Book Review

The Iron Hunt

By: Marjorie M. Liu

Publisher: Ace Books

Publish Date: July 2008

Genre: Fiction, Paranormal

Series: 1st book of Hunter Kiss series

Recommendation: YES!!!

First Sentence:

When I was eight, my mother lost me to zombies in a one-card draw.

Book Synopsis:

Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities... tattoos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.

I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss.

By day, her tattoos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own - demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. It's the only way to live, and the very way she'll die. For one day her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival 0 leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies.

But such is the way of Earth's last protector - the only one standing between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veil. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment - and one man - changes everything...

My Review and Summary:

I am not going to say to much on what happens in the book. I think the book synopsis does a very good job of that. So, I am going to try and stick to my thoughts on this review.

This book is a great beginning to a unique series idea. This book introduces you to all the characters and given what you need to love them, along with the fast pacing to keep you going. The book is VERY well written to make me love and hate the characters with Maxine as we go through the story. I loved how there are many different demons and creatures. By the end of the book, I felt I knew the characters well, but had many curiosities of them. My curiosities were not from a lack in the story, but more of my thinking on the characters afterward. Where they are from and what they could truely be capable of.

There are things here that Marjorie lays out for you to foresee in the story, but there are so many unpredictable happenings, and appearances as well. You get pieces of the plot to puzzle together as the story goes and it keeps you wanting more. I didn't want to put the book down. Another great book where I tried to make stopping points but just could NOT find one, I had to keep reading to find out what happens and what creature am I going to meet next.

I do have to mention the '80s references ~ on the radio and tv reruns. The references are in no way over done. I enjoyed the subtlety of them, since I too am an '80s lover.

One of my favorite characters in the book were the tattoos. I loved the WHOLE idea with/of them. The way they live, protecting Maxine both day and night in different ways. The way they help guide Maxine even when they are sleeping. This is an amazing creation that I look forward to reading more of.

The only thing with this story was I felt, in the first fifty pages or so, I had missed some information. Maybe I missed a story that preceded this book or maybe this is information that is left open to be discussed in future books. Either way it did not hinder the book in any way and keeps a little mystery in the book and future installments for me.

In the end, I loved this books' plot and the characters. I would recommend this book to anyone loving paranormal books.