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Colbana Files #1
Blade Song
Kit Colbana - half breed, assassin, thief, jack of all trades - has a new job: track down the missing ward of one of the local alpha shapeshifters. It should be a piece of cake.
So why is she so nervous? It probably has something to do with the insanity that happens when you deal with shifters - especially sexy ones who come bearing promises of easy jobs and easier money.
Or maybe it’s all the other missing kids that Kit discovers while working the case, or the way her gut keeps screaming she’s gotten in over her head. Or maybe it’s because if she fails - she’s dead.
If she can stay just one step ahead, she should be okay. Maybe she’ll even live long enough to collect her fee...
174 pages, ebook
First published August 1, 2012
245 people are currently reading
6,166 people want to read
About the author
J.C. Daniels
33books641followersI read, I write and you can find more about me here at my other author name...
My professional bio:
J.C. Daniels is the alter ego of author Shiloh Walker. J.C./Shiloh has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more...ah...serious works of fiction. She loves reading and writing just about every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She writes urban fantasy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance, among other things.
My professional bio:
J.C. Daniels is the alter ego of author Shiloh Walker. J.C./Shiloh has been writing since she was a kid. She fell in love with vampires with the book Bunnicula and has worked her way up to the more...ah...serious works of fiction. She loves reading and writing just about every kind of romance. Once upon a time she worked as a nurse, but now she writes full time and lives with her family in the Midwest. She writes urban fantasy, romantic suspense and paranormal romance, among other things.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 612 reviews
January 18, 2022
· BR with Angela, Brigid, Marta, Robin, cathepsut, Jessica, Jo, Catherine, Lege and the BBB gang ·
DNF at 52%.
Be happy little vultures, we have another addition to the DNF graveyard! And let me tell you, this one is a real winner.
Before I start, I would like to point out that I'm in a very lenient mood today so I won't even mention the Kate Daniels similarities here. Besides:
1/ The book is bad enough as it is.
2/ I don't have all day.
� And the Most Boring Book of the Year Award goes to...� BLADE SONG! Most heartfelt congratulations in order!
� Boring story!
� Boring female lead!
� Boring male lead!
� Boring inner dialogue!
� Boring banter!
� Boring fights!
� Boring sexual tension!
� Boring vampires!
� Boring shapeshifters!
� Boring witches!
✘✘ BORING EVERYTHING! ✘✘
� Kit Colbana. Listen honey, I really should be resentful right now. I mean, you did put me through one of the dullest, most lacklustre, most unexciting experiences of my life. BUT, I'm in a very lenient mood today, remember? SO I've decided to give you some friendly advice. No no, really, I insist. You can thank me later.
� Friendly piece of advice #1:
� Stop trying so hard to be either funny or snarky. It keeps falling flat. Have you ever considered joining a circus? I'm pretty sure the clowns in residence would be more than happy to give you sense of humour classes.
� Friendly piece of advice #2:
� TSTL behaviour gets old *very* fast. Please do try to keep the silly at bay. And please do try to think sometimes. I'm not asking you to think ALL the time (I know that would be too much to ask) but once in a while would be nice. Your grey cells would be grateful. And so would I.
� Friendly piece of advice #3:
� Stop trying so hard to be a badass. It's not working. I'm very sorry but I'm afraid I'm going to be harsh here (we're friends remember? I'm doing this for your own good) : there is no hope for you in the kick-ass department. May I suggest a Kate Daniels 101 class? Or a Sirantha Jax 101 class? Or an Elise Kavanagh 101 class? Or a Muse 101 class? Or a Kate Prospero 101 class? Or a Merit 101 class? Hey, you're such a lame badass I'm thinking even an Aielana Kameron 101 class would do you some good. Scary, I know.
� Okay. I know it's not very nice of me to be bitching aboutpathetic little poor Kit here. I should actually be thanking her right now. Yes I should. Because thanks to her I can take three books off my to-read list! Hallelujah! There is a God and He loves me!
� � WAIT! WAIT! Before I go, I have a purely rhetorical question for you: why does this book have a 3.84 average rating when Grimspace's is only 3.77??!! WHY??!! ARE YOU PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MINDS??!! WTH IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD??!!
� Breathe, Sarah, breathe � It's not your fault if people choose pure crap over pure awesomeness. You have to be more tolerant. And compassionate. And forgiving. Some of these tasteless people are your friends after all . They just don't know what's good for them. You have to show them the path to enlightenment.
� � � Which leads us to the moral of this story: don't waste your time with Kit Colbana, go to outer space with Sirantha Jax . You'll be glad you did.
DNF at 52%.
Be happy little vultures, we have another addition to the DNF graveyard! And let me tell you, this one is a real winner.
Before I start, I would like to point out that I'm in a very lenient mood today so I won't even mention the Kate Daniels similarities here. Besides:
1/ The book is bad enough as it is.
2/ I don't have all day.
� And the Most Boring Book of the Year Award goes to...� BLADE SONG! Most heartfelt congratulations in order!
� Boring story!
� Boring female lead!
� Boring male lead!
� Boring inner dialogue!
� Boring banter!
� Boring fights!
� Boring sexual tension!
� Boring vampires!
� Boring shapeshifters!
� Boring witches!
✘✘ BORING EVERYTHING! ✘✘
� Kit Colbana. Listen honey, I really should be resentful right now. I mean, you did put me through one of the dullest, most lacklustre, most unexciting experiences of my life. BUT, I'm in a very lenient mood today, remember? SO I've decided to give you some friendly advice. No no, really, I insist. You can thank me later.
� Friendly piece of advice #1:
� Stop trying so hard to be either funny or snarky. It keeps falling flat. Have you ever considered joining a circus? I'm pretty sure the clowns in residence would be more than happy to give you sense of humour classes.
� Friendly piece of advice #2:
� TSTL behaviour gets old *very* fast. Please do try to keep the silly at bay. And please do try to think sometimes. I'm not asking you to think ALL the time (I know that would be too much to ask) but once in a while would be nice. Your grey cells would be grateful. And so would I.
� Friendly piece of advice #3:
� Stop trying so hard to be a badass. It's not working. I'm very sorry but I'm afraid I'm going to be harsh here (we're friends remember? I'm doing this for your own good) : there is no hope for you in the kick-ass department. May I suggest a Kate Daniels 101 class? Or a Sirantha Jax 101 class? Or an Elise Kavanagh 101 class? Or a Muse 101 class? Or a Kate Prospero 101 class? Or a Merit 101 class? Hey, you're such a lame badass I'm thinking even an Aielana Kameron 101 class would do you some good. Scary, I know.
� Okay. I know it's not very nice of me to be bitching about
� � WAIT! WAIT! Before I go, I have a purely rhetorical question for you: why does this book have a 3.84 average rating when Grimspace's is only 3.77??!! WHY??!! ARE YOU PEOPLE OUT OF YOUR FREAKING MINDS??!! WTH IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD??!!
� Breathe, Sarah, breathe � It's not your fault if people choose pure crap over pure awesomeness. You have to be more tolerant. And compassionate. And forgiving. Some of these tasteless people are your friends after all . They just don't know what's good for them. You have to show them the path to enlightenment.
� � � Which leads us to the moral of this story: don't waste your time with Kit Colbana, go to outer space with Sirantha Jax . You'll be glad you did.
August 15, 2012
My rating: 1/5 stars
First line:“My sword arm is mighty.�
Favourite quote:“I will not falter. I will not fail. My aim is true. My heart is strong.�
Song of choice: Happy Pills by Norah Jones
Let me start by saying this: I did not like this book. If I would’ve had a shelf named Biggest Disappointment of the Year , this book would’ve taken the top place. I heard wonderful things about it, but the most deceiving one was that this book strongly resembled the Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews. It does not. As a devoted fan of the KD series I thought I was very lucky to have found a book with remarkable ratings, one that was anything alike one of my favourite series. Imagine my surprise when, after merely 5 or 6 chapters, I already thought that the hero was a bastard, the heroine’s voice was similar to a whiny YAninny heroine and apparently, I went through several tension filled moments without even realising it. Those who met me know of my distaste for light writing in the PNR/UF genre, but this book showed me a new low: the writing it’s even worse than the one used in The Fever Series.
It wasn’t all bad, to be honest. The first and the second chapters were alright, I guess. I started off being interested in the heroine since Kit seemed to be clever and witty. Damon, the hero, was a typical cat: arrogant, teasing, charming. So far, so good. He shows up in her office, tries to intimidate her, it doesn’t work (in my mind I was so excited that the heroine was so cool) but then THE SCENE happens. You must be wondering what particular scene. I’m talking about the one when theasshole hero does something like this: Correct me if I am wrong but I know that, under sever distress, the human body tends to lash out. I kept waiting for it to happen but nothing occured. My conclusion: Kit=Pushover. How was she described in the synopsis again? I remember something between the lines of trained killer, assassin, thief, kickass heroine. <-This is pure bullshit, excuse my french. Allow me to introduce you to the reality of her character:
1. Kit Colbana is a pushover. Never once in the book does she do anything to those who threathen her. All bark and no bite. In fact, after being grabbed by the tits by some shapeshifter, all she does is give him is a punch. So, basically that means no damage to a fast healing shapeshifter. Should I be impressed? All those of you who compare this shallow character to Kate Daniels (BTW, shame on you!) let me remind you again what she would’ve done: First of all, she wouldn’t get in this position. If, by some miracle, someone managed to get anywhere near her breasts, she could’ve killed the SOB five times before he hit the ground. Heck (and I can’t believe I’m saying this), even Mackayla Lane has more balls than Kitty Colbana. She would’ve mouth off the person to death.
2. She rants all the time about her “mad skills with the sword� but somehow, they are never proven. In fact, in the midst of the fight, guess what our mighty heroine does? She faints. You read that right. It is not enough that all the does is rave about her skills, other characters do too.
3. She’s impulsive. She never plans ahead. She does irremediable things without even thinking twice. Remember Jude, readers?
4. She’s stupid. Or rather she’s stubborn to the point of stupidity. The other characters think so too, they are always calling her an idiot, or a fool. I wholeheartedly agree.
5. She jumps into relationships the way a fish does in water. It’s not enough that Asshole Damon demeans her in almost every sentence he speaks, she also allows him to order her around and she has sex with him within days of knowing him. She begs him to accompany her to someplace she was afraid off. Those of you who compared her character to Kate Daniels, have you ever witnessed Kate showing so much vulnerability around Curran? Yes, you did? And when was that, perhaps it was an year after knowing him and fighting along his side? After they were mated? If I were in your place, I would think twice before ever comparing the KD series to this book.
6. Some of you might argue that she’s strong enough considering her past. I agree, that adds some depth to her character but I felt like that particular part of her life could’ve been even more emphasised and exploited. Remember Andrea Nash? After she became strong enough, she went back and killed all those who tortured her and her mother. Did Kit do that? No. Considering this, I don’t think I should’ve been surprised by the fact that she easily forgives people.
7. At times, I thought that I was reading an young adult romance. Kit’s voice is so childish, considering her age. Katsa from Graceling was more mature and adult-like and she was only eighteen.
There are so many things wrong with this book that I don’t know what to criticise next. Ah, I know! Kit’s relationship with Damon, the Cat enforcer. This was supposed to be a typical love-hate relationship. I could understand hate, from the way he treats her. He’s an abusive asshole. I don’t want to go in details, it hurts my head. But love? This word was never mentioned in this book. There is sex, however, so maybe that’s the substitute, the next best thing.
