unfortunately Cherie Priest was only contracted for two books, meaning this may be the last we see of Raylene and friends unless the books sell more. So I guess I’m doing my part and recommending you guys read this one if you enjoy light urban fantasy series.
I read Hellbent (Book 2 of the Cheshire Red Reports) before the first and I believe it works well as a standalone. Raylene, our favorite professional vampire thief, is settling in well at her new digs after her old warehouse/home was raided by the Feds. She’s picked up a couple of new roomies too: blind vampire Ian Stott and my personal favorite Adrian deJesus, ex-Navy Seal and Drag Queen extraordinaire. While unconventional, a sense of domesticity is established as Ian helps mentor the orphan siblings Pepper and Domino who we met in Bloodshot. Adrian is still primarily focused on finding his sister who had been abducted along with Ian for that top secret government experiment that left him blind.
There is more development with that plot point, clearly establishing it as an overarcing storyline in the series. Aside from that, the master of Ian’s house has been murdered and he’s slated to take his place. This doesn’t sitting right with his brother whose been waiting in the wings to take control. Ray must protect Ian from the target on his back while taking on a side quest to collect powerful ancient artifacts.
While the books feel like more of the same, I actually think I liked the second book a bit more than the first. The characters are becoming more familiar with each other and beginning to settle into a dynamic. Who am I kidding, I liked that there was more Adrian. He’s a great sidekick for Raylene and even though she’s more powerful as a vampire, his skills, wits, and determination, allow him to keep up with her fairly well. The series doesn’t have a lot going on in the romance department, but it seems like the author wants to test the waters between both Adrian and Ian. Though her chemistry with Adrian is even stronger in this book and almost non-existent with Ian.
The vampire politics were interesting and ended up being the center of some of the best action. The humor is as strong as ever and I found myself laughing out loud a number of times. The characters are all likable in their own way…even Ray’s new kitty cat. The ending is predictable, but it makes sense. Overall, Hellbent is and enjoyable ride, but what bring the series down a bit is that it should have been structured as a duology if there was a risk that so many loose ends would be there when it’s all said and done.
If there is a book 3, I want it right away. But if there isn’t I do plan to follow Cherie Priest’s steampunk series because she’s a good writer and I like her style.
*ARC provided by NetGalley
*Review also posted to Amazon
July 31, 2011
"I'm a vampire. In the words of the immortal Bauhaus ... 'undead undead undead.'" *
This is a lively and almost light-hearted caper story featuring vampires and other supernatural phenomena. There are some, let's call them questions, that I have that make me strongly inclined to pick up the first book in the story and update this review after I read it. (Actually, I enjoyed this one enough that I might just do that anyway.)
1) With a title like Hellbent, I was expecting something grim. Or possibly involving demonic forces of some sort. While this wasn't all kittens and rainbows (well, there is a kitten), it wasn't anywhere approaching bleak. There may have been some atmospheric grit, but if you're looking for a dark and bloody story, this is unlikely to satisfy. But, based on the backstory that gets dropped, I'm wondering if the first book was darker.
2) Adrian (ex-Navy Seal and current drag queen) and Ian (blind vampire/Ray's tentative love interest) both cringe every time Ray (vampire/narrator) tries to involve them in her plans. Given that her plans actually seem to be pretty well thought-out and executed, I'm wondering if this running joke is because of something that happens in the first book. When she has to think on her feet, though, she sometimes does things that seem a little questionable -- but she acknowledges that she's not a great in-the-moment thinker. (Possibly relating to her OCD, but I'm not familiar enough with that disorder to really know.)
I enjoyed this quite a lot. After my failed attempt to read the too-bleak-for-me Boneshaker, I was both excited and apprehensive about this series. Fortunately, it retains Ms Priest's skill at vivid character and world building, but it's a bit more fun and laugh-out-loud funny in several places.
One of my favorite scenes is at the beginning of chapter 7, where Adrian is struggling to get the hotel remote to work and then is excited to discover that Myth Busters is on. OMG, I felt such kinship with Adrian at that moment; I've lived that scene, multiple times.
*Since this review is based on an unfinished review copy (thank you LibraryThing), I'm not positive that this quote will make the final cut... but I hope it does, it's pretty funny.
This is a lively and almost light-hearted caper story featuring vampires and other supernatural phenomena. There are some, let's call them questions, that I have that make me strongly inclined to pick up the first book in the story and update this review after I read it. (Actually, I enjoyed this one enough that I might just do that anyway.)
1) With a title like Hellbent, I was expecting something grim. Or possibly involving demonic forces of some sort. While this wasn't all kittens and rainbows (well, there is a kitten), it wasn't anywhere approaching bleak. There may have been some atmospheric grit, but if you're looking for a dark and bloody story, this is unlikely to satisfy. But, based on the backstory that gets dropped, I'm wondering if the first book was darker.
2) Adrian (ex-Navy Seal and current drag queen) and Ian (blind vampire/Ray's tentative love interest) both cringe every time Ray (vampire/narrator) tries to involve them in her plans. Given that her plans actually seem to be pretty well thought-out and executed, I'm wondering if this running joke is because of something that happens in the first book. When she has to think on her feet, though, she sometimes does things that seem a little questionable -- but she acknowledges that she's not a great in-the-moment thinker. (Possibly relating to her OCD, but I'm not familiar enough with that disorder to really know.)
I enjoyed this quite a lot. After my failed attempt to read the too-bleak-for-me Boneshaker, I was both excited and apprehensive about this series. Fortunately, it retains Ms Priest's skill at vivid character and world building, but it's a bit more fun and laugh-out-loud funny in several places.
One of my favorite scenes is at the beginning of chapter 7, where Adrian is struggling to get the hotel remote to work and then is excited to discover that Myth Busters is on. OMG, I felt such kinship with Adrian at that moment; I've lived that scene, multiple times.
*Since this review is based on an unfinished review copy (thank you LibraryThing), I'm not positive that this quote will make the final cut... but I hope it does, it's pretty funny.
October 1, 2011
Fun and satisfying. I love Raylene Pendle, and hope we get to see more of her. One of the best things about Priest's novels is they get a wrap up, so even if they are in series with an underlying continuing storyline, they're not cliffhangers. Maybe I shouldn't say "one of the best things," because there's a lot to like about Hellbent. Raylene is quirky and tough and soft. She's flawed but not a wimp. Also, she bites people, but they were all bad. No sparkles in this book... well, maybe on Sister Rose.
September 19, 2011
I really love this series. The dry sarcasm, the world building and characters, the long arc that is evolving, the relationships...It really does have it all.
Absolute auto buy.
Absolute auto buy.
December 26, 2011
http://www.rantingdragon.com/hellbent...
Cherie Priest is back with another installment in the tale of Raylene Pendle, vampire thief extraordinaire. Picking up largely where the previous novel, Bloodshot, left off, we find that Raylene, Ian, Adrian, and the two kids have settled into a comfortable pace of life together. However, largely due to the vampiric nature of two of the occupants of Raylene’s building—Raylene herself included—this status quo does not last. For, even as Raylene takes on a job of hunting down some very specific magical relics, Ian receives word that his former House is trying to kill him. Everything hits the fan, and we once again experience a roller coaster of twists and turns as Raylene and Adrian hit the road to save their own little world from collapsing.
