Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Book 2 of Siobhan Quinn
Publication Date: February 4, 2014
Author Information: Website | Twitter
Mogsy's Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Even before the first page, I was cracking up at the epigraphs. Okay, maybe it's just the geek in me, but I don't think it's possible to go wrong with a book that quotes "old Asura proverbs" from Guild Wars 2. Regardless, I knew I was going to be in for a ride with this one, and I would have expected nothing less from the follow-up to the utterly brilliant book that was Blood Oranges. Yep, it feels great to be back in the world of
Much like the first book, Red Delicious delivers a healthy dose of
dark humor and satire. Our favorite half-werewolf, half-vampire heroine
is back working a case for her boss Mean Mr. B, following the trail of a missing
teenage girl who also happens to be the youngest daughter of a local
bigwig necromancer. But, as Quinn so often likes to remind us, she is
not a detective. Oh, and don't call her Siobhan. Not unless you want to
keep all your teeth.
What follows next is an outrageously entertaining sequence of
events as Quinn gets caught up in a tangle involving demons, alternate
universes, and an ancient magical artifact of immense power which I can't even
physically describe here without having to raise the content rating of
this review. Trapped in the middle of everything, it'll take Quinn
everything she has just to get out of this one alive.
This story is guaranteed to serve up lots of laughs and no small
amount of raised eyebrows. This is not your typical urban fantasy,
folks. The author's note pretty much says it all; if you're looking for romance, likeable heroes, seductively attractive werewolves
and vampires, or books in general that don't come with a warning label,
then this series is probably not for you. But if you're down with
checking out a side of this genre which has never been seen before, Kathleen Tierney
(nom de plume of renowned speculative fiction author Caitlín R. Kiernan)
will seriously rock your world.
I still remember my first encounter with Quinn, which was such a refreshing
experience. She's a pure riot! I think the first time I heard her
describe herself as a "werepire" I almost fell out of my chair. A
self-admitted coward, shamelessly compulsive liar and a terribly
unreliable narrator to boot, she's nonetheless an anti-heroine you can't
help but love. She will make her own rules when telling her story, and
won't give a crap if you don't like it. Always fond of breaking the
fourth wall, throughout the book Quinn will even tell you that herself --
though I assure you she is much less polite about it! This is a
protagonist who will blast away all your expectations with the shocking
things she says and does.
It's this tongue-in-cheek, almost parodic take on urban fantasy
that makes me love these books so much. This series breaks the mold in
more ways than one, and is perfect for those needing a quick breather
from the more traditional UF tropes. The fast-paced, volatile and
unpredictable nature of the story means there is never a dull moment. Red Delicious is a worthy sequel, just as amazing as Blood Oranges!
A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Roc Books!