The hero’s emotions and feelings are all over the place: three days he slams and grabs her in every breathing moment but then, a change occures. The pattern is disrupted. He basically goes from saying this:
“I think I’ve seen five year olds with more sense than you.�
“Try to keep the fear under wraps, kitten. You don’t want to go breathing fear over a bunch of adolescent shapeshifters. They’ll think you’re hard up for a date,� he said. “If you are that desperate for some rough fun, I can give it to you.�
“Damn it, considering how mouthy you are, you’re a damned coward.�
To this:
“I decided quite some time ago that I wouldn’t be killing you. It doesn’t matter what the outcome of this job is. And anybody who tries is going to have to go through me. Nobody and nothing is going to hurt you as long as I’m around. Nobody hurts you when I’m around, you got me?�
Overnight. So touching, so romantic. *rolls eyes* By the end of this lovely confession, I was staring at the words. My reaction was something like Wait...what? Say again?
I suspect that I’m being so harsh on this book because I am constantly comparing it to the Kate Daniels Series.I think it was because I had high expectations after hearing all those rumours that Kit Colbana was the new Kate. I can’t see it as a stand alone anymore. My review is purely subjective and I see everything through the harsh prism of my fanatic love for the KD series.
First line:“My sword arm is mighty.�
Favourite quote:“I will not falter. I will not fail. My aim is true. My heart is strong.�
Song of choice: Happy Pills by Norah Jones
Let me start by saying this: I did not like this book. If I would’ve had a shelf named Biggest Disappointment of the Year , this book would’ve taken the top place. I heard wonderful things about it, but the most deceiving one was that this book strongly resembled the Kate Daniels Series by Ilona Andrews. It does not. As a devoted fan of the KD series I thought I was very lucky to have found a book with remarkable ratings, one that was anything alike one of my favourite series. Imagine my surprise when, after merely 5 or 6 chapters, I already thought that the hero was a bastard, the heroine’s voice was similar to a whiny YA
It wasn’t all bad, to be honest. The first and the second chapters were alright, I guess. I started off being interested in the heroine since Kit seemed to be clever and witty. Damon, the hero, was a typical cat: arrogant, teasing, charming. So far, so good. He shows up in her office, tries to intimidate her, it doesn’t work (in my mind I was so excited that the heroine was so cool) but then THE SCENE happens. You must be wondering what particular scene. I’m talking about the one when the
1. Kit Colbana is a pushover. Never once in the book does she do anything to those who threathen her. All bark and no bite. In fact, after being grabbed by the tits by some shapeshifter, all she does is give him is a punch. So, basically that means no damage to a fast healing shapeshifter. Should I be impressed? All those of you who compare this shallow character to Kate Daniels (BTW, shame on you!) let me remind you again what she would’ve done: First of all, she wouldn’t get in this position. If, by some miracle, someone managed to get anywhere near her breasts, she could’ve killed the SOB five times before he hit the ground. Heck (and I can’t believe I’m saying this), even Mackayla Lane has more balls than Kitty Colbana. She would’ve mouth off the person to death.
2. She rants all the time about her “mad skills with the sword� but somehow, they are never proven. In fact, in the midst of the fight, guess what our mighty heroine does? She faints. You read that right. It is not enough that all the does is rave about her skills, other characters do too.
3. She’s impulsive. She never plans ahead. She does irremediable things without even thinking twice. Remember Jude, readers?
4. She’s stupid. Or rather she’s stubborn to the point of stupidity. The other characters think so too, they are always calling her an idiot, or a fool. I wholeheartedly agree.
5. She jumps into relationships the way a fish does in water. It’s not enough that Asshole Damon demeans her in almost every sentence he speaks, she also allows him to order her around and she has sex with him within days of knowing him. She begs him to accompany her to someplace she was afraid off. Those of you who compared her character to Kate Daniels, have you ever witnessed Kate showing so much vulnerability around Curran? Yes, you did? And when was that, perhaps it was an year after knowing him and fighting along his side? After they were mated? If I were in your place, I would think twice before ever comparing the KD series to this book.
6. Some of you might argue that she’s strong enough considering her past. I agree, that adds some depth to her character but I felt like that particular part of her life could’ve been even more emphasised and exploited. Remember Andrea Nash? After she became strong enough, she went back and killed all those who tortured her and her mother. Did Kit do that? No. Considering this, I don’t think I should’ve been surprised by the fact that she easily forgives people.
7. At times, I thought that I was reading an young adult romance. Kit’s voice is so childish, considering her age. Katsa from Graceling was more mature and adult-like and she was only eighteen.
There are so many things wrong with this book that I don’t know what to criticise next. Ah, I know! Kit’s relationship with Damon, the Cat enforcer. This was supposed to be a typical love-hate relationship. I could understand hate, from the way he treats her. He’s an abusive asshole. I don’t want to go in details, it hurts my head. But love? This word was never mentioned in this book. There is sex, however, so maybe that’s the substitute, the next best thing.
The hero’s emotions and feelings are all over the place: three days he slams and grabs her in every breathing moment but then, a change occures. The pattern is disrupted. He basically goes from saying this:
“I think I’ve seen five year olds with more sense than you.�
“Try to keep the fear under wraps, kitten. You don’t want to go breathing fear over a bunch of adolescent shapeshifters. They’ll think you’re hard up for a date,� he said. “If you are that desperate for some rough fun, I can give it to you.�
“Damn it, considering how mouthy you are, you’re a damned coward.�
To this:
“I decided quite some time ago that I wouldn’t be killing you. It doesn’t matter what the outcome of this job is. And anybody who tries is going to have to go through me. Nobody and nothing is going to hurt you as long as I’m around. Nobody hurts you when I’m around, you got me?�
Overnight. So touching, so romantic. *rolls eyes* By the end of this lovely confession, I was staring at the words. My reaction was something like Wait...what? Say again?
I suspect that I’m being so harsh on this book because I am constantly comparing it to the Kate Daniels Series.I think it was because I had high expectations after hearing all those rumours that Kit Colbana was the new Kate. I can’t see it as a stand alone anymore. My review is purely subjective and I see everything through the harsh prism of my fanatic love for the KD series.
October 10, 2016
I liked it.
Sorry to everyone that I have just disappointed.
So, it's not perfect, but it does have some Kate Danielish qualities. There is a girl who is not quite human, who has an unnatural relationship with her sword that is hired to help a shifter pack find a missing shifter kid.
The shifter alpha is a female jerk who is completely bat-shit crazy and will possible kill our girl. The shifter second is a complete dickhead guy who is with her 24/7 and is an abusive jerk.
ok, so maybe not the most original story in the UF world...
Still, I enjoyed the story and I even liked Kit. I know, I know. You all hate her. And, yes, she's not a badass like Kate, she's not bitchy like Anita, she's not funny like Harry, and she makes some very dumb decisions too quickly. But, she's a scrapper. She came from a horrific background and yet she just doesn't give up. I liked her way better than Anita (I guess that's not saying much).
The one thing I totally hated, though, was her love-interest, Damen. This guy was not just an alpha-asshole, he was downright abusive. He literally abused her when they first met and then he continually threatened her and was physically domineering. I just couldn't get over that as quickly as Kit seemed to. She fell for his "charms" way too quickly and I was pissed off.
douchebag... I am sure.
I admit that I hated Curran in the first few Kate books too, but at least she made him wait. And wait. And wait. Until he proved himself before she got together with him. Which comes back to the fact that if anyone goes into this book thinking it will be just as good as Kate Daniels - there will be sadness, disappointment, and gnashing of teeth. But, if you really like Urban Fantasy, and you are okay with just a decent, entertaining read, you will like it.
Indeed!
Sorry to everyone that I have just disappointed.
So, it's not perfect, but it does have some Kate Danielish qualities. There is a girl who is not quite human, who has an unnatural relationship with her sword that is hired to help a shifter pack find a missing shifter kid.
The shifter alpha is a female jerk who is completely bat-shit crazy and will possible kill our girl. The shifter second is a complete dickhead guy who is with her 24/7 and is an abusive jerk.
ok, so maybe not the most original story in the UF world...
Still, I enjoyed the story and I even liked Kit. I know, I know. You all hate her. And, yes, she's not a badass like Kate, she's not bitchy like Anita, she's not funny like Harry, and she makes some very dumb decisions too quickly. But, she's a scrapper. She came from a horrific background and yet she just doesn't give up. I liked her way better than Anita (I guess that's not saying much).
The one thing I totally hated, though, was her love-interest, Damen. This guy was not just an alpha-asshole, he was downright abusive. He literally abused her when they first met and then he continually threatened her and was physically domineering. I just couldn't get over that as quickly as Kit seemed to. She fell for his "charms" way too quickly and I was pissed off.
douchebag... I am sure.
I admit that I hated Curran in the first few Kate books too, but at least she made him wait. And wait. And wait. Until he proved himself before she got together with him. Which comes back to the fact that if anyone goes into this book thinking it will be just as good as Kate Daniels - there will be sadness, disappointment, and gnashing of teeth. But, if you really like Urban Fantasy, and you are okay with just a decent, entertaining read, you will like it.
Indeed!
October 19, 2012
This is a Quickie Review. For the full review, please visit .
When I first sat down to write this review, I realized that I had a bit of a problem � how on earth was I going to rein in my inner Fangirl long enough to put together coherent sentences on just how fantastic this book was? I’m still not certain that I am able to do it justice, but suffice it to say, I loved this book. It easily ranks right up there with my adoration of Ilona Andrews� Kate Daniels series, Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series, and yes, even Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series, and I will tell you that is no small feat at all.
With not only intriguing characters but fascinating world-building, new twists on old mythologies as well as original creations, and an exciting mystery behind the disappearance of many non-human children, the story never felt rushed, even though it was full of action and multi-faceted characters that made it easy to become fully immersed in Kit’s world.
Recommended for fans of strong heroines with a horrifying past, of alpha heroes with hidden depths, and of fresh new twists on old mythologies.
An impossibly solid 5/5 Stars.
*As of 7/10, I've read this three times. If anyone wonders why I'm "behind" on my 2012 reading challenge, this is why lol (and yes, it's still 5/5)
--
A Slightly Off-Topic Rant (10.19.2012)
I've noticed quite a few reviews where people were upset that Kit wasn't a Kate Daniels clone. Kit isn't Kate, despite the similarity in names and their penchants for sharp pointy things. Kit is, well, Kit. She has a completely different past, a different skill set, different magic, and lives in a completely different world with its own set of rules.
I can't speak for anyone else, but when I first read this and went around the internet gushing to anyone who would listen about how this was the best Urban Fantasy I'd read since the Kate Daniels series, it wasn't because I thought that Kit and Kate were so similar, it's because I recognized in Kit the same vulnerability, stubbornness, and potential that I saw in Kate in her first book.
If you look back at Kate in her first novel, she was a lot younger and lacked a lot of the experience and maturity that has developed her character into the awesome power that she is. Kit's also like that in some ways -- she's not superwoman, she doesn't always make the right choices, she occasionally acts impulsively, and she's got her own personal demons to battle just like anyone else. And I for one can't get enough of her.
So please don't go into this expecting a heroine just like Kate Daniels, or you're probably going to be disappointed. And please, don't be put off by the reviews expressing disappointment that Kit turned out not to be Kate... Instead, go into this book with an open mind, and I think you'll find that Kit is a character that you're going to want to follow through many books to come.
(and yes, this is STILL a 5/5 for me!)
When I first sat down to write this review, I realized that I had a bit of a problem � how on earth was I going to rein in my inner Fangirl long enough to put together coherent sentences on just how fantastic this book was? I’m still not certain that I am able to do it justice, but suffice it to say, I loved this book. It easily ranks right up there with my adoration of Ilona Andrews� Kate Daniels series, Jeaniene Frost’s Night Huntress series, and yes, even Stacia Kane’s Downside Ghosts series, and I will tell you that is no small feat at all.
