Book Review: Darkness Calls

Darkness Calls

By: Marjorie M. Liu

Publisher: Ace Books

Publish Date: July 2009

Format: Paperback (4"x 6 3/4"), pgs 303

Genre: Fiction, Paranormal

Series: 2nd bookof Hunter Kiss Series (If you would like to read the 1st books review click here.)

Recommendation: Yes! If you read the first book you have to read this one!

First Sentence:

Zombies had a bad habit of shooting me in the head.

Book Synopsis:

They are the obsidian shadows of my flesh-tattos with minds, hearts, and dreams. By day, they protect me. But when night calls to them, they leave my body, dissolving into their true form-as demons...

Nomad born and bred, demon hunter Maxine Kiss has always relied upon herself to fight the darkness that surrounds her, the predators-human, zombie, and otherwise-who threaten the earth. But one man has penetrated her lonely life: Grant, the last of his kind. With the ability to manipulate energy, he can control any living creature... including demons. And now his life is in danger.

Haunted by the past, determined to change the future, Maxine soon understands that to save Grant, she has only one choice-to lose control and release her own powers of darkness...

My Review and Summary:

Once again the synopsis the book gives is very well done. It hits on all the major topics in the book.

As I noted above, if you have read the first book you need to read this one.

The beginning of the book gives a lot of review with the new happenings to catch you up with the time from reading book one and the release of book two. There is a lot here to get you back up to speed in that break time frame, however for me it was a little slow since I had just finished the first book with all the happenings fresh in my mind. But, when the book picks up on its own path and goes... It goes!

You do get your share of action with Maxine along with the love her and Grant share. But most of all you start to get the story behind Jack and a few other key characters (you have to read to see who and what it is - it is worth it!). The history with Jack and many of the characters, including Maxines' heritage, is amazing and really opens the world up to so much more possibilities. I love the style Marjorie has used to tell the stories through-out the book. You start to see that through the labyrinth their is a large world and lots of great mystery behind the different creatures you are introduced to. You even get to see the connection between all the creatures that is intreging. Then there is an interesting take on where humans came from in accordance to the ancient beings.

I have loved the world and mystery in the Labyrinth. I would love to learn more of the Labyrinth and the magics it holds. After reading this book with the great character building we are still waiting for the veil to fail, and there are a few other troubles that could come Maxines way for the next few books to come.

I am going to be on the watch for book three to be coming out. I have found that Marjorie has a story of Maxine in an anthology of four authors called Wild Things. And there is a new anthology of 4 authors to be out in January 2010 that includes another story of Maxine called Inked. I will be looking into these two books after the new year.