A rip-roaring good time
Like its predecessor, Hellbent is a fun little story which sweeps the readers off of their feet and puts them at the front of a speeding amusement park ride of their choosing. While there isn’t as much physical action in this novel as there was in Bloodshot, Priest makes up for it with character development, especially within the relationship between Raylene and Adrian. These developments make both Raylene and Adrian seem more real and work well to counter the more action-based sequences of the novel. In retrospect, it almost seems like a video game RPG, where you finish a set of quests and have new dialogue options with your companions. This is neither good nor bad; it just is.
In conjunction with the development of the characters, the banter between characters is absolutely stellar. Even characters who read primarily as plot devices get their fair share—just look at the interactions Raylene has with her main client, Horace, and you’ll see what I mean.
What I didn’t like
In my review of Bloodshot, I didn’t have anything very negative to say about the novel, and was thus asked why the book didn’t merit a five-star rating. To put it quite simply, it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read—but keep in mind that neither was it the worst. In reading Hellbent, I was able to finally put some of my feelings about the series into words.
To me, Hellbent is a well-written and fun tale, but it only goes skin deep in most parts. The stakes aren’t very high in the overall scheme of things; Raylene might—might—lose a housemate. That’s about as far as it goes. Sure, she’s throwing herself into danger, but she’s already dead, just not dead-dead. Throwing Adrian into the mix helps with the stakes, as Raylene is suddenly looking out for more than herself.
The pacing also throws me off in this novel. The first half or so is well paced, but the latter half contributes to the skin-deep feeling I got from the book, as a lot of stuff happens. That’s the best way to describe it: it happens. Sure, I care about the characters, but the way Priest worked the circumstances she threw them into did them little justice. This is especially true with regard to the ending, where everything was wrapped up, nice and neat. Now, I’m not asking for a cliffhanger in every book I read, but there should be some cost to the characters within a novel. Of course, it is entirely possible this novel is a setup for Bad Things to Come in future books, but on its own, things seemed… easy. Too easy.
The one other thing about Hellbent that gives me conflicting emotions about it is Raylene’s narration. With an urban fantasy novel like this, where the author has to introduce new material most every book, the reader can expect digressions now and again to explain things. However, Raylene makes a big deal of it, thus drawing the reader’s attention to it. In my case, it almost casts the information she is imparting in a less important light, which it isn’t. The other part of Raylene’s narration that bugs me is the journal-but-not-a-journal quality of it. Written in the first person, Hellbent reads like many other urban fantasy novels—except in a few scenarios where Raylene will mention something along the lines of “if he was reading this over my shoulder, he would disagree.” If this was a deliberate choice of Priest’s, then that’s that. But such a line as that lessens the emotional impact of a novel for me—it lets me know that the narrator makes it out of the situation well enough to be narrating. Other readers may follow the same line of thought and reach the other conclusions I ultimately drew.
Drag queen drama
My favorite aspect of this novel is easily the drag queen sidekick, Adrian. A former Navy SEAL, Adrian has all of the BAMF skills needed to be a valuable asset to Raylene—a fact he almost ruthlessly shoves in her I-go-it-alone mentality over and over again throughout the novel. Adrian kicks some serious bad guy ass when the situation requires it, but additionally, his sense of fashion as a drag queen is impeccable—which leads to some rather hilarious dialogue between him and Raylene. The relationship between the two is probably the heftiest material in the novel and was the most enjoyable aspect of the novel to me.
Why should you read this book?
As I’ve said, this is a majorly fun book and series. And, despite my qualms with the style of writing, it really is well-written. Priest obviously cares about her characters and, more than that, how her readers feel about her characters. The level of work she puts into her character development is one of the best things about Hellbent. You should also read this for the amount of fun it is. There are few other books which can match this one in terms of sheer enjoyability. Of course, the final reason I think you should read this novel is for the drag queen badassery. I mean, come on. How often does one come across such an entertaining sidekick? Hellbent is one hell of a fun read, and I recommend it to any urban fantasy enthusiast.
Cherie Priest is back with another installment in the tale of Raylene Pendle, vampire thief extraordinaire. Picking up largely where the previous novel, Bloodshot, left off, we find that Raylene, Ian, Adrian, and the two kids have settled into a comfortable pace of life together. However, largely due to the vampiric nature of two of the occupants of Raylene’s building—Raylene herself included—this status quo does not last. For, even as Raylene takes on a job of hunting down some very specific magical relics, Ian receives word that his former House is trying to kill him. Everything hits the fan, and we once again experience a roller coaster of twists and turns as Raylene and Adrian hit the road to save their own little world from collapsing.
A rip-roaring good time
Like its predecessor, Hellbent is a fun little story which sweeps the readers off of their feet and puts them at the front of a speeding amusement park ride of their choosing. While there isn’t as much physical action in this novel as there was in Bloodshot, Priest makes up for it with character development, especially within the relationship between Raylene and Adrian. These developments make both Raylene and Adrian seem more real and work well to counter the more action-based sequences of the novel. In retrospect, it almost seems like a video game RPG, where you finish a set of quests and have new dialogue options with your companions. This is neither good nor bad; it just is.
In conjunction with the development of the characters, the banter between characters is absolutely stellar. Even characters who read primarily as plot devices get their fair share—just look at the interactions Raylene has with her main client, Horace, and you’ll see what I mean.
What I didn’t like
In my review of Bloodshot, I didn’t have anything very negative to say about the novel, and was thus asked why the book didn’t merit a five-star rating. To put it quite simply, it wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever read—but keep in mind that neither was it the worst. In reading Hellbent, I was able to finally put some of my feelings about the series into words.
To me, Hellbent is a well-written and fun tale, but it only goes skin deep in most parts. The stakes aren’t very high in the overall scheme of things; Raylene might—might—lose a housemate. That’s about as far as it goes. Sure, she’s throwing herself into danger, but she’s already dead, just not dead-dead. Throwing Adrian into the mix helps with the stakes, as Raylene is suddenly looking out for more than herself.
The pacing also throws me off in this novel. The first half or so is well paced, but the latter half contributes to the skin-deep feeling I got from the book, as a lot of stuff happens. That’s the best way to describe it: it happens. Sure, I care about the characters, but the way Priest worked the circumstances she threw them into did them little justice. This is especially true with regard to the ending, where everything was wrapped up, nice and neat. Now, I’m not asking for a cliffhanger in every book I read, but there should be some cost to the characters within a novel. Of course, it is entirely possible this novel is a setup for Bad Things to Come in future books, but on its own, things seemed… easy. Too easy.
The one other thing about Hellbent that gives me conflicting emotions about it is Raylene’s narration. With an urban fantasy novel like this, where the author has to introduce new material most every book, the reader can expect digressions now and again to explain things. However, Raylene makes a big deal of it, thus drawing the reader’s attention to it. In my case, it almost casts the information she is imparting in a less important light, which it isn’t. The other part of Raylene’s narration that bugs me is the journal-but-not-a-journal quality of it. Written in the first person, Hellbent reads like many other urban fantasy novels—except in a few scenarios where Raylene will mention something along the lines of “if he was reading this over my shoulder, he would disagree.” If this was a deliberate choice of Priest’s, then that’s that. But such a line as that lessens the emotional impact of a novel for me—it lets me know that the narrator makes it out of the situation well enough to be narrating. Other readers may follow the same line of thought and reach the other conclusions I ultimately drew.