With not only intriguing characters but fascinating world-building, new twists on old mythologies as well as original creations, and an exciting mystery behind the disappearance of many non-human children, the story never felt rushed, even though it was full of action and multi-faceted characters that made it easy to become fully immersed in Kit’s world.
Recommended for fans of strong heroines with a horrifying past, of alpha heroes with hidden depths, and of fresh new twists on old mythologies.
An impossibly solid 5/5 Stars.
*As of 7/10, I've read this three times. If anyone wonders why I'm "behind" on my 2012 reading challenge, this is why lol (and yes, it's still 5/5)
--
A Slightly Off-Topic Rant (10.19.2012)
I've noticed quite a few reviews where people were upset that Kit wasn't a Kate Daniels clone. Kit isn't Kate, despite the similarity in names and their penchants for sharp pointy things. Kit is, well, Kit. She has a completely different past, a different skill set, different magic, and lives in a completely different world with its own set of rules.
I can't speak for anyone else, but when I first read this and went around the internet gushing to anyone who would listen about how this was the best Urban Fantasy I'd read since the Kate Daniels series, it wasn't because I thought that Kit and Kate were so similar, it's because I recognized in Kit the same vulnerability, stubbornness, and potential that I saw in Kate in her first book.
If you look back at Kate in her first novel, she was a lot younger and lacked a lot of the experience and maturity that has developed her character into the awesome power that she is. Kit's also like that in some ways -- she's not superwoman, she doesn't always make the right choices, she occasionally acts impulsively, and she's got her own personal demons to battle just like anyone else. And I for one can't get enough of her.
So please don't go into this expecting a heroine just like Kate Daniels, or you're probably going to be disappointed. And please, don't be put off by the reviews expressing disappointment that Kit turned out not to be Kate... Instead, go into this book with an open mind, and I think you'll find that Kit is a character that you're going to want to follow through many books to come.
(and yes, this is STILL a 5/5 for me!)
February 19, 2017
3.5 This one is promising!
I missed UF. A lot.
Glad to find a series that has potential!
True, I've kind of seen it all before (outcast, bad-ass, harsh past etc.), but the writing is pretty good and the plot raises my interest, so I'll stick to it, see what happens. And I admit, I love myself a tough chick who can kick serious ass.
Oh, and one more thing. I DID NOT expect the bad guy to actually be a bad guy! Boy, do I absolutely love surprises! It's why I gave it 4 stars, not 3. It managed to so the impossible: have an actual unexpected event! Good work J C Daniels!
I missed UF. A lot.
Glad to find a series that has potential!
True, I've kind of seen it all before (outcast, bad-ass, harsh past etc.), but the writing is pretty good and the plot raises my interest, so I'll stick to it, see what happens. And I admit, I love myself a tough chick who can kick serious ass.
Oh, and one more thing. I DID NOT expect the bad guy to actually be a bad guy! Boy, do I absolutely love surprises! It's why I gave it 4 stars, not 3. It managed to so the impossible: have an actual unexpected event! Good work J C Daniels!
October 18, 2012
Blade Song is one of those rare creatures. Just when I think I can't possibly take yet another Urban Fantasy, kick ass female investigator working amongst pushy, powerful Supes - this one comes in and knocks me around.
In an overcrowded market of very similar stories, Blade Song manages to be fun, entertaining and highly enjoyable! Especially for fans of Kate Daniels waiting for another novel.
Kit is an intelligent, strong protagonist - Damon's your usual alpha male hunk and there is mystery a'foot! It's SOLVIN' TIME!
Seriously, I didn't expect the fun. I didn't expect to enjoy it. Which is not to say that it was perfect. Kit narrates the beginning of this novel like it's been waaaaaaayyy too long between her psychologist appointments. "Leave some mystery, Kit!" I wanted to say. She has some serious shit to get off her chest - but none of it is stuff that didn't already come up later in the novel and could have been revealed to the reader as part of the narrative/character revelations to each other. So the info dump at the beginning is truly curious.
I thought I'd have to take a jack hammer to Damon's soft and tender parts at the beginning of this novel - but I didn't have to. Kit sorted him out nice and good for me which is just so satisfying!
This is a book for those familiar with UF genre, looking for a light fun read. Those who want original world building will not enjoy this at all. It really is Urban Fantasy Lite - perfect for switching off your brain, enjoying blood, death and sex, and having a good ride.
I had an issue with the resolution at the end of the novel, but I shan't reveal it here for spoilers. Basically, I think this is more than worth the price and I would love to read more from this author. A truly delightful surprise.
In an overcrowded market of very similar stories, Blade Song manages to be fun, entertaining and highly enjoyable! Especially for fans of Kate Daniels waiting for another novel.
Kit is an intelligent, strong protagonist - Damon's your usual alpha male hunk and there is mystery a'foot! It's SOLVIN' TIME!
Seriously, I didn't expect the fun. I didn't expect to enjoy it. Which is not to say that it was perfect. Kit narrates the beginning of this novel like it's been waaaaaaayyy too long between her psychologist appointments. "Leave some mystery, Kit!" I wanted to say. She has some serious shit to get off her chest - but none of it is stuff that didn't already come up later in the novel and could have been revealed to the reader as part of the narrative/character revelations to each other. So the info dump at the beginning is truly curious.
I thought I'd have to take a jack hammer to Damon's soft and tender parts at the beginning of this novel - but I didn't have to. Kit sorted him out nice and good for me which is just so satisfying!
This is a book for those familiar with UF genre, looking for a light fun read. Those who want original world building will not enjoy this at all. It really is Urban Fantasy Lite - perfect for switching off your brain, enjoying blood, death and sex, and having a good ride.
I had an issue with the resolution at the end of the novel, but I shan't reveal it here for spoilers. Basically, I think this is more than worth the price and I would love to read more from this author. A truly delightful surprise.
July 21, 2015
Read & More Like It !
No. Just no. Am I reading the same book as everyone else? This was awful across the board. A smattering of a (very) few good ideas, scant worldbuilding (and what is there is very unoriginal), and very poor execution coupled with two unlikeable protagonists make for a very unsatisfied Jessie. This is not going to be pretty. I'm pretty damn disappointed with this novel, as well as being supremely frustrated with it. I had passed this over several times on my frequent go-throughs of NetGalley - PNR/UF is far from my favorite genre as they tend to be predictable and all vaguely alike - and I should've stuck with my initial, quite wary, thoughts. Misled by all the 4 and 5-star reviews I'd then subsequently seen for this, I thought Blade Song might be the exception to my UF/PNR rule... and no. Absolutely not. Not by a long shot. The few, creative things I liked about it in the beginning pages were soon abandoned to the mess that is the rest of this cliched and poorly-executed book.
-new kind of supernatural being - the aneira - warrior women with magical abilities, aka amazons
-new ideas on typical vampire mythology -lose more and more of their soul as they age, feed on humans for blood, but also emotions they have lost as a result
- a POC for a love-interest (too bad his actual personality is as nails on a chalkboard. For 250 pages.)
-Everything else
Okay, seriously, I'll go through a few of my many, many issues with this book. It made me too angry to go through them all, and I have many other books I'd like to read, so here's the short rundown.
For a novel that started so strongly, Blade Song devolves fairly quickly. A lot of my problems with this first in a series stem from the weak main character of Kitasa herself. She's just so incredibly brainless, thoughtless, heedless. For the ENTIRE NOVEL. Also, for a half-amazon assassin, this is a pretty worthless fighter. She's always fainting, passing out, or just plain needing to be rescued. Where is the strong warrior character I was promised? Cause she for sure never showed up past chapter two. Instead, I got a weak-willed pushover who confuses a controlling asshole for a worthy love interest. Kit is much more a weak-willed damsel in distress waiting for her man to come save her. No. Just.. no. Especially when I was promised an active, capable heroine. Not cool.
Damon is an asshole, and I hated him from start to end. Though spared from his POVs (thank you!), his actions and disalogues with/to Kit show him to be a Bad Idea. Alpha males are far from my favorite type of love interest, and here is no exception. For about 90% of the novel, he's abusive, or controlling,or just plain rude. His abrupt switch from unagreeable aggressor to lovaaah is just too quick, foundation-less, and unbelievable. You don't get to "wring [Kit's] neck" black and blue, and then oh-so-love her a week later, with all forgiven. No. I'm sorry. I don't buy that. You don't spy on her texts and control her actions and then get to be the hero over and over. Bad Damon, very bad.
This was a big miss and a huge disappointment for me; I was prepared to and really wanted to love it, based on the reviews I read from trusted friends. It just wasn't meant to be, for me. The few good ideas were easily and quickly glossed over in favor of typical and standard genre fare - power games, a human(ish) woman caught between a powerful vampire and a powerful weresomething in an human/supernaturally incorporated city - and Blade Song never delivered on its promise of a fun, smart, deadly Amazon assassin. Simplistic, cliched, with flat and unlikeable characters, I won't be continuing this series with Night Blade, the second book due out sometime in the near future.
If you're morbidly curious or wish to try out Kit's special blend of stupid and reckless for yourself, the good news is that Blade Song will only set you back about $5 to read. Just be warned: may induce feelings of incredible frustration and severe disappointment.
No. Just no. Am I reading the same book as everyone else? This was awful across the board. A smattering of a (very) few good ideas, scant worldbuilding (and what is there is very unoriginal), and very poor execution coupled with two unlikeable protagonists make for a very unsatisfied Jessie. This is not going to be pretty. I'm pretty damn disappointed with this novel, as well as being supremely frustrated with it. I had passed this over several times on my frequent go-throughs of NetGalley - PNR/UF is far from my favorite genre as they tend to be predictable and all vaguely alike - and I should've stuck with my initial, quite wary, thoughts. Misled by all the 4 and 5-star reviews I'd then subsequently seen for this, I thought Blade Song might be the exception to my UF/PNR rule... and no. Absolutely not. Not by a long shot. The few, creative things I liked about it in the beginning pages were soon abandoned to the mess that is the rest of this cliched and poorly-executed book.
What I Liked:
-new kind of supernatural being - the aneira - warrior women with magical abilities, aka amazons
-new ideas on typical vampire mythology -lose more and more of their soul as they age, feed on humans for blood, but also emotions they have lost as a result
- a POC for a love-interest (too bad his actual personality is as nails on a chalkboard. For 250 pages.)
What IHatedDid Not Like:
-Everything else
Okay, seriously, I'll go through a few of my many, many issues with this book. It made me too angry to go through them all, and I have many other books I'd like to read, so here's the short rundown.
For a novel that started so strongly, Blade Song devolves fairly quickly. A lot of my problems with this first in a series stem from the weak main character of Kitasa herself. She's just so incredibly brainless, thoughtless, heedless. For the ENTIRE NOVEL. Also, for a half-amazon assassin, this is a pretty worthless fighter. She's always fainting, passing out, or just plain needing to be rescued. Where is the strong warrior character I was promised? Cause she for sure never showed up past chapter two. Instead, I got a weak-willed pushover who confuses a controlling asshole for a worthy love interest. Kit is much more a weak-willed damsel in distress waiting for her man to come save her. No. Just.. no. Especially when I was promised an active, capable heroine. Not cool.
Damon is an asshole, and I hated him from start to end. Though spared from his POVs (thank you!), his actions and disalogues with/to Kit show him to be a Bad Idea. Alpha males are far from my favorite type of love interest, and here is no exception. For about 90% of the novel, he's abusive, or controlling,or just plain rude. His abrupt switch from unagreeable aggressor to lovaaah is just too quick, foundation-less, and unbelievable. You don't get to "wring [Kit's] neck" black and blue, and then oh-so-love her a week later, with all forgiven. No. I'm sorry. I don't buy that. You don't spy on her texts and control her actions and then get to be the hero over and over. Bad Damon, very bad.
