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Since I was off-line yesterday (for the most part!), I took the opportunity to rock through Hellhound by Nancy Holzner. It's part of her "Deadtown" urban fantasy series.

When Deadtown's zombies begin attacking humans, it results in an escalation of tensions between paranormals and humans. Vicky believes the attacks are demon-fueled, and she suspects her nemesis, Pryce, is behind it. When she contacts her Aunt Mab regarding her suspicions, Mab immediately flies to Boston to lend a hand in what promises to be a supernatural battle.

In the meantime, Vicky is worried about her werewolf boyfriend, Kane, who made a fool's bargain with the Night Hag. The full moon is fast approaching, and this time, Kane will be turned into a Hellhound. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Night Hag has pledged to send her hounds after Vicky.

When Vicky and Mab learn that the white falcon of Hellsmoor, which is the current host to the soul of Vicky's father, can kill the demonic Morfran, they realize he is the falcon of prophecy. Too bad that the Night Hag wants the falcon for her own.

As with all of the books in this series, there was quite a lot going on. Various subplots weaved together to form the story. Again, Vicky had family issues to deal with on top of trying to stay alive and keep both Kane and her father out of the Night Hag's clutches. It was also a testament to the strength of love, both the love Vicky and Kane have for one another, and the love between Vicky's parents. I was thoroughly engrossed, and it was difficult to set the book aside.

Favorite lines:
♦ If you've never gotten a disapproving look from a holier-than-thou zombie you haven't really lived.
♦ "I couldn't let a little thing like death keep us apart."

Fabulous, five stars!

*****

Thursday night, I finished reading Bloodstone, which is the third installment in the "Deadtown" series by author Nancy Holzner. As with the first two books in the series, there was a lot going on. Not only was there the main plot, but many subplots were woven into it.

When humans in Boston are murdered and their bodies mutilated, the city's paranormal element is blamed. Citizens of Deadtown are restricted to their own section of the city. However, demon hunter and shapeshifter Vicky Vaughn knows it's not one of Deadtown's residents who is to blame. When she is captured by a demi-demon and almost killed in the same, ritualistic manner as the prior victims, Vicky's Aunt Mab manages to reach her and rescue her, all the way from Wales. During the battle to save Vicky, her werewolf-lawyer boyfriend Kane is turned to his wolf form, and no one knows for sure if he'll be stuck in that form until the next full moon. Now Vicky has a personal reason for putting a halt to the killings and sending the demon responsible to hell permanently.

In addition, Vicky's niece is showing signs of coming into her heritage as a shapeshifter, Vicky's long-lost roommate, the vampire Juliet Capulet (yes, THAT Juliet Capulet!) has returned, and Vicky's former apprentice, the zombie Tina, would like another shot at learning how to hunt demons.

All in a day's work for poor Vicky!

I love these books. Describing them as "fast-paced" almost doesn't do them justice. I get caught up in the stories easily, and they're difficult to put down. Giving this one five stars!

★★★★★

Last night, I finished reading Deadtown by Nancy Holzner. It's an urban fantasy featuring heroine Victory (Vicky) Vaughn.

Vicky is a shapeshifter, which is a rarity in the world of paranormals. In the story, werewolves, zombies, vampires, etc are known as PAs (Paranormal Americans), and they are engaged in a political battle to gain the same rights as normal humans ("norms"). And, that's just the background of the book.

There was so much going on in this book. The way PAs were treated by mainstream Americans was atrocious. In Boston, they're forced to live in a small, designated area known as Deadtown. Vicky's boyfriend, werewolf-slash-attorney Alexander Kane, is heavily involved in the politics, while Vicky's own family are drawn into the drama when a fanatic geneticist kidnaps Vicky's niece for testing. In the meantime, Vicky is engaged in battle with the demon who killed her father, and she must thwart an attack on Boston.

The book was quite intriguing, and I hope it was just the first in a series. I'll need to look for others by the same author. This one gets four stars.

★★★★