Drag queen drama
My favorite aspect of this novel is easily the drag queen sidekick, Adrian. A former Navy SEAL, Adrian has all of the BAMF skills needed to be a valuable asset to Raylene—a fact he almost ruthlessly shoves in her I-go-it-alone mentality over and over again throughout the novel. Adrian kicks some serious bad guy ass when the situation requires it, but additionally, his sense of fashion as a drag queen is impeccable—which leads to some rather hilarious dialogue between him and Raylene. The relationship between the two is probably the heftiest material in the novel and was the most enjoyable aspect of the novel to me.
Why should you read this book?
As I’ve said, this is a majorly fun book and series. And, despite my qualms with the style of writing, it really is well-written. Priest obviously cares about her characters and, more than that, how her readers feel about her characters. The level of work she puts into her character development is one of the best things about Hellbent. You should also read this for the amount of fun it is. There are few other books which can match this one in terms of sheer enjoyability. Of course, the final reason I think you should read this novel is for the drag queen badassery. I mean, come on. How often does one come across such an entertaining sidekick? Hellbent is one hell of a fun read, and I recommend it to any urban fantasy enthusiast.
August 30, 2011
*Rating* 4 stars
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review* http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/
Hellbent is the second novel in the Cheshire Red Reports series by Cherie Priest. Our protagonist is Raylene Pendle who is a thief and a vampire who drinks blood but can’t fly nor can she be exposed to the sunlight. She is often mistaken for a man since international intelligence officials who have been hunted her for years; find it hard to believe that a woman could actually be such an accomplished thief, or as she calls herself--acquisitions specialist.
Raylene currently has two children living with her--8 year old Pepper and 14 year old Domino. Raylene took them in after the events of Bloodshot. Also living with Raylene is Ian Stott a blind vampire for whom Raylene has a friend with benefits relationship with. Ian was experimented on by the government and lost his eye sight permanently. Lastly, there’s ex-Navy SEAL Adrian deJesus who is a drag queen better known as Sister Rose. Adrian continues to hold out hope that he will one day find his vampire sister Isabelle who was last seen in Atlanta.
Raylene lives in Seattle, Washington where she has had to change sceneries and locations after the FBI raided her warehouse where she stored a lifetime of items she either stole or collected over the years. Having used up so much of her own fortune and capital in acquiring her new place, she agrees to work with Horace Bishop who is her pimp/agent if you like.
Bishop is the director of acquisitions for a NYC auction house and has discovered some rare and highly valuable Baculum or penis bones while at an auction house. Bishop offers Raylene a substantial finder’s fee for the cigar box filled with the bones. The only problem is that Raylene is in a race against a schizophrenic genius named Elizabeth Creed who used to work for NASA and who just happens to be a powerful sorcerer when in possession of the bones. Creed has her own plans for the bones that includes changing past events.
If chasing bones around the country weren’t enough to keep our OCD with several neuroses occupied. Raylene also has to find a way to keep Ian away from his former House in San Francisco where he was once a major player before he was captured, blinded permanently, and experimented upon by the government and Jeffrey Sykes. With the death of his “father” he is now in line to become the new Judge of the house of Renner. Something he has no desire becoming which is why he has stayed undergound for the past 10 years.
I adore Raylene’s humor, snarkiness, determination, as well as her motherly tendencies towards Ian, Adrian, Domino, and Pepper. Raylene is far from done collecting lost souls, and soon adds Isabelle in an attempt to keep Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta away from Seattle.
I also appreciate that the snarkiness between Raylene and the other characters isn’t overly overdone as in other novels. There is a serious issue that underlies this series and that is the fact that Raylene wants to get even with Jeffrey Sykes for what he did to Ian, Isabelle, and other vampires he captured, and also stand up and help her fellow vampires in their time of need.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series whenever it becomes available, and thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this book before it is to be released.
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review* http://gizmosreviews.blogspot.com/
Hellbent is the second novel in the Cheshire Red Reports series by Cherie Priest. Our protagonist is Raylene Pendle who is a thief and a vampire who drinks blood but can’t fly nor can she be exposed to the sunlight. She is often mistaken for a man since international intelligence officials who have been hunted her for years; find it hard to believe that a woman could actually be such an accomplished thief, or as she calls herself--acquisitions specialist.
Raylene currently has two children living with her--8 year old Pepper and 14 year old Domino. Raylene took them in after the events of Bloodshot. Also living with Raylene is Ian Stott a blind vampire for whom Raylene has a friend with benefits relationship with. Ian was experimented on by the government and lost his eye sight permanently. Lastly, there’s ex-Navy SEAL Adrian deJesus who is a drag queen better known as Sister Rose. Adrian continues to hold out hope that he will one day find his vampire sister Isabelle who was last seen in Atlanta.
Raylene lives in Seattle, Washington where she has had to change sceneries and locations after the FBI raided her warehouse where she stored a lifetime of items she either stole or collected over the years. Having used up so much of her own fortune and capital in acquiring her new place, she agrees to work with Horace Bishop who is her pimp/agent if you like.
Bishop is the director of acquisitions for a NYC auction house and has discovered some rare and highly valuable Baculum or penis bones while at an auction house. Bishop offers Raylene a substantial finder’s fee for the cigar box filled with the bones. The only problem is that Raylene is in a race against a schizophrenic genius named Elizabeth Creed who used to work for NASA and who just happens to be a powerful sorcerer when in possession of the bones. Creed has her own plans for the bones that includes changing past events.
If chasing bones around the country weren’t enough to keep our OCD with several neuroses occupied. Raylene also has to find a way to keep Ian away from his former House in San Francisco where he was once a major player before he was captured, blinded permanently, and experimented upon by the government and Jeffrey Sykes. With the death of his “father” he is now in line to become the new Judge of the house of Renner. Something he has no desire becoming which is why he has stayed undergound for the past 10 years.
I adore Raylene’s humor, snarkiness, determination, as well as her motherly tendencies towards Ian, Adrian, Domino, and Pepper. Raylene is far from done collecting lost souls, and soon adds Isabelle in an attempt to keep Chicago, San Francisco and Atlanta away from Seattle.
I also appreciate that the snarkiness between Raylene and the other characters isn’t overly overdone as in other novels. There is a serious issue that underlies this series and that is the fact that Raylene wants to get even with Jeffrey Sykes for what he did to Ian, Isabelle, and other vampires he captured, and also stand up and help her fellow vampires in their time of need.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series whenever it becomes available, and thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me access to this book before it is to be released.
December 9, 2021
(Book #2 in a series; I gave the first book 2+ stars rounded up to 3)
Raylene (a lady vamp from circa 1921) is still a fun character. But in this book she seems to do things the very stupid/hard way, and makes some illogical decisions. Also: suspension of disbelief was not possible with regards to the 'magic' part of the plot, which I found silly.
VERDICT: 2+ stars, rounded up to 3, considering I'm not a huge fan of the urban/paranormal fantasy genre.
Would I read another book by Priest? Yes.
FAIL: The would in no way convince anyone with half a brain, much less a group of intelligent & capable vampires.
Raylene (a lady vamp from circa 1921) is still a fun character. But in this book she seems to do things the very stupid/hard way, and makes some illogical decisions. Also: suspension of disbelief was not possible with regards to the 'magic' part of the plot, which I found silly.
VERDICT: 2+ stars, rounded up to 3, considering I'm not a huge fan of the urban/paranormal fantasy genre.
Would I read another book by Priest? Yes.
FAIL: The would in no way convince anyone with half a brain, much less a group of intelligent & capable vampires.
June 16, 2013
Hellbent is an awful lot of fun. The pace picks up rather during the last half, which left me wanting more, really, and I hope to god there will be more. Soon.
Basically, what I want is for Raylene to get up to more hijinks with the help and connivance of , , Adrian, Ian, Domino, Pepper, and possibly Horace. I'm not sure I want her to succeed in the goal of avenging/fixing Ian et al: disability erasure is no fun. I don't really look forward to this arc developing further because it'll probably mean danger to the status quo, and like Raylene, I can be all about the status quo.
(I can also complain loudly about nothing happening. I know. Shut up.)
I still love Adrian so much. He's kickass, sexually attractive both in drag and out of it, he's good for Raylene, he's just... Thoroughly capable. I want him and Ian and Raylene to mother-and-father their whole weird household, and preferably get together as a threesome (since Cherie Priest doesn't shy away from having a drag queen as a hero and lesbian relationships in the background, this looks more hopeful than I'd thought).
I'm not feeling Ian, still. Not as a romantic partner for Raylene, anyway. But I could be convinced.
My only problem with the two books is Raylene's narrative voice. Why is she telling this story, and to whom? I don't think there's ever an indication of that, a thing that has bugged me about first person narration ever since Lynn O'Connacht mentioned her pet peeves about it. And while her voice feels realistic with all her digressions and so on, sometimes it starts to feel like filler.
Oh, and she never, ever, asks about what pronouns Adrian would like her to use and when. She seems generally well meaning, but not informed.
Basically, what I want is for Raylene to get up to more hijinks with the help and connivance of , , Adrian, Ian, Domino, Pepper, and possibly Horace. I'm not sure I want her to succeed in the goal of avenging/fixing Ian et al: disability erasure is no fun. I don't really look forward to this arc developing further because it'll probably mean danger to the status quo, and like Raylene, I can be all about the status quo.
(I can also complain loudly about nothing happening. I know. Shut up.)
I still love Adrian so much. He's kickass, sexually attractive both in drag and out of it, he's good for Raylene, he's just... Thoroughly capable. I want him and Ian and Raylene to mother-and-father their whole weird household, and preferably get together as a threesome (since Cherie Priest doesn't shy away from having a drag queen as a hero and lesbian relationships in the background, this looks more hopeful than I'd thought).
I'm not feeling Ian, still. Not as a romantic partner for Raylene, anyway. But I could be convinced.
My only problem with the two books is Raylene's narrative voice. Why is she telling this story, and to whom? I don't think there's ever an indication of that, a thing that has bugged me about first person narration ever since Lynn O'Connacht mentioned her pet peeves about it. And while her voice feels realistic with all her digressions and so on, sometimes it starts to feel like filler.
Oh, and she never, ever, asks about what pronouns Adrian would like her to use and when. She seems generally well meaning, but not informed.
October 6, 2011
This book put me in the awkward and new position of kind of wishing someone would make *fewer* dick jokes.
It's fun, it's fast, it's action-y, it's totally worth the time. If you need a distraction, this is a good one. That said, I didn't like it as well as the first one. The pacing is a little uneven - it feels like a middle book, and I hope it is. I would absolutely spend more time in this world, and there's still plenty of mystery to be solved and ass to be kicked.
The overall tone is lighter than Bloodshot, the mystery feels less pressing and the danger less imminent. We get more of the secondary characters from the first book, who continue to be engaging and neat. Raylene's relationships are fleshed out and deepened, and she grows as a person. Er. Vampire. It's good.
As for the dick jokes, well, okay, there are a lot of them (the central case involves some very phallic occult artifacts) but they're still funny.
It's fun, it's fast, it's action-y, it's totally worth the time. If you need a distraction, this is a good one. That said, I didn't like it as well as the first one. The pacing is a little uneven - it feels like a middle book, and I hope it is. I would absolutely spend more time in this world, and there's still plenty of mystery to be solved and ass to be kicked.
The overall tone is lighter than Bloodshot, the mystery feels less pressing and the danger less imminent. We get more of the secondary characters from the first book, who continue to be engaging and neat. Raylene's relationships are fleshed out and deepened, and she grows as a person. Er. Vampire. It's good.
As for the dick jokes, well, okay, there are a lot of them (the central case involves some very phallic occult artifacts) but they're still funny.
December 3, 2017
A 3.5. This one seems chattier than the first, which is both a good and a bad thing. The main character of Raylene seems somehow realer - more accessible, full of human tics & neuroses. The best part of this story is watching her grapple with her increasingly altruistic responses (for a previously solitary vampire / thief) and growing collection of people around her. However, the narrative does seem to switch from one storyline to another somewhat at random, making it an easy book to lose focus on / interest in.
In this book, although Raylene does have a theft she's meant to pull off (of magic penis bones, and don't think Priest doesn't eke out all possible puns on that one) most of the story focuses on vampire politics. Some VIP (vamp in charge) from Ian's past has croaked under mysterious circumstances and Raylene gets the bright idea to investigate so Ian doesn't get pulled back in to his past life and leave her. Or something. As with the first book, although the drama extends from Ian, he's almost entirely in the background and Raylene goes gallivanting off on multi-state hijinks with Adrian (still described with his drag queen alter ego even though that too is barely a factor and I am super disappointed that Priest never went into this side of his character more than as window dressing).
All the interesting parts (to me) are the relationship development between Raylene and Adrian, especially as they toe the line of him being her "ghoul" (human servant type thing). The baddies of the plot; namely, the schizophrenic witch, and the Atlanta Barrington House vamps, turn out to be not much of a challenge for Raylene - which takes a lot of air out of the narrative. I enjoyed the story anyway, it just didn't hold my interest the same as Bloodshot.
Alas, I'm given to understand this is the last of this series - or at least no more have been published as Priest moved on to other things. Too bad - even though this was weaker than the first, I'd keep reading. But then again, I've also stuck with Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series all these years. 😂 (Though library not purchase!)
Oh and just because I need to say it: I just will never buy into this relationship Raylene has with Ian! I ship Raylene & Adrian forever.
In this book, although Raylene does have a theft she's meant to pull off (of magic penis bones, and don't think Priest doesn't eke out all possible puns on that one) most of the story focuses on vampire politics. Some VIP (vamp in charge) from Ian's past has croaked under mysterious circumstances and Raylene gets the bright idea to investigate so Ian doesn't get pulled back in to his past life and leave her. Or something. As with the first book, although the drama extends from Ian, he's almost entirely in the background and Raylene goes gallivanting off on multi-state hijinks with Adrian (still described with his drag queen alter ego even though that too is barely a factor and I am super disappointed that Priest never went into this side of his character more than as window dressing).
All the interesting parts (to me) are the relationship development between Raylene and Adrian, especially as they toe the line of him being her "ghoul" (human servant type thing). The baddies of the plot; namely, the schizophrenic witch, and the Atlanta Barrington House vamps, turn out to be not much of a challenge for Raylene - which takes a lot of air out of the narrative. I enjoyed the story anyway, it just didn't hold my interest the same as Bloodshot.
Alas, I'm given to understand this is the last of this series - or at least no more have been published as Priest moved on to other things. Too bad - even though this was weaker than the first, I'd keep reading. But then again, I've also stuck with Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake series all these years. 😂 (Though library not purchase!)
Oh and just because I need to say it: I just will never buy into this relationship Raylene has with Ian! I ship Raylene & Adrian forever.
February 23, 2022
Raylene Pendle is my new favorite vampire! I loved this book so much. Cherie Priest writes with such humor, but there is also a lot of love there (although don't tell Raylene that, because she really wants to be viewed as a loner). Her little family (a vampire, 2 orphans, and a drag queen/ex-Navy Seal) are adorable, and she actually seems destined to pick up a few more to add to the group along the way.
Raylene is a vampire thief and she has been hired to retrieve a humidor full of bacula - penis bones to us lay people - that can enhance magical abilities. Of course, this proves to be more difficult than expected when she has to chase a psychotic sorceress to get them. She also has to save her friend, Ian, from possible extermination at the hands of his "brother" when the head of their House is killed and Ian is next in line to inherit.
I loved the way all of the characters were so distinct and had their own individual personalities, and that their back stories were explained.in a very organic and natural way. The pacing was great, which made this an enjoyable and quick read.
In summary, I highly recommend this book.
5/5 stars.
I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
Raylene is a vampire thief and she has been hired to retrieve a humidor full of bacula - penis bones to us lay people - that can enhance magical abilities. Of course, this proves to be more difficult than expected when she has to chase a psychotic sorceress to get them. She also has to save her friend, Ian, from possible extermination at the hands of his "brother" when the head of their House is killed and Ian is next in line to inherit.
I loved the way all of the characters were so distinct and had their own individual personalities, and that their back stories were explained.in a very organic and natural way. The pacing was great, which made this an enjoyable and quick read.
In summary, I highly recommend this book.
5/5 stars.
I received a copy of this book free of charge in exchange for my honest opinion.
February 3, 2018
I was kind of on the fence about reading this series. I love Cherie Priest's stuff, but ain't a big fan of vampires. But she is one of the authors I want to read everything from, and so I had to give it a chance.
I was pleasantly surprised by the first book, there wasn't that much focus on vampires and the vampire-tropes.
This duology is about a female vampire thief.
I really do love the way her character is described and made. I love the way her mind wanders and how she thinks. I like her values and arcs.
I am a fan of Priest's writing, and this book isn't an exception. I feel it has a nice flow and drags me into the story.
The story in this book was also a lot of fun, even if it was a little... much, maybe?
A lot happened, and while it built up to a good follow, I'm sad to realize that there won't be a book three in this series.
With everything happening in this book, I'm actually looking forward to how the story would evolve...
I was pleasantly surprised by the first book, there wasn't that much focus on vampires and the vampire-tropes.
This duology is about a female vampire thief.
I really do love the way her character is described and made. I love the way her mind wanders and how she thinks. I like her values and arcs.
I am a fan of Priest's writing, and this book isn't an exception. I feel it has a nice flow and drags me into the story.
The story in this book was also a lot of fun, even if it was a little... much, maybe?
A lot happened, and while it built up to a good follow, I'm sad to realize that there won't be a book three in this series.
With everything happening in this book, I'm actually looking forward to how the story would evolve...
June 24, 2017
Finalmente l'ho finito. La lettura è stata lenta non perché era in lingua inglese ma perché non coinvolgeva abbastanza. Libro piacevole da leggere ma forse i libri sui vampiri cominciano a non entusiasmarmi più.
June 23, 2017
Having loved book one I was so much looking forward to reading, what is at the moment, the final book in the series but I was very disappointed with it on all levels.
Horace wants to hire Raylene to steal some items that he stumbled upon and doesn't want to pay the seller for. Supernatural penis bones. Yes the bones from unmentionable parts of things like werewolves which can be used for spellcasting. The rest of the discussion between the two results in continued cringeworthy penis jokes every few lines and this got old really fast. I was not greatly amused by the constant 'funny' quips about dick sticks and other ridiculous combinations. I felt as if the characters had been turned into giggling ten year old boys thinking up new dirty words. The whole thing was childish and not entertaining.
So Raylene goes to find the stupid things but is beaten to it by the mentally deranged Elizabeth who attempts to use lightning to kill Raylene as she escapes the building. Cue more phone exchanges with Horace about the penis bones before Raylene and Adrian take a road trip to find Elizabeth. She was fired for lying about her mental health and is now out to kill her ex-boss with a tornado while he is inside a building with hundreds of other people. Raylene decides to steal the bones, let Elizabeth kill everyone and then helps her to escape. Seriously Raylene? You think it's ok for her to kill lots of people because he has a grudge against the guy who fired her? I wasn't very impressed with that at all. And we never do find out if the boss dies in the disaster!
Meanwhile Ian's brother Max is trying to track him down to kill him because Max wants to control the Vampire House and Ian is the current heir to it. On the road trip they visit Max to make a deal. She'll get Ian to phone his brother, she'll represent Max in an investigation at another Vampire House where their father was murdered as a visitor and Adrian gets to poke around that House where his sister used to live. The visit to the House is weird, and the deranged vampire family are like the undead Brady Bunch on drugs. The whole scenario was very confused and I felt as if the author wasn't exactly sure where she wanted to take this after Raylene got there.
Those two plots were the whole story of the book and it was just really dull. The second plot for me was just there to resolve the issue of Adrian's missing sister but it was clumsy and not greatly interesting. Ian is reduced to the role of babysitter to the street kids who is not permitted to get involved in anything. He's blind, not incapable! Elizabeth is not a great character yet suddenly she is added to the household despite having tried to kill Raylene twice. Adrian is reduced to nothing more than assistant pretending to be a ghoul and for Raylene to fight with. He is often dispatched to explore or hang out with ghouls while Raylene does the investigating which is a waste of his talents.
Everything that made the first book great was lacking here. The group dynamic of them all working together is gone with Ian missing from most of it, stuck at home as babysitter and teacher. His relationship with Raylene has gone from interesting to awkward and unconvincing. The street kids play with the new cat and mouth off but contribute little else. The humour goes from snarky to juvenile with the endless penis jokes that grated on my last nerve. And the fast paced action is reduced to a limp road trip that does little to excite or interest.
I just feel deflated. I wanted to love this but finishing it was starting to feel more like a chore and the author and characters are much better than the final product delivered here. It leaves me wondering whether I would risk reading on if a third novel was self published. Not sure.
Horace wants to hire Raylene to steal some items that he stumbled upon and doesn't want to pay the seller for. Supernatural penis bones. Yes the bones from unmentionable parts of things like werewolves which can be used for spellcasting. The rest of the discussion between the two results in continued cringeworthy penis jokes every few lines and this got old really fast. I was not greatly amused by the constant 'funny' quips about dick sticks and other ridiculous combinations. I felt as if the characters had been turned into giggling ten year old boys thinking up new dirty words. The whole thing was childish and not entertaining.
So Raylene goes to find the stupid things but is beaten to it by the mentally deranged Elizabeth who attempts to use lightning to kill Raylene as she escapes the building. Cue more phone exchanges with Horace about the penis bones before Raylene and Adrian take a road trip to find Elizabeth. She was fired for lying about her mental health and is now out to kill her ex-boss with a tornado while he is inside a building with hundreds of other people. Raylene decides to steal the bones, let Elizabeth kill everyone and then helps her to escape. Seriously Raylene? You think it's ok for her to kill lots of people because he has a grudge against the guy who fired her? I wasn't very impressed with that at all. And we never do find out if the boss dies in the disaster!
Meanwhile Ian's brother Max is trying to track him down to kill him because Max wants to control the Vampire House and Ian is the current heir to it. On the road trip they visit Max to make a deal. She'll get Ian to phone his brother, she'll represent Max in an investigation at another Vampire House where their father was murdered as a visitor and Adrian gets to poke around that House where his sister used to live. The visit to the House is weird, and the deranged vampire family are like the undead Brady Bunch on drugs. The whole scenario was very confused and I felt as if the author wasn't exactly sure where she wanted to take this after Raylene got there.
Those two plots were the whole story of the book and it was just really dull. The second plot for me was just there to resolve the issue of Adrian's missing sister but it was clumsy and not greatly interesting. Ian is reduced to the role of babysitter to the street kids who is not permitted to get involved in anything. He's blind, not incapable! Elizabeth is not a great character yet suddenly she is added to the household despite having tried to kill Raylene twice. Adrian is reduced to nothing more than assistant pretending to be a ghoul and for Raylene to fight with. He is often dispatched to explore or hang out with ghouls while Raylene does the investigating which is a waste of his talents.
Everything that made the first book great was lacking here. The group dynamic of them all working together is gone with Ian missing from most of it, stuck at home as babysitter and teacher. His relationship with Raylene has gone from interesting to awkward and unconvincing. The street kids play with the new cat and mouth off but contribute little else. The humour goes from snarky to juvenile with the endless penis jokes that grated on my last nerve. And the fast paced action is reduced to a limp road trip that does little to excite or interest.
I just feel deflated. I wanted to love this but finishing it was starting to feel more like a chore and the author and characters are much better than the final product delivered here. It leaves me wondering whether I would risk reading on if a third novel was self published. Not sure.
August 26, 2011
You may also read my review here: http://www.mybookishways.com/2011/08/...
After her last adventure,our favorite OCD cat burglar and vamp,Raylene Pendle,is settling into domestic bliss (yeah right),with Ian Stott,the blind vampire that she’d like to be more than friends with,and her two pet humans,Domino and Pepper,street kids,and brother and sister that she’s taken under her wing. Raylene’s longtime contact,Horace Bishop,has a job for her,and just when she thinks she’s gotten away from the “weird jobs”,Horace wants her to steal a collection of,er,penis bones (aka Bakula) from various supes,like weres,gryphons,and unicorns,from the owner who was not willing part with them. Evidently these relics are used in all kinds of spells and rituals,and Horace is desperate to get his hands on them. When Raylene discovers that a brilliant,schizophrenic ex-NASA scientist is using them for her own mysterious reasons,Raylene begins to identify with her,and the more she learns,the more she wants to help her,in spite of her constant resistance to human attachment. Add that to her attempts to untangle Ian from the politics of his House,her growing feelings for him,and desperation to keep him by her side,and you’ve certainly got a recipe for fun,er,disaster! Hellbent is certainly not short of adventure,and when Raylene asks Adrian,ex-Navy SEAL and fabulous drag queen extraordinaire,to accompany her to Atlanta,to act as her ghoul and confront Barrington House (one of the most dangerous Houses in existence),things really get tense.
One of my favorite things about Raylene is that her tough as nails exterior hides her inner vulnerability. She’s very OCD,so she’s drawn to weaknesses in others,and it definitely brings out a “mommy” quality in her,no matter how much she tries to protest that this is the case. I just get more and more attached to Adrian,and Ian is like a gorgeous piece of art that I’d like to admire from afar (not Raylene,though,she wants to admire him way up close,but I digress…). There are a ton of upheavals in Raylene’s life in Hellbent,and she certainly deals with everything in her own unique,anal way,but that’s one of the things I love most about her. She’s a tough nut,yes,but there is a gooey center in there,it just takes certain things to get through to it. In Raylene,Ms. Priest has created a very complex character that’s at once tough and vulnerable,and sweet and salty,then surrounded her with a fascinating cast of characters that leave plenty of possibilities open for future story lines. It’s rare for a vampire character to leave me with the warm and fuzzies,but Raylene manages it,and the conclusion to Hellbent will leave you grinning from ear to ear. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
After her last adventure,our favorite OCD cat burglar and vamp,Raylene Pendle,is settling into domestic bliss (yeah right),with Ian Stott,the blind vampire that she’d like to be more than friends with,and her two pet humans,Domino and Pepper,street kids,and brother and sister that she’s taken under her wing. Raylene’s longtime contact,Horace Bishop,has a job for her,and just when she thinks she’s gotten away from the “weird jobs”,Horace wants her to steal a collection of,er,penis bones (aka Bakula) from various supes,like weres,gryphons,and unicorns,from the owner who was not willing part with them. Evidently these relics are used in all kinds of spells and rituals,and Horace is desperate to get his hands on them. When Raylene discovers that a brilliant,schizophrenic ex-NASA scientist is using them for her own mysterious reasons,Raylene begins to identify with her,and the more she learns,the more she wants to help her,in spite of her constant resistance to human attachment. Add that to her attempts to untangle Ian from the politics of his House,her growing feelings for him,and desperation to keep him by her side,and you’ve certainly got a recipe for fun,er,disaster! Hellbent is certainly not short of adventure,and when Raylene asks Adrian,ex-Navy SEAL and fabulous drag queen extraordinaire,to accompany her to Atlanta,to act as her ghoul and confront Barrington House (one of the most dangerous Houses in existence),things really get tense.
One of my favorite things about Raylene is that her tough as nails exterior hides her inner vulnerability. She’s very OCD,so she’s drawn to weaknesses in others,and it definitely brings out a “mommy” quality in her,no matter how much she tries to protest that this is the case. I just get more and more attached to Adrian,and Ian is like a gorgeous piece of art that I’d like to admire from afar (not Raylene,though,she wants to admire him way up close,but I digress…). There are a ton of upheavals in Raylene’s life in Hellbent,and she certainly deals with everything in her own unique,anal way,but that’s one of the things I love most about her. She’s a tough nut,yes,but there is a gooey center in there,it just takes certain things to get through to it. In Raylene,Ms. Priest has created a very complex character that’s at once tough and vulnerable,and sweet and salty,then surrounded her with a fascinating cast of characters that leave plenty of possibilities open for future story lines. It’s rare for a vampire character to leave me with the warm and fuzzies,but Raylene manages it,and the conclusion to Hellbent will leave you grinning from ear to ear. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!
September 11, 2011
Hellbent by Cherie Priest is the second book in her Cheshire Red urban fantasy series.
Vampire and renowned thief Raylene Pendle is back for another adventure. This time, Raylene agrees to steal some very powerful magical bones for her fence, Horace. The only problem is that someone beats Raylene to the bones, murders the owner of the bones, and almost fries Raylene with lightning. But Raylene needs the fat payday that Horace is promising her for retrieving the bones to help take care of her new makeshift family, which includes a blind vampire named Ian and a couple of runaway human kids. So Raylene decides to track down the bones with the help of her friend Adrian, an ex-Navy SEAL and drag queen. Along the way, Raylene also gets drawn into some complicated politics and power plays between two vampire groups -- ones that just might be the death of her ...
I enjoyed Bloodshot, the first book in this series, and I liked this book too. Raylene is a really great character -- snarky, sassy, and sarcastic, but still a little vulnerable too. Raylene never meant to have any kind of family, but now that she does, she'll do whatever it takes to protect them. It was fun reading about the scrapes that she gets herself into and out of and how she manages to hang onto her sense of humor through some bad situations.
However, my main problem with the book is that not much happens regarding the Bloodshot conspiracy. The first book in the series was all about Ian and the fact that the vampire had been experimented on by the government. In the first book, Ian hires Raylene to track down some documents for him in hopes of restoring his eyesight. There were several questions left hanging at the end of the first book, and I was hoping that we might get the answers to them in this book.
But it seems like Priest goes in a completely different direction with the story. The focus is split between trying to track down the magical bones and some vampire politics that affect Ian. There are a few mentions made to the Bloodshot project, but Raylene doesn't really do anything to find out more about the conspiracy, although she does run into a character connected to both Ian and Adrian near the end of the book. I enjoyed the book, but I would have liked more continuity and cohesion in the overall story arcs.
Overall, this is an entertaining urban fantasy. If you like sassy first-person heroines, you should check out this series.
Vampire and renowned thief Raylene Pendle is back for another adventure. This time, Raylene agrees to steal some very powerful magical bones for her fence, Horace. The only problem is that someone beats Raylene to the bones, murders the owner of the bones, and almost fries Raylene with lightning. But Raylene needs the fat payday that Horace is promising her for retrieving the bones to help take care of her new makeshift family, which includes a blind vampire named Ian and a couple of runaway human kids. So Raylene decides to track down the bones with the help of her friend Adrian, an ex-Navy SEAL and drag queen. Along the way, Raylene also gets drawn into some complicated politics and power plays between two vampire groups -- ones that just might be the death of her ...
I enjoyed Bloodshot, the first book in this series, and I liked this book too. Raylene is a really great character -- snarky, sassy, and sarcastic, but still a little vulnerable too. Raylene never meant to have any kind of family, but now that she does, she'll do whatever it takes to protect them. It was fun reading about the scrapes that she gets herself into and out of and how she manages to hang onto her sense of humor through some bad situations.
However, my main problem with the book is that not much happens regarding the Bloodshot conspiracy. The first book in the series was all about Ian and the fact that the vampire had been experimented on by the government. In the first book, Ian hires Raylene to track down some documents for him in hopes of restoring his eyesight. There were several questions left hanging at the end of the first book, and I was hoping that we might get the answers to them in this book.
But it seems like Priest goes in a completely different direction with the story. The focus is split between trying to track down the magical bones and some vampire politics that affect Ian. There are a few mentions made to the Bloodshot project, but Raylene doesn't really do anything to find out more about the conspiracy, although she does run into a character connected to both Ian and Adrian near the end of the book. I enjoyed the book, but I would have liked more continuity and cohesion in the overall story arcs.
Overall, this is an entertaining urban fantasy. If you like sassy first-person heroines, you should check out this series.
September 21, 2011
This review was originally published at Vampire Book Club.
No matter how dark the subject matter, Cherie Priest always manages to make me laugh. Her Cheshire Red heroine Raylene continues to kick ass and take names, all the while saying the disdainful things we think about those surrounding her — especially hipsters. (Really, karaoke to Coldplay? *shudders*)
Raylene had planned to take a break after all the drama in Bloodshot. She’s settled into a new warehouse along with Ian and her two “pet humans.” Ex-Navy SEAL Adrian (sometimes known as drag queen Sister Rose) lives nearby, and she’s continued to vow to help him find his sister. She kind of owes him after the mess that happened at the end of the last book, no?
But big money and assurances that it’s an easy job, put Raylene back in thieving mode. The prize this time? Penis bones. No, I’m not joking. Bacula, or penis bones, from supernatural beings magnify power for witches and fetch serious money. The person who has them is both brilliant — we’re talking rocket scientist — and mentally ill. And she has no qualms about using those bones to take down buildings.
In addition to the hired gig, Raylene is also intervening on Ian’s behalf with his old house. Political posturing, vampire anagram fun and dealings with the heinous Atlanta House ensue. Oddly, it’s this part that was my favorite in the book and what made me pull down the star rating. I loved the madcap action in Atlanta. There’s fighting and serious ingenuity on Raylene’s part. Loved that. However, when I finished Bloodshot I expected we’d continue on the thread of seeking out Adrian’s sister and those who hurt Ian in Hellbent. We get a smidge of that, but really the events surrounding this core part of the last story lacked the depth I found in the rest of Hellbent.
So, I’m conflicted. I had a blast reading Hellbent. I adored spending another novel with Raylene and found myself liking Adrian even more, the plot was twisty enough to keep me wondering and the new characters were full of win. But don’t expect to get any real answer on the whole supernatural experimentation thing.
No matter how dark the subject matter, Cherie Priest always manages to make me laugh. Her Cheshire Red heroine Raylene continues to kick ass and take names, all the while saying the disdainful things we think about those surrounding her — especially hipsters. (Really, karaoke to Coldplay? *shudders*)
Raylene had planned to take a break after all the drama in Bloodshot. She’s settled into a new warehouse along with Ian and her two “pet humans.” Ex-Navy SEAL Adrian (sometimes known as drag queen Sister Rose) lives nearby, and she’s continued to vow to help him find his sister. She kind of owes him after the mess that happened at the end of the last book, no?
But big money and assurances that it’s an easy job, put Raylene back in thieving mode. The prize this time? Penis bones. No, I’m not joking. Bacula, or penis bones, from supernatural beings magnify power for witches and fetch serious money. The person who has them is both brilliant — we’re talking rocket scientist — and mentally ill. And she has no qualms about using those bones to take down buildings.
In addition to the hired gig, Raylene is also intervening on Ian’s behalf with his old house. Political posturing, vampire anagram fun and dealings with the heinous Atlanta House ensue. Oddly, it’s this part that was my favorite in the book and what made me pull down the star rating. I loved the madcap action in Atlanta. There’s fighting and serious ingenuity on Raylene’s part. Loved that. However, when I finished Bloodshot I expected we’d continue on the thread of seeking out Adrian’s sister and those who hurt Ian in Hellbent. We get a smidge of that, but really the events surrounding this core part of the last story lacked the depth I found in the rest of Hellbent.
So, I’m conflicted. I had a blast reading Hellbent. I adored spending another novel with Raylene and found myself liking Adrian even more, the plot was twisty enough to keep me wondering and the new characters were full of win. But don’t expect to get any real answer on the whole supernatural experimentation thing.
November 26, 2013
Hellbent is the second book in Cherie Priest's Cheshire Red Reports. Following the events of Bloodshot, master vampire thief Raylene Pendle finds herself not quite the loner she once was. But her fledgling family is threatened when Ian is called back to his old vampire house, an action that may cost him his life.
I read Bloodshot about a year ago, and while I wouldn't list it as one of my top titles of the year, I must admit that I found it to be a fun, yet enjoyable read that's not afraid to play with the conventions of the urban fantasy genre. I came out of Hellbent feeling pretty much the same way. I think what makes these books so enjoyable is the mixture of humor and action. Although Raylene's voice feels a touch too modern for an immortal vampire from another era (admittedly, she's not ancient, but she's not a snarky twenty-something anymore), there's something really entertaining about the way she sees the world. This is further enhanced by audiobook narrator Natalie Ross, who puts a delightful purr to her voice. Hellbent is also filled with plenty of amusing side characters, including Raylene's best friend Adrian, an ex-Navy Seal who spends nights working as a drag queen.
What ends up drawing down the book a little bit is the fact that it's time is split between two storylines. Neither are particularly bad, but because Hellbent is not a lengthily tome, you end up feeling a little short changed. This is especially true with the story involving the Atlanta House. Also, this is not exactly a negative on this book, but I was a little surprised to learn that there wasn't a third book published, or in the works. Now I understand that Priest has some great stuff going on with her Steampunk books, but with the way that things ended, there is clearly a door left open for book three. I hope that the author decides to revisit this story at a future date. I'd love to see what happens next.
I read Bloodshot about a year ago, and while I wouldn't list it as one of my top titles of the year, I must admit that I found it to be a fun, yet enjoyable read that's not afraid to play with the conventions of the urban fantasy genre. I came out of Hellbent feeling pretty much the same way. I think what makes these books so enjoyable is the mixture of humor and action. Although Raylene's voice feels a touch too modern for an immortal vampire from another era (admittedly, she's not ancient, but she's not a snarky twenty-something anymore), there's something really entertaining about the way she sees the world. This is further enhanced by audiobook narrator Natalie Ross, who puts a delightful purr to her voice. Hellbent is also filled with plenty of amusing side characters, including Raylene's best friend Adrian, an ex-Navy Seal who spends nights working as a drag queen.
What ends up drawing down the book a little bit is the fact that it's time is split between two storylines. Neither are particularly bad, but because Hellbent is not a lengthily tome, you end up feeling a little short changed. This is especially true with the story involving the Atlanta House. Also, this is not exactly a negative on this book, but I was a little surprised to learn that there wasn't a third book published, or in the works. Now I understand that Priest has some great stuff going on with her Steampunk books, but with the way that things ended, there is clearly a door left open for book three. I hope that the author decides to revisit this story at a future date. I'd love to see what happens next.
August 1, 2011
What fun! This was a beautifully plotted and excellently-written romp.
And i say "romp" with the highest praise; it's a great type of book to read, and it looks like a very hard style to write well.
The protagonist here has a voice more similar to Priest's blog entries than most of her other novels, which I quite enjoyed.
I am also enjoying the way she is embracing what is often a problem with on-going series: the way the protagonist tends to accumulate extra people in her/his sphere at a rate of 1-2/book. Priest is handling this beautifully and successfully; I can completely see how "Hellbent"'s acquisitions will probably be really important in the next book or 2 in the series; it's not accidental here. (The thing that makes this annoying is that in many cases it does seem accidental, and then subsequent novels are not so much about the plot as they are about ensuring that everyone's favorite peripheral character gets a look-in.)
I liked this even better than "Bloodshot", which I loved. The snarkiness at times was a bit much... but the more action there was, the more that was in-context, and Priest writes GREAT action.
I am very much looking forward to a hoped-for #3! While this didn't end on a cliff-hanger, Priest was careful to include several hooks for future volumes, which I will pounce on.
And i say "romp" with the highest praise; it's a great type of book to read, and it looks like a very hard style to write well.
The protagonist here has a voice more similar to Priest's blog entries than most of her other novels, which I quite enjoyed.
I am also enjoying the way she is embracing what is often a problem with on-going series: the way the protagonist tends to accumulate extra people in her/his sphere at a rate of 1-2/book. Priest is handling this beautifully and successfully; I can completely see how "Hellbent"'s acquisitions will probably be really important in the next book or 2 in the series; it's not accidental here. (The thing that makes this annoying is that in many cases it does seem accidental, and then subsequent novels are not so much about the plot as they are about ensuring that everyone's favorite peripheral character gets a look-in.)
I liked this even better than "Bloodshot", which I loved. The snarkiness at times was a bit much... but the more action there was, the more that was in-context, and Priest writes GREAT action.
I am very much looking forward to a hoped-for #3! While this didn't end on a cliff-hanger, Priest was careful to include several hooks for future volumes, which I will pounce on.
March 24, 2012
Better than the first, a little bit of humor, but two areas I didn't like are:
Raylene is trying to find a witch who has stolen some penis bones that Horace wants. The first time they meet Elizabeth the witch throws her from the roof of a mission. So when she finds out where Elizabeth is going to next she wear a vintage Chanel that she bought herself in the 1930s. The preceding sentence should be screeched. For a smackdown, everyone knows you wear something you could care less about because there is the off chance it might get ripped or soiled. You do not wear anything you love and Raylene does love the Chanel.
Second, Elizabeth wants to kill one guy and thinks of everyone around as collateral damage. Raylene is fine with this and actually says so out loud. At first I thought she was BS'ing Elizabeth, but nope, she's okay with it. When she later mentions that 20 people were killed, it's as an aside. How can she care for some people and then care nothing about others? Shouldn't compassion kind of go across the board? Yes, there are levels, but still there should be an odd bit here and there. Not according to Raylene.
The story itself is good, the action is good, the ending is good. But those two things above bug me.
Raylene is trying to find a witch who has stolen some penis bones that Horace wants. The first time they meet Elizabeth the witch throws her from the roof of a mission. So when she finds out where Elizabeth is going to next she wear a vintage Chanel that she bought herself in the 1930s. The preceding sentence should be screeched. For a smackdown, everyone knows you wear something you could care less about because there is the off chance it might get ripped or soiled. You do not wear anything you love and Raylene does love the Chanel.
Second, Elizabeth wants to kill one guy and thinks of everyone around as collateral damage. Raylene is fine with this and actually says so out loud. At first I thought she was BS'ing Elizabeth, but nope, she's okay with it. When she later mentions that 20 people were killed, it's as an aside. How can she care for some people and then care nothing about others? Shouldn't compassion kind of go across the board? Yes, there are levels, but still there should be an odd bit here and there. Not according to Raylene.
The story itself is good, the action is good, the ending is good. But those two things above bug me.
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