This was a big miss and a huge disappointment for me; I was prepared to and really wanted to love it, based on the reviews I read from trusted friends. It just wasn't meant to be, for me. The few good ideas were easily and quickly glossed over in favor of typical and standard genre fare - power games, a human(ish) woman caught between a powerful vampire and a powerful weresomething in an human/supernaturally incorporated city - and Blade Song never delivered on its promise of a fun, smart, deadly Amazon assassin. Simplistic, cliched, with flat and unlikeable characters, I won't be continuing this series with Night Blade, the second book due out sometime in the near future.
If you're morbidly curious or wish to try out Kit's special blend of stupid and reckless for yourself, the good news is that Blade Song will only set you back about $5 to read. Just be warned: may induce feelings of incredible frustration and severe disappointment.
June 18, 2017
Oh dear.
Where do I begin? I was not impressed by this at all. I'm actually quite annoyed by it, because I feel like it took every Urban Fantasy trope and cliché and exaggerated them until it was a complete mockery of itself, more a spoof of my favourite genre than anything else.
Completely unauthentic and unoriginal. Yes, there's the blatantly obvious Kate Daniels rip-offs as others have mentioned, but that's not the only familiar thing I noticed by a long shot. I also saw some 'borrowed' elements from Kelly Armstrong in there, as well as various other things that were overly familiar. Not one single part of this book was anything new or creative or original. And the comparisons to Kate Daniels? Wow. This book isn't fit to lick Kate Daniels' boots. It would be a disservice to that series to say this is like Kate Daniels, when in actuality, it's just that Kate Daniels is where 90% of the ideas for this book were stolen from.
And, you know, to be honest I wouldn't have even cared that much about the similarities if it was a good copy. I read a book earlier in the year that was almost a carbon copy of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, and I marked it down a star for the obvious rip-off, but at least that was well-written and of equal quality to the original!
This piece of Writing by Numbers was just a mockery of a sham of a farce of a.....folly! Yes, I said folly!
I hated the writing style. Especially coming off the back of reading a really beautiful book with lush prose and magic on every page. This was flat, plain, mechanical, simplistic, repetitive... I know I'm not supposed to quote directly from an ARC, and if this section has been edited since I saw it, I doubly apologise, but just look at this as an example of what I'm getting so worked up about:
I mean....what a lot of words to say absolutely nothing at all. Twice.
The paragraphing and punctuation was also bizarre and only served to make the narrative seem jerky and choppy. The dialogue made me want to hang my head in shame on the author's behalf. And the pet names at the end of everything the hero said? Gah! 'Little fool,' 'baby girl' (excuse me, I just vomited), 'little girl,' 'kitten,' 'little warrior.' Every one was more gag-inducing than the one before. And so patronising! But what else did I expect from this cardboard cut-out, bad boy wannabe "hero" and the author's attempt to portray a hate-to-love relationship.
Fail. Big, mahoosive, epic FAIL!
The attempt at writing bickering and banter between the two leads—something prevalent in a lot of UF series—was laughable, yet also cringe-worthy at the same time. Quite a feat, really.
As well as the hero being a patronising, abusive a-hole for most of the book, the heroine was completely unlikeable. She was meant to come across as brave, or maybe 'too stubborn for her own good', in several of the scenes. But to me, just came off looking like an arrogant, boastful idiot. She was all talk, no balls. She was also extremely selfish and even her "tortured past" did nothing to endear her to me.
I say leave her in the damn pit. Best place for her.
It's been a while since I've encountered a main character I couldn't find one single thing to admire about. I don't write many reviews such as these, full of such unadulterated negativity, so you can see just how much it's ticked me off. UF is my thing, and when someone comes along and puts no effort in and thinks this is acceptable and all that's required to get by, I get a bit cross.
To sum up, it was terrible. An insult to Urban Fantasy, and I would rather cut out my own tongue than say it is even in the same league as Kate Daniels.
1 Star �
ARC provided for an honest review.
Where do I begin? I was not impressed by this at all. I'm actually quite annoyed by it, because I feel like it took every Urban Fantasy trope and cliché and exaggerated them until it was a complete mockery of itself, more a spoof of my favourite genre than anything else.
Completely unauthentic and unoriginal. Yes, there's the blatantly obvious Kate Daniels rip-offs as others have mentioned, but that's not the only familiar thing I noticed by a long shot. I also saw some 'borrowed' elements from Kelly Armstrong in there, as well as various other things that were overly familiar. Not one single part of this book was anything new or creative or original. And the comparisons to Kate Daniels? Wow. This book isn't fit to lick Kate Daniels' boots. It would be a disservice to that series to say this is like Kate Daniels, when in actuality, it's just that Kate Daniels is where 90% of the ideas for this book were stolen from.
And, you know, to be honest I wouldn't have even cared that much about the similarities if it was a good copy. I read a book earlier in the year that was almost a carbon copy of Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series, and I marked it down a star for the obvious rip-off, but at least that was well-written and of equal quality to the original!
This piece of Writing by Numbers was just a mockery of a sham of a farce of a.....folly! Yes, I said folly!
I hated the writing style. Especially coming off the back of reading a really beautiful book with lush prose and magic on every page. This was flat, plain, mechanical, simplistic, repetitive... I know I'm not supposed to quote directly from an ARC, and if this section has been edited since I saw it, I doubly apologise, but just look at this as an example of what I'm getting so worked up about:
"There was enough silver in the blade, enough magic in it that it would hurt him. He knew it...and he knew I was fully aware of that as well. But he didn't look worried. Of course, hurt was a far cry from kill. I was pretty sure I couldn't kill him. I was equally sure he knew that. I was equally sure he could kill me, and he was probably aware of that same fact. Damn it."
I mean....what a lot of words to say absolutely nothing at all. Twice.
The paragraphing and punctuation was also bizarre and only served to make the narrative seem jerky and choppy. The dialogue made me want to hang my head in shame on the author's behalf. And the pet names at the end of everything the hero said? Gah! 'Little fool,' 'baby girl' (excuse me, I just vomited), 'little girl,' 'kitten,' 'little warrior.' Every one was more gag-inducing than the one before. And so patronising! But what else did I expect from this cardboard cut-out, bad boy wannabe "hero" and the author's attempt to portray a hate-to-love relationship.
Fail. Big, mahoosive, epic FAIL!
The attempt at writing bickering and banter between the two leads—something prevalent in a lot of UF series—was laughable, yet also cringe-worthy at the same time. Quite a feat, really.
As well as the hero being a patronising, abusive a-hole for most of the book, the heroine was completely unlikeable. She was meant to come across as brave, or maybe 'too stubborn for her own good', in several of the scenes. But to me, just came off looking like an arrogant, boastful idiot. She was all talk, no balls. She was also extremely selfish and even her "tortured past" did nothing to endear her to me.
I say leave her in the damn pit. Best place for her.
It's been a while since I've encountered a main character I couldn't find one single thing to admire about. I don't write many reviews such as these, full of such unadulterated negativity, so you can see just how much it's ticked me off. UF is my thing, and when someone comes along and puts no effort in and thinks this is acceptable and all that's required to get by, I get a bit cross.
To sum up, it was terrible. An insult to Urban Fantasy, and I would rather cut out my own tongue than say it is even in the same league as Kate Daniels.
1 Star �
ARC provided for an honest review.
January 17, 2022
I was on the look out for a strong female character and a great series I could get lost in, when I came across this book.
So happy I found this series, the storyline is fast pace and interesting giving you all the information you need to know on the characters as you go. It made the story so much more enjoyable, and I have to say, I'm completely hooked on the series already.
Great first book, likeable characters, and enough friction and doubt between the characters to keep you guessing till the end.
At the time of writing this review I am halfway through book three in this series and still haven't come across any slow or boring chapters, hope this review has helped you.
Happy Reading 📕📗📘📚📓📚📙📕📔📗📘📒📓📙📚📚📖
October 9, 2023
2.5 stars? I don't know, ok. I liked it, but she fainted just one too many times.
I liked Kit. She wasn't a push-over, and I never thought that her inability to stomach a kill lightly or simply kill for vengeance (her messed-up granny) was a fault. Still, she's supposed to be an assassin, and yet there are close to no assassinations (or even attempts). She should have some bite to prove all that bark about having aneira blood.
There also weren't any fight scenes. Not one actual, on-page fight scene. Want to know why that is? She faints. Yup, she faints every single time the action starts.
Then there's the relationship.
*one hour later*
And that's why I don't like Damon and their romance.
The whole thing is just meh.
I liked Kit. She wasn't a push-over, and I never thought that her inability to stomach a kill lightly or simply kill for vengeance (her messed-up granny) was a fault. Still, she's supposed to be an assassin, and yet there are close to no assassinations (or even attempts). She should have some bite to prove all that bark about having aneira blood.
There also weren't any fight scenes. Not one actual, on-page fight scene. Want to know why that is? She faints. Yup, she faints every single time the action starts.
Then there's the relationship.
*one hour later*
And that's why I don't like Damon and their romance.
The whole thing is just meh.
August 24, 2012
4.5 Stars
OK, Urban Fantasy fans, listen up. I have a premise for you. It involves a woman with a magical sword. She is part human, but has supernatural blood in her veins. Though she is not as strong as some of the paranormal beings around her, she is more than she appears. She is often underestimated. She's a bit cut off, emotionally. Her childhood was miserable, filled with training and bloodshed. She's sort of a gun for hire now... well, a sword for hire. And her life begins to change with the arrival of a sexy, powerful cat shifter who can't resist her strength and her spirit.
Sound familiar? No, I'm not talking about Kate Daniels, though it's hard not to see the parallels there. Our heroine's name is Kit Colbana. She is half human, half-aneira --which is sort of an Amazon race. Her father was never in her life and her mother died when she was young, leaving her in the clutches of an evil grandmother who tortured her for years. She ran away as a teenager and has started a new life for herself.
The agency she owns isn't doing well. Between that and a vampire who won't stop stalking her, Kit is just about ready to pull up stakes again when Damon (see "sexy, powerful cat shifter" above) walks into her office with a job. The nephew of his Alpha is missing and the pack wants Kit to solve the case. Despite Damon's cocky and obnoxious behavior and despite the cats' reputation as crazy, she takes the case to save the boy. She has no idea at the time that her life will depend on her success.
The Cat Alpha is as mad as a hatter and when she meets Kit, she lets her know in no uncertain terms what failure will mean. Damon is assigned as her bodyguard as she investigates the case. And, of course, he ends up being much, much more.
I liked this story very much. Even though it seems familiar in some places, it didn't really feel like a Kate rehash. Kit is damaged in a way Kate isn't. She perseveres through grim determination. She gets beaten down, but her survival is her victory. I really enjoyed watching the evolution of her relationship with Damon. He is such an ass at the beginning, but I could see him changing with her. She earns his respect and affection by simply being who she is and by never giving up. And when we learn more about his backstory, so much of his behavior makes sense.
The world-building is solid here and the characters are fleshed out. I admire Kit and her fortitude --and I commiserate with her inability to keep her mouth shut. Damon is sexy and deliciously Alpha --though he pushed me close to my limits at the beginning. My only small complaint was the speed in which they make a key decision in their relationship. It happened awfully fast for something so monumental, but at least they weren't tossing around "I Love You's" quite yet.
The action was intense. And while the motivation for the kidnappers didn't exactly tread new ground, there were enough surprises to keep me engaged. The villain reveal was pretty cool. And the writing was fast paced and very engaging. I will definitely read the sequel. Very good.
OK, Urban Fantasy fans, listen up. I have a premise for you. It involves a woman with a magical sword. She is part human, but has supernatural blood in her veins. Though she is not as strong as some of the paranormal beings around her, she is more than she appears. She is often underestimated. She's a bit cut off, emotionally. Her childhood was miserable, filled with training and bloodshed. She's sort of a gun for hire now... well, a sword for hire. And her life begins to change with the arrival of a sexy, powerful cat shifter who can't resist her strength and her spirit.
Sound familiar? No, I'm not talking about Kate Daniels, though it's hard not to see the parallels there. Our heroine's name is Kit Colbana. She is half human, half-aneira --which is sort of an Amazon race. Her father was never in her life and her mother died when she was young, leaving her in the clutches of an evil grandmother who tortured her for years. She ran away as a teenager and has started a new life for herself.
The agency she owns isn't doing well. Between that and a vampire who won't stop stalking her, Kit is just about ready to pull up stakes again when Damon (see "sexy, powerful cat shifter" above) walks into her office with a job. The nephew of his Alpha is missing and the pack wants Kit to solve the case. Despite Damon's cocky and obnoxious behavior and despite the cats' reputation as crazy, she takes the case to save the boy. She has no idea at the time that her life will depend on her success.
The Cat Alpha is as mad as a hatter and when she meets Kit, she lets her know in no uncertain terms what failure will mean. Damon is assigned as her bodyguard as she investigates the case. And, of course, he ends up being much, much more.
I liked this story very much. Even though it seems familiar in some places, it didn't really feel like a Kate rehash. Kit is damaged in a way Kate isn't. She perseveres through grim determination. She gets beaten down, but her survival is her victory. I really enjoyed watching the evolution of her relationship with Damon. He is such an ass at the beginning, but I could see him changing with her. She earns his respect and affection by simply being who she is and by never giving up. And when we learn more about his backstory, so much of his behavior makes sense.
The world-building is solid here and the characters are fleshed out. I admire Kit and her fortitude --and I commiserate with her inability to keep her mouth shut. Damon is sexy and deliciously Alpha --though he pushed me close to my limits at the beginning. My only small complaint was the speed in which they make a key decision in their relationship. It happened awfully fast for something so monumental, but at least they weren't tossing around "I Love You's" quite yet.
The action was intense. And while the motivation for the kidnappers didn't exactly tread new ground, there were enough surprises to keep me engaged. The villain reveal was pretty cool. And the writing was fast paced and very engaging. I will definitely read the sequel. Very good.
August 18, 2015
This was a very pleasant surprise. I liked Kit almost immediately. she's completely out of her league in the monster arena, but she knows that and plans accordingly. It was also surprising that I didn't mind her lipping off all the time. There were definitely times when she would have been better keeping her mouth shut, but I couldn't help admiring her determination to stand up against evil and call it what it is.
I'm having trouble writing about the other elements of the story. The magical beings were standard-with-twists and that's not a bad thing. The action was solid and the pacing better than average. The side characters fell a little too neatly into helper/hinderer and people died a little easily for me to contemplate the rest of the series without trepidation.
The meat of the story is Kit's background, though. She's more than a little broken from an abusive upbringing. She draws on that a bit when she steps between innocents and bad people, but she's also obviously still dealing with the emotional (and sometimes physical) fallout. She has healed enough to go on, but is still in process and that shows. Frankly, Daniels does this very well, I thought, without making it tiresome or tedious.
Which is why I had a really hard time with Damon. I liked him well-enough, but his actions in the start of the book set him back considerably. He goes monster-alpha in bad ways due to miscalculation and stupidity. And while you can see his regret for pretty much the entire rest of the book, it's still hard to come back from and see him as part of Kit's life. He manages, but only because of some high-quality on-screen changes. I really like who he became in the end—so much so that I don't mind them ending up together despite initial feelings of "no way is he coming back from that".
Also, I had to develop a high tolerance for bad editing. We're talking a handful of revision artifacts per chapter.
So not a clear win. Still, it's a solid four stars, even with weaknesses. I'm not sure I can continue the series, because skimming the future blurbs fills me with foreboding and I'm a romantic at heart. Still, it was time well-spent even if I choose to stop here.
A note about Steamy: Very light steam, really. There's only one sex scene and it wasn't over-long at that. There's some minor amatory pieces otherwise, but not terribly much.
I'm having trouble writing about the other elements of the story. The magical beings were standard-with-twists and that's not a bad thing. The action was solid and the pacing better than average. The side characters fell a little too neatly into helper/hinderer and people died a little easily for me to contemplate the rest of the series without trepidation.
The meat of the story is Kit's background, though. She's more than a little broken from an abusive upbringing. She draws on that a bit when she steps between innocents and bad people, but she's also obviously still dealing with the emotional (and sometimes physical) fallout. She has healed enough to go on, but is still in process and that shows. Frankly, Daniels does this very well, I thought, without making it tiresome or tedious.
Which is why I had a really hard time with Damon. I liked him well-enough, but his actions in the start of the book set him back considerably. He goes monster-alpha in bad ways due to miscalculation and stupidity. And while you can see his regret for pretty much the entire rest of the book, it's still hard to come back from and see him as part of Kit's life. He manages, but only because of some high-quality on-screen changes. I really like who he became in the end—so much so that I don't mind them ending up together despite initial feelings of "no way is he coming back from that".
Also, I had to develop a high tolerance for bad editing. We're talking a handful of revision artifacts per chapter.
So not a clear win. Still, it's a solid four stars, even with weaknesses. I'm not sure I can continue the series, because skimming the future blurbs fills me with foreboding and I'm a romantic at heart. Still, it was time well-spent even if I choose to stop here.
A note about Steamy: Very light steam, really. There's only one sex scene and it wasn't over-long at that. There's some minor amatory pieces otherwise, but not terribly much.
July 9, 2017
This was a fabulous story. I loved it. It's exactly what I needed. It has some dark moments due to Kit's past but it also has some good moments. Definitely has a slow burn romance just not one that spans the series. But it was done so well it had that same effect as if I'd read about the romance in 3 books.
Damon is the Alpha's second? I'm not sure. He says he's just and enforcer so. Who knows. But the Alpha of the cats is bat shit crazy. Damon hires Kit on her behalf. Her nephew is missing.
Kit is stuck with Damon and through that they investigate trying to find Doyle the nephew.
One major issue I had with this book is that it needs a better editor. There were many sentences that didn't make sense due to how they were worded. There were many typos as well. It only detracted from the story slightly but this is such a good read it could be even better with some clean up.
I will definitely be reading the next book.
Damon is the Alpha's second? I'm not sure. He says he's just and enforcer so. Who knows. But the Alpha of the cats is bat shit crazy. Damon hires Kit on her behalf. Her nephew is missing.
Kit is stuck with Damon and through that they investigate trying to find Doyle the nephew.
One major issue I had with this book is that it needs a better editor. There were many sentences that didn't make sense due to how they were worded. There were many typos as well. It only detracted from the story slightly but this is such a good read it could be even better with some clean up.
I will definitely be reading the next book.
December 7, 2020
Wow, what a spread of reviews for this book! Lots of five stars and lots of one stars. Well, I did enjoy it enough to wish we had a ten-point scale, because then it would be another 7-pointer like so many I've read. (I see my ŷ rating average has risen from 3.54 to 3.56 over three years.) So: 3.5 rounded up automatically to 4 stars.
Parts of this book were tough reading--cringe-worthy, one reviewer said--because of repeated references to sadistic violence against children and adolescents, some with graphic descriptions. That's the prime motivation for our first-person narrator Kit (short for Kitasa) Colbana to accept a difficult, life-threatening case under terrible conditions: find and rescue a fifteen-year old boy who's gone missing (more about that later).
Her style of narration is almost stream-of-consciousness, and we suffer through every disruption of her thinking as her present-day adventure brings up vivid memories of the ten years of hell she went through at the hands of her sadistic grandmother and aunts--she was in early childhood when her mother died, and she fled at age fifteen, the same age as the boy she's trying to find. Her back is full of scars from what they did to her as a child. Now as an adult she is still wary that her horrible family will find her and abduct or kill her.
The settings are in the inland portions of Florida, from Kit's present home base in Orlando to the northern reaches of the Everglades National Park. It's a world in which vampires, shifters, and witches have been known to the public for fifty years and are subject to special national legislation, which is outlined in some detail--a curious balance of rights and restrictions. That comes into play again and again because all three have important roles in the story:
(1) Doyle, the boy Kit is tracing, is the ward of the Orlando cat shifter alpha, who herself is a sadistic psychopath. She offers an enormous fee but promises to kill Kit if she fails, and she forces Kit to do the whole job in the close company (very close, inches much of the time) of her prime enforcer Damon, an overbearing jerk with major shifter powers.
(2) Jude Whittier, a vampire Kit turned to six years ago to help her dying friend, routinely invades her dreams and her waking mind with creepy & threatening dialogue. This just gets worse as the story goes on.
(3) Kit's only real support comes surprisingly from a coven of witches she's been warned against. They turn out to be well-rounded characters you can really warm up to, and they take an active role in her mission because teenage witches have been kidnapped too. Their magical powers include healing, and I certainly enjoyed all the scenes with the witches.
Among all these non-humans (yes, that includes witches, presumably a separate "race"), Kit counts as human but some of the others can tell that there's something special about her that she tries hard to keep hidden.
Kit's personality, though, strikes me as much more aneira than human. She's a natural-born warrior who's all too aware of her weaknesses and strives hard to overcome them and survive against more powerful magical adversaries--like Damon the shifter and Jude the vampire, both of whom develop a strong but abusive interest in her.
If you were expecting romance, though, I think this urban fantasy is better described as an anti-romance because of all the antagonism. Damon does improve but he still keeps calling her "baby girl" and grabbing her by the neck--that seems to be his favorite move.
Three major plotlines are resolved at the end, but a very likable character is killed along the way and two parts of the plot stay open, so the story is on-going for the sequel.
Parts of this book were tough reading--cringe-worthy, one reviewer said--because of repeated references to sadistic violence against children and adolescents, some with graphic descriptions. That's the prime motivation for our first-person narrator Kit (short for Kitasa) Colbana to accept a difficult, life-threatening case under terrible conditions: find and rescue a fifteen-year old boy who's gone missing (more about that later).
Her style of narration is almost stream-of-consciousness, and we suffer through every disruption of her thinking as her present-day adventure brings up vivid memories of the ten years of hell she went through at the hands of her sadistic grandmother and aunts--she was in early childhood when her mother died, and she fled at age fifteen, the same age as the boy she's trying to find. Her back is full of scars from what they did to her as a child. Now as an adult she is still wary that her horrible family will find her and abduct or kill her.
The settings are in the inland portions of Florida, from Kit's present home base in Orlando to the northern reaches of the Everglades National Park. It's a world in which vampires, shifters, and witches have been known to the public for fifty years and are subject to special national legislation, which is outlined in some detail--a curious balance of rights and restrictions. That comes into play again and again because all three have important roles in the story:
(1) Doyle, the boy Kit is tracing, is the ward of the Orlando cat shifter alpha, who herself is a sadistic psychopath. She offers an enormous fee but promises to kill Kit if she fails, and she forces Kit to do the whole job in the close company (very close, inches much of the time) of her prime enforcer Damon, an overbearing jerk with major shifter powers.
(2) Jude Whittier, a vampire Kit turned to six years ago to help her dying friend, routinely invades her dreams and her waking mind with creepy & threatening dialogue. This just gets worse as the story goes on.
(3) Kit's only real support comes surprisingly from a coven of witches she's been warned against. They turn out to be well-rounded characters you can really warm up to, and they take an active role in her mission because teenage witches have been kidnapped too. Their magical powers include healing, and I certainly enjoyed all the scenes with the witches.
Among all these non-humans (yes, that includes witches, presumably a separate "race"), Kit counts as human but some of the others can tell that there's something special about her that she tries hard to keep hidden.
My human father? I don't know anything about him. ... My mother was aneira...think of Amazons, and imagine something more. Something magical. We were once a well-known race, assassins sent out to do the jobs no other could. Sometimes we were thieves, sent out to track down priceless treasures. We'd even been bounty hunters, if legend tells it right. A proud, noble race. Now we're not much more than a memory and only a few hundred of us remain.Because Kit is half-human the aneira consider her "a useless waste" whose magic is pathetically weak: she can make herself invisible (including anything she's wearing or carrying) and she has a special relationship with her sword (it teleports into her right hand on demand). And she "has a knack for killing and tracking things down." Otherwise she's disappointingly human from their point of view, but for me she's both admirable and easy to relate to.
Kit's personality, though, strikes me as much more aneira than human. She's a natural-born warrior who's all too aware of her weaknesses and strives hard to overcome them and survive against more powerful magical adversaries--like Damon the shifter and Jude the vampire, both of whom develop a strong but abusive interest in her.
If you were expecting romance, though, I think this urban fantasy is better described as an anti-romance because of all the antagonism. Damon does improve but he still keeps calling her "baby girl" and grabbing her by the neck--that seems to be his favorite move.
Three major plotlines are resolved at the end, but a very likable character is killed along the way and two parts of the plot stay open, so the story is on-going for the sequel.
August 10, 2012
Spoilers
Kit Colbana is half human and half aneira (amazon warrior), she is an investigater but is struggling to find work. Enter Damon, a werecat who offers Kit a job to find a missing boy. Kit is reluctant to work with the insanely dangerous werecats but can't afford to turn down the money. The cat alpha assigns Damon as Kit's bodyguard and warns Kit that if she should fail in finding the missing boy who happens to be the alpha's nephew then she will be killed. Kit and Damon form an uneasy truce and investigate the missing boy.
-I've seen some reviews that compare this to Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series and there are a few elements that are similar/copied but even with it's few similarities it's nowhere near as good.
The worldbuilding was unoriginal and simplistic - and pretty much only consisted of different groups of supernaturals living their lives away from the humans who hated them.
The storyline wasn't very engrossing - there was no real mystery, it was just the main characters talking to a bunch of different people about the missing boy with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.
-Kit was no Kate Daniels - she was weak, pathetic and a pushover. She allowed other people to dictate her actions and had little control over her own life. She was too easily manipulated - like when she let Jude bite her, it just made her seem dumb.
I didn't really understand why Kit even needed to be hired by the werecats - Damon seemed more than capable. Everyone kept saying she was good at her job but I didn't read anything that supported that statement.
Kit kept going on and on about how good she was at fighting and using her sword but it was only towards the very end where she actually fought and even then she needed rescuing. She either hid or let Damon do all the fighting.
I lost count of the amount of times she fainted, blacked out, got scared or injured - she wasn't much of a badass.
-Damon was an abusive douche - he apologised for hurting Kit when he realised that Kit wasn't as strong as he thought she was but the fact that he wanted to actually hurt her for no reason was enough for me to dislike him. He was far too overbearing, arrogant and pushy. And Kit just let him push her around like he had a right to.
I was creeped out by Damon constantly touching Kit even when she told him to stop - it was pervy and rapey. And I cringed everytime Damon called Kit baby girl, little girl, silly girl, kitten, foolish..it made him sound like an old man who liked young girls and it also made it seem as if he didn't really see her as a woman but as child - ugh.
-The romance and Kit's weak personality was what ultimately let the book down. I don't know how Damon went from abusive to lovey dovey - there was nothing to warrant his attitude change. Damon had to keep telling Kit he wouldn't hurt after he became all lovey dovey - when a guy has to assure their partner that they won't hit them - it's a definite sign of a bad relationship.
The first few chapters were actually fairly promising but the more I read about Kit and her weak, doormat personality the more disappointed I was. I wouldn't mind finding out more about Kit's family but only if Kit actually gets a backbone and defends herself. I'll probably wait for reviews on the next one as to whether or not to read it.
Kit Colbana is half human and half aneira (amazon warrior), she is an investigater but is struggling to find work. Enter Damon, a werecat who offers Kit a job to find a missing boy. Kit is reluctant to work with the insanely dangerous werecats but can't afford to turn down the money. The cat alpha assigns Damon as Kit's bodyguard and warns Kit that if she should fail in finding the missing boy who happens to be the alpha's nephew then she will be killed. Kit and Damon form an uneasy truce and investigate the missing boy.
-I've seen some reviews that compare this to Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series and there are a few elements that are similar/copied but even with it's few similarities it's nowhere near as good.
The worldbuilding was unoriginal and simplistic - and pretty much only consisted of different groups of supernaturals living their lives away from the humans who hated them.
The storyline wasn't very engrossing - there was no real mystery, it was just the main characters talking to a bunch of different people about the missing boy with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure.
-Kit was no Kate Daniels - she was weak, pathetic and a pushover. She allowed other people to dictate her actions and had little control over her own life. She was too easily manipulated - like when she let Jude bite her, it just made her seem dumb.
I didn't really understand why Kit even needed to be hired by the werecats - Damon seemed more than capable. Everyone kept saying she was good at her job but I didn't read anything that supported that statement.
Kit kept going on and on about how good she was at fighting and using her sword but it was only towards the very end where she actually fought and even then she needed rescuing. She either hid or let Damon do all the fighting.
I lost count of the amount of times she fainted, blacked out, got scared or injured - she wasn't much of a badass.
-Damon was an abusive douche - he apologised for hurting Kit when he realised that Kit wasn't as strong as he thought she was but the fact that he wanted to actually hurt her for no reason was enough for me to dislike him. He was far too overbearing, arrogant and pushy. And Kit just let him push her around like he had a right to.
I was creeped out by Damon constantly touching Kit even when she told him to stop - it was pervy and rapey. And I cringed everytime Damon called Kit baby girl, little girl, silly girl, kitten, foolish..it made him sound like an old man who liked young girls and it also made it seem as if he didn't really see her as a woman but as child - ugh.
-The romance and Kit's weak personality was what ultimately let the book down. I don't know how Damon went from abusive to lovey dovey - there was nothing to warrant his attitude change. Damon had to keep telling Kit he wouldn't hurt after he became all lovey dovey - when a guy has to assure their partner that they won't hit them - it's a definite sign of a bad relationship.
The first few chapters were actually fairly promising but the more I read about Kit and her weak, doormat personality the more disappointed I was. I wouldn't mind finding out more about Kit's family but only if Kit actually gets a backbone and defends herself. I'll probably wait for reviews on the next one as to whether or not to read it.
November 1, 2014
2.5 stars. I picked this up because of the reviews comparing it to the Kate Daniels series. In fact it's a
very
pale imitation. (Almost a rip-off in fact.) There is little world building, minimal action scenes, the villains were unconvincing and the major one was killed off-page in one of the most anti-climactic endings I've read in a while. The first half of the novel is overwhelmed by the heroines constant, repetitive, angry, defensive inner monologue and her memories of her abusive grandmother. If you took that out the book would be two thirds shorter.
I was astonished when Damon and Kit bonded so suddenly. They were still hating each other last time I looked. It seemed more like something to do to keep Kit safe from the vampire rather than out of love or passion. Damon calls Kit 'baby-girl all the time. She is so not a 'baby-girl' character and it sounded really off.
I was really disappointed in this because I was expecting more after the reviews I read. But if you read this book with no expectations you might find it an ok light UF. I won't be buying the sequel.
I was astonished when Damon and Kit bonded so suddenly. They were still hating each other last time I looked. It seemed more like something to do to keep Kit safe from the vampire rather than out of love or passion. Damon calls Kit 'baby-girl all the time. She is so not a 'baby-girl' character and it sounded really off.
I was really disappointed in this because I was expecting more after the reviews I read. But if you read this book with no expectations you might find it an ok light UF. I won't be buying the sequel.
February 14, 2013
Sucked in to this book from the first page. There's a free sample here on GRs and I hadn't read maybe 15 pages when I knew I had to buy it.
This was brilliant urban fantasy. It had the basic three groups, shifters, vampires and witches. An added race was a nearly extinct and forgotten race of non human assassins called the Aneiris. The heroine was half Aneiris and half human so she was considered worthless to the Aneiris. She now worked as a private investigator. The story involves her being hired by the Cat shifters in Orlando to find a missing boy on the cusp of his first change.
Let me tell you people, the world building here was phenomenal. The vampires were bad bad people. The shifters were a mix but the Cat alpha was a sociopath. The witches here were nice but you got the impression that there were all types. This world was fairly dark but not oppressively so. Also it was explained in enough depth that it was full and rich but it did not feel info dumpy at all. The plot all made sense and moved along at a brisk pace.
The characterizations were stellar. The heroine was strong and had a smart mouth but she wasn't so snarky that she seemed a caricature. She was strong but she was also vulnerable and she was written consistently throughout. The hero was the alpha cat shifter's right hand man. He was determined and a bit abrasive but he was super hot. His job was to see that the heroine got the job done and that she stayed alive to do it. He was very determined to protect her from the first but also determined that she get the job done. The secondary characters were also well rounded so that no one seemed a stereotype.
I don't want to tell you any thing else that happens because you all need to read this for yourself. Just trust me. The action is fast the writing is wonderful and the relationship that develops is believable and fulfilling.
This is not a romance although it has a bit of a romance element. It is also not romantica or erotica. Solid and stellar urban fantasy here. If you like Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series, you will like this one too. I can't wait for the next one.
This was brilliant urban fantasy. It had the basic three groups, shifters, vampires and witches. An added race was a nearly extinct and forgotten race of non human assassins called the Aneiris. The heroine was half Aneiris and half human so she was considered worthless to the Aneiris. She now worked as a private investigator. The story involves her being hired by the Cat shifters in Orlando to find a missing boy on the cusp of his first change.
Let me tell you people, the world building here was phenomenal. The vampires were bad bad people. The shifters were a mix but the Cat alpha was a sociopath. The witches here were nice but you got the impression that there were all types. This world was fairly dark but not oppressively so. Also it was explained in enough depth that it was full and rich but it did not feel info dumpy at all. The plot all made sense and moved along at a brisk pace.
The characterizations were stellar. The heroine was strong and had a smart mouth but she wasn't so snarky that she seemed a caricature. She was strong but she was also vulnerable and she was written consistently throughout. The hero was the alpha cat shifter's right hand man. He was determined and a bit abrasive but he was super hot. His job was to see that the heroine got the job done and that she stayed alive to do it. He was very determined to protect her from the first but also determined that she get the job done. The secondary characters were also well rounded so that no one seemed a stereotype.
I don't want to tell you any thing else that happens because you all need to read this for yourself. Just trust me. The action is fast the writing is wonderful and the relationship that develops is believable and fulfilling.
This is not a romance although it has a bit of a romance element. It is also not romantica or erotica. Solid and stellar urban fantasy here. If you like Patricia Briggs Mercy Thompson series, you will like this one too. I can't wait for the next one.
December 14, 2017
5 stars
An amazing start to what looks to be a promising urban fantasy series.
Kit Colbana is a PI working out of a shifty part of Orlando. Now what most people don't realize is that she is not fully human, she is also part aneira, a warrior race (thinks Amazons, only more cruel). Their motto goes something like this:
She has some issues of her own, but nothing beats being summoned by My Lady, the alpha of the cat shapeshifters. That one is a pure sociopath, and messing with them never ends well. But when the fate of a child is in question, Kit simply can't turn the job down (not that she really had a choice, but still).
Not only is she likely to die if she doesn't find the kid, but she's saddled with a grouchy bodyguard: Damon (demon would be more fitting that's for sure). Well, when you have no choice.
But this is one job that she has to finish, the only other alternative is death.
I really like Kit. She's tough, but able to sympathize with the victims. Her life has been pure hell, but she manages to hold on to her sanity. She's an amazing protagonist.
And of course, there's Damon, all surly and snarly (that is actually a word, huh :-) ). I love him.
And their relationship is priceless - the banter, the insults, and that underlying heat and protectiveness. Can't wait to read more about them.
I've seen that some reviewers are comparing Kit to Kate Daniels ( ) and I do see the similarities. The tough PI narrator, the sexy shapeshifter sniffing around her... But she is also unique in her own way.
I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series, .
An amazing start to what looks to be a promising urban fantasy series.
Kit Colbana is a PI working out of a shifty part of Orlando. Now what most people don't realize is that she is not fully human, she is also part aneira, a warrior race (thinks Amazons, only more cruel). Their motto goes something like this:
My sword arm is mighty.
I will not falter.
I will not fail.
My aim is true.
My heart is strong.
She has some issues of her own, but nothing beats being summoned by My Lady, the alpha of the cat shapeshifters. That one is a pure sociopath, and messing with them never ends well. But when the fate of a child is in question, Kit simply can't turn the job down (not that she really had a choice, but still).
Not only is she likely to die if she doesn't find the kid, but she's saddled with a grouchy bodyguard: Damon (demon would be more fitting that's for sure). Well, when you have no choice.
But this is one job that she has to finish, the only other alternative is death.
I really like Kit. She's tough, but able to sympathize with the victims. Her life has been pure hell, but she manages to hold on to her sanity. She's an amazing protagonist.
And of course, there's Damon, all surly and snarly (that is actually a word, huh :-) ). I love him.
And their relationship is priceless - the banter, the insults, and that underlying heat and protectiveness. Can't wait to read more about them.
I've seen that some reviewers are comparing Kit to Kate Daniels ( ) and I do see the similarities. The tough PI narrator, the sexy shapeshifter sniffing around her... But she is also unique in her own way.
I'm really looking forward to the second book in the series, .
September 30, 2012
Meet Kit Colbana � a half human, half Aneira assassin and the newest, baddest UF heroine to hit the block! In BLADE SONG, JC Daniels introduces a new paranormal world where shifters, vampires and witches roam yet Kit remains the most dangerous person of them all.
Fans of Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs and Keri Arthur will get a kick out of his brand new series. With the prefect mixture of whip-smart dialogue, fuel-charged action and dynamic characters, only Daniels� vast imagination can limit this series. I suspect that the Colbana Files will take Urban Fantasy to sizzling new heights!
Read this review in its entirety at
Fans of Ilona Andrews, Patricia Briggs and Keri Arthur will get a kick out of his brand new series. With the prefect mixture of whip-smart dialogue, fuel-charged action and dynamic characters, only Daniels� vast imagination can limit this series. I suspect that the Colbana Files will take Urban Fantasy to sizzling new heights!
Read this review in its entirety at
October 7, 2012
Ugh. The repetitive dialogue drove me nuts, the same words and thoughts regurgigated ad nauseum throughout the book. If someone said "damn it!" one more time, I was gonna scream. Or commit murder. Or both. And don't even get me started on Kit & Damon's relationship. Blech. I didn't like them. At all.
This book has been compared by some to the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Yeah, in its dreams maybe. There's no comparison between the two. None, whatsoever. Kate wins, hands down, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
This book has been compared by some to the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. Yeah, in its dreams maybe. There's no comparison between the two. None, whatsoever. Kate wins, hands down, every day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Shelved as 'dnf'
March 24, 2015DNF 6%
Not even sorry.
Not even sorry.
May 17, 2023
Kit Colbana is a private investigator in the grand hard-boiled tradition. She's struggling to make ends meet, but refuses to take work from any quarter which she knows will only bring more trouble to her than benefit, like the vampires. She also generally avoids were-cats, but finds it hard when the case that's brought to her � by a drop-dead gorgeous shapeshifter named Damon ��� involves a boy, a sixteen-year-old in the throes of his first change, which means he's a mess � and now he's missing. She should walk away; the cat Alpha is crazy, and crazy plus claws is bad� but the boy needs help. She takes the case.
Part of the case, unfortunately for her peace of mind, is accepting this Damon jerk as her sidekick. Whither she goeth, he goeth, and thereth not a thing she can doeth about it.
As in , there is a virus that causes lycanthropy in this world; it's a great deal like AIDS, in that it is spread through blood or sex (or heredity, or, of course, a bite). Unlike Kiss, this isn't post-apocalyptic, though, and unlike AIDS, it's almost likely you'll survive getting this virus. Not definite; lots of those who contract the virus die of it, but a percentage do make it and gain the ability to shift into a creature (wolves, rats, and various large cats are featured), benefiting from enhanced healing, speed, strength, all the usual good parts�
Also as in The Twisted Kiss, there is a heroine with Issues. Kit Colbana is half human, half aneira � think Amazon, the reader is told, only moreso � and this is what has led to her Issues; in a world where "non-humans" � weres and witches and vampires (and aneira) and humans are struggling to get along, being of mixed blood can have unpleasant consequences � especially when the relatives of the "non-human" half are completely intolerant of what they consider mongrels. Kit was raised by her grandmother. Banish from your mind all the usual connotations "raised" and "grandmother" usually have, and you'll start to get why Kit is damaged. It's realistically, wrenchingly, portrayed: what Kit has survived is a part of her that she does not choose to share or dwell on, but when it comes out in bits and fragments it is never played for the sympathy of the reader. It happened. It still affects her. Pity her at your own peril.
One hurdle this book put up for itself was that the heroine swears like a particularly ticked off sailor. Given that this has a first-person perspective, that means not just in dialogue. It usually doesn't trouble me; I wouldn't say this bothered me, but my eyebrows did go up a few times. Something to keep in mind if it does bother you. In large part, those travails Kit has gone through excused it for me; somehow, it would have felt a little less believable if she had said "gosh" and "darn".
Unlike The Twisted Kiss, this book is not written primarily as a showcase for sex scenes. That is not remotely a focus of the book � the last thing Kit is seeking right now is a fling, especially with this huge jerk Damon, however pretty he is. The characters, main and secondary alike, have a breath and life that lets this book rank much higher among urban fantasies than I expected; the death of one character was something I regretted quite a bit. There are a lot of very good things in this book I didn't expect. I have begun quite a few series this year, and with most of the ones I plan to pursue it will be "when I think of it". "The Colbana Files" is one series is one worth actively seeking out.
This was a Netgalley offering, read with thanks.
Part of the case, unfortunately for her peace of mind, is accepting this Damon jerk as her sidekick. Whither she goeth, he goeth, and thereth not a thing she can doeth about it.
As in , there is a virus that causes lycanthropy in this world; it's a great deal like AIDS, in that it is spread through blood or sex (or heredity, or, of course, a bite). Unlike Kiss, this isn't post-apocalyptic, though, and unlike AIDS, it's almost likely you'll survive getting this virus. Not definite; lots of those who contract the virus die of it, but a percentage do make it and gain the ability to shift into a creature (wolves, rats, and various large cats are featured), benefiting from enhanced healing, speed, strength, all the usual good parts�
Also as in The Twisted Kiss, there is a heroine with Issues. Kit Colbana is half human, half aneira � think Amazon, the reader is told, only moreso � and this is what has led to her Issues; in a world where "non-humans" � weres and witches and vampires (and aneira) and humans are struggling to get along, being of mixed blood can have unpleasant consequences � especially when the relatives of the "non-human" half are completely intolerant of what they consider mongrels. Kit was raised by her grandmother. Banish from your mind all the usual connotations "raised" and "grandmother" usually have, and you'll start to get why Kit is damaged. It's realistically, wrenchingly, portrayed: what Kit has survived is a part of her that she does not choose to share or dwell on, but when it comes out in bits and fragments it is never played for the sympathy of the reader. It happened. It still affects her. Pity her at your own peril.
One hurdle this book put up for itself was that the heroine swears like a particularly ticked off sailor. Given that this has a first-person perspective, that means not just in dialogue. It usually doesn't trouble me; I wouldn't say this bothered me, but my eyebrows did go up a few times. Something to keep in mind if it does bother you. In large part, those travails Kit has gone through excused it for me; somehow, it would have felt a little less believable if she had said "gosh" and "darn".
Unlike The Twisted Kiss, this book is not written primarily as a showcase for sex scenes. That is not remotely a focus of the book � the last thing Kit is seeking right now is a fling, especially with this huge jerk Damon, however pretty he is. The characters, main and secondary alike, have a breath and life that lets this book rank much higher among urban fantasies than I expected; the death of one character was something I regretted quite a bit. There are a lot of very good things in this book I didn't expect. I have begun quite a few series this year, and with most of the ones I plan to pursue it will be "when I think of it". "The Colbana Files" is one series is one worth actively seeking out.
This was a Netgalley offering, read with thanks.
July 20, 2012
Rating: 3.5
Orlando, Florida, Modern Day
Half-breed Kit Colbana, an investigator, needs work desperately to keep her business open. A job walks through her door and her gut warns it’s bad, bad, bad! The Cat Pack’s Alpha teenage ward is missing and she wants him found immediately. Kit has a soft spot for children, and taking the Alpha’smoney requires a successful recovery if she wants to live. Resources from her runaway past connect this case to several missing changeling children. With the help of Damon, the Cat Pack’s enforcer, Kit will face down dark and chilling forces.
My Thoughts
I liked the protagonist/heroine, Kit Colbana. Born of a human father and aneria mother, Kit survived a horrible childhood. She was abused by the aneria for being a half-breed, and considered a non-human by her father’s kind. At fifteen years of age, a successful escape from the aneria leads to life on the streets. This heroine is believably street-smart, with a nice blend of tough and vulnerable. Kit’s aneria half endows her with magical skills she guardedly uses. What’s especially nice about her character is she is not invincible and she knows it. She weighs her strengths and weaknesses before making a entering a dangerous situation.
Blade Song did not blow me out of the water. It is a good urban fantasy that did not earn four stars for two main reasons: the world and Kit’s relationship with Damon. There are too many similarities to Kate Daniel’s world! It was very distracting. The cat shifter love interest, the parallels between Kit and Andrea Nash, and the shapeshifter virus, while unique in Ilona Andrews’descriptive and lush series, felt uninspired in Ms. Daniel’s fictional writing. (I did not mark Kit’s trip to Arby’s fast food restaurant or Walgreens drug store against this book.) As for Damon, he is not Curran, which is a good thing. However, Kit and Damon’s relationship took an unnecessary route for the sake of romance. The reader is made aware of how long Kit has been without sex � repeatedly! It was tiresome. As the Cat Alpha’s enforcer, Damon’s behavior wasn’t consistent for one supposedly formidable.
For readers looking for more books like Kate Daniels, then this is the book for you! It has action, mystery, magic, shapeshifters, vampires, witches, aneria, and a little bit of romance. Blade Song resolves the main story threads, but the ending indicates changes on the horizon for Kit, which may leave readers ready for the next book.
ARC courtesy of Shiloh Walker, Inc via Netgalley
Orlando, Florida, Modern Day
Half-breed Kit Colbana, an investigator, needs work desperately to keep her business open. A job walks through her door and her gut warns it’s bad, bad, bad! The Cat Pack’s Alpha teenage ward is missing and she wants him found immediately. Kit has a soft spot for children, and taking the Alpha’smoney requires a successful recovery if she wants to live. Resources from her runaway past connect this case to several missing changeling children. With the help of Damon, the Cat Pack’s enforcer, Kit will face down dark and chilling forces.
My Thoughts
I liked the protagonist/heroine, Kit Colbana. Born of a human father and aneria mother, Kit survived a horrible childhood. She was abused by the aneria for being a half-breed, and considered a non-human by her father’s kind. At fifteen years of age, a successful escape from the aneria leads to life on the streets. This heroine is believably street-smart, with a nice blend of tough and vulnerable. Kit’s aneria half endows her with magical skills she guardedly uses. What’s especially nice about her character is she is not invincible and she knows it. She weighs her strengths and weaknesses before making a entering a dangerous situation.
Blade Song did not blow me out of the water. It is a good urban fantasy that did not earn four stars for two main reasons: the world and Kit’s relationship with Damon. There are too many similarities to Kate Daniel’s world! It was very distracting. The cat shifter love interest, the parallels between Kit and Andrea Nash, and the shapeshifter virus, while unique in Ilona Andrews’descriptive and lush series, felt uninspired in Ms. Daniel’s fictional writing. (I did not mark Kit’s trip to Arby’s fast food restaurant or Walgreens drug store against this book.) As for Damon, he is not Curran, which is a good thing. However, Kit and Damon’s relationship took an unnecessary route for the sake of romance. The reader is made aware of how long Kit has been without sex � repeatedly! It was tiresome. As the Cat Alpha’s enforcer, Damon’s behavior wasn’t consistent for one supposedly formidable.
For readers looking for more books like Kate Daniels, then this is the book for you! It has action, mystery, magic, shapeshifters, vampires, witches, aneria, and a little bit of romance. Blade Song resolves the main story threads, but the ending indicates changes on the horizon for Kit, which may leave readers ready for the next book.
ARC courtesy of Shiloh Walker, Inc via Netgalley
December 15, 2014
I wanted to like like it but just no.
1. The world building: it's a world similar to Kate Daniels, full of witches and vamps and shifters but so uninspired and dull that it was boring as hell and unoriginal.
2. The characters: he is an asshole and she is an idiot pushover.
3. Which leads me to the romance: not romantic.
DNFed at 55% because of the above mentioned idiocy that you will find in this book.
1. The world building: it's a world similar to Kate Daniels, full of witches and vamps and shifters but so uninspired and dull that it was boring as hell and unoriginal.
2. The characters: he is an asshole and she is an idiot pushover.
3. Which leads me to the romance: not romantic.
DNFed at 55% because of the above mentioned idiocy that you will find in this book.
August 27, 2016
7/2/2014--FREE on Amazon:
July 13, 2012
I’m going with a 4 on this new series about a half breed assassin Kit Colbana. I received a pre-editing copy from Netgalley which had some technical issues that I hope get resolved for the final book and the 4 is contingent on that.
The story revolves around a half breed for hire assassin Kit Colbana. Kit is half aneria (a breed of warrior women) and half human. She ran away from the aneria because of the abusive leader of the aneria, her grandmother, never accepted her human side and tortured her till she got away. Now on her own , working as a hired gun, she gets talked into taking a case from the psychotic leader of the Cat shifters to find her nephew. She has no intention of working for the Alpha Cat psycho until they show her a picture of the kid who is missing. Everything in her gut tells her to avoid the case but when they show her the picture of the kid, she takes the case. She is forced to be shadowed by Damon the Alpha Cat enforcer on her mission to find the missing nephew. Time is of the essence because the nephew is at the age that he is about to start shifting and they have to get to him before he hurts himself or others. Of course that is just the start of the story and then it spins out of control into many different storylines.
The good. Kit is a strong heroine but a realistic one. She knows she is not the as strong or fast as the other creatures in this world and she is forced to use her brains to get out of situations. That is not to say she isn’t a badass. Her mouth gets her in plenty of trouble and she is damaged plenty along the way. She’s not one of these heroine’s that walks on water and always seems to get away unscathed. The interaction between Kit and Damon feels real and trust doesn’t come fast. There are witches, shifters, aneria and a badass vampire. I really enjoyed the storyline and the world that was created.
The bad. The world building in the beginning felt a little like an information dump. I’d rather learn about the world being created as the story moves along but there are so many pieces to the puzzle it took a while to get rolling. Even during the process it was interesting to learn about her world but it seemed like they crammed a bit much into the first book being it’s a series book. Again there were some technical issues that I can’t hold against the book but if it is not corrected I would be hesitant to recommend.
I will be stalking reviews feverishly when the book gets published and if I don’t see any complaints on editing I will definitely be moving on with this series because I really like the world that was created here. ***Update***I have been told by someone who knows the writers reputation better than me that she believes the editing will be taking care of. Whoo Hoo!! Time to pimp out this book!
ARC provided by Shiloh Walker, Inc and Netgalley. Publishing date Aug 1, 2012
The story revolves around a half breed for hire assassin Kit Colbana. Kit is half aneria (a breed of warrior women) and half human. She ran away from the aneria because of the abusive leader of the aneria, her grandmother, never accepted her human side and tortured her till she got away. Now on her own , working as a hired gun, she gets talked into taking a case from the psychotic leader of the Cat shifters to find her nephew. She has no intention of working for the Alpha Cat psycho until they show her a picture of the kid who is missing. Everything in her gut tells her to avoid the case but when they show her the picture of the kid, she takes the case. She is forced to be shadowed by Damon the Alpha Cat enforcer on her mission to find the missing nephew. Time is of the essence because the nephew is at the age that he is about to start shifting and they have to get to him before he hurts himself or others. Of course that is just the start of the story and then it spins out of control into many different storylines.
The good. Kit is a strong heroine but a realistic one. She knows she is not the as strong or fast as the other creatures in this world and she is forced to use her brains to get out of situations. That is not to say she isn’t a badass. Her mouth gets her in plenty of trouble and she is damaged plenty along the way. She’s not one of these heroine’s that walks on water and always seems to get away unscathed. The interaction between Kit and Damon feels real and trust doesn’t come fast. There are witches, shifters, aneria and a badass vampire. I really enjoyed the storyline and the world that was created.
The bad. The world building in the beginning felt a little like an information dump. I’d rather learn about the world being created as the story moves along but there are so many pieces to the puzzle it took a while to get rolling. Even during the process it was interesting to learn about her world but it seemed like they crammed a bit much into the first book being it’s a series book. Again there were some technical issues that I can’t hold against the book but if it is not corrected I would be hesitant to recommend.
I will be stalking reviews feverishly when the book gets published and if I don’t see any complaints on editing I will definitely be moving on with this series because I really like the world that was created here. ***Update***I have been told by someone who knows the writers reputation better than me that she believes the editing will be taking care of. Whoo Hoo!! Time to pimp out this book!
ARC provided by Shiloh Walker, Inc and Netgalley. Publishing date Aug 1, 2012
September 27, 2014
Okay, so I only read this book because I saw a review from a friend whose opinion I truly respect. I didn't do any research, so I was under the impression that I was reading a 'self-published' book by an unknown author, especially because I only paid $2 on Amazon at the time this review was published.
So.
It was really good! Urban Fantasy meets Paranormal Romance in a Kate Daniels/Gin Blanco/Secret McQueen kind of way.
I won't give synopsis or spoilers, but if you like any of the above mentioned series, you might like this one.
No cliffhangers, main story arc completed, but enough left open for the series to continue.
Oh, and that self-pub thing? Er...yeah. Looks like JC Daniels is also Shiloh Walker, a well-known romance/erotic romance author. Well, jeez. No wonder. :)
So.
It was really good! Urban Fantasy meets Paranormal Romance in a Kate Daniels/Gin Blanco/Secret McQueen kind of way.
I won't give synopsis or spoilers, but if you like any of the above mentioned series, you might like this one.
No cliffhangers, main story arc completed, but enough left open for the series to continue.
Oh, and that self-pub thing? Er...yeah. Looks like JC Daniels is also Shiloh Walker, a well-known romance/erotic romance author. Well, jeez. No wonder. :)
July 28, 2012
*Rating* 3.5
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
"My sword aim is mighty. I will not falter. I will not fail." Kit's mantra
Truth be told. I haven't read any of J.C. Daniels/Shiloh Walker's previous novels so I can't compare them to any other author I do follow regularly. However, after reading BLADE SONG, and hopefully it's sequel called NIGHT BLADE, I will end up going back and revisiting her other works sometime in the near future.
Daniel's world building was actually pleasantly surprising and interesting. Those are normally the two things I look at when reviewing and rating a UF novel. In this world, supernaturals have gone public and have been living alongside humans for 50 years. Then, you have a group called Banner, (an extermination group) that targets dangerous non humans when they step out of line and cause problems. I'm not sure who is scarier, Kit or the Banner group.
Kitasa (Kit) Colbana is an investigator/bounty hunter who has a knack for killing things. She's part Aneira (see Amazon warrior) and part human. She has the ability to fade out (go invisible) and was trained to not only be an assassin, but a thief as well. She is also being chased by a vampire (Jude) thanks to asking him for help with a delicate situation 6 years before.
The story, at it's core, is Kit's attempt to find a missing cat shifter and bring him back to his pack as well as finding those responsible and bringing them to Kit's own form of justice. Of course, the Alpha just happens to be a psychotic beoyatch, and she ends up with a body guard (Damon) to keep her safe and focused on the job. Kit's background is a bit disheartening and disturbing knowing what she went through for the first 15 years of her life because she was part human. The fact that she escaped the abuse and torture and made her own way in the world is a huge part of the story.
I can't help but compare Kit with Kate Daniels. They are both demi-humans. They both carry a big bad swords that call to them. They both end up with a sexy ass shifters who just happen to be the Alphas of their respective packs. They both can take a beating like nobody's business and bounce back with a little help from their friends.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that people will probably love Damon. I hated him from the first moment he was introduced to the story. It wasn't until he shows his mettle and sticks up for Kit in more ways than one, that I had a change of heart. I dislike having any male characters call a grown woman little girl. It's truly demeaning and churlish and a bit disturbing. I realize Damon is a shifter, but I also hate all the touching he does throughout this book.
J.C./Shiloh Walker - Thank you so much for providing me a copy of this to review and read. I definitely recommend this book to those who love a good UF story.
Expected publication: August 1st 2012 by Shiloh Walker, Inc
*Genre* Urban Fantasy
*Review*
"My sword aim is mighty. I will not falter. I will not fail." Kit's mantra
Truth be told. I haven't read any of J.C. Daniels/Shiloh Walker's previous novels so I can't compare them to any other author I do follow regularly. However, after reading BLADE SONG, and hopefully it's sequel called NIGHT BLADE, I will end up going back and revisiting her other works sometime in the near future.
Daniel's world building was actually pleasantly surprising and interesting. Those are normally the two things I look at when reviewing and rating a UF novel. In this world, supernaturals have gone public and have been living alongside humans for 50 years. Then, you have a group called Banner, (an extermination group) that targets dangerous non humans when they step out of line and cause problems. I'm not sure who is scarier, Kit or the Banner group.
Kitasa (Kit) Colbana is an investigator/bounty hunter who has a knack for killing things. She's part Aneira (see Amazon warrior) and part human. She has the ability to fade out (go invisible) and was trained to not only be an assassin, but a thief as well. She is also being chased by a vampire (Jude) thanks to asking him for help with a delicate situation 6 years before.
The story, at it's core, is Kit's attempt to find a missing cat shifter and bring him back to his pack as well as finding those responsible and bringing them to Kit's own form of justice. Of course, the Alpha just happens to be a psychotic beoyatch, and she ends up with a body guard (Damon) to keep her safe and focused on the job. Kit's background is a bit disheartening and disturbing knowing what she went through for the first 15 years of her life because she was part human. The fact that she escaped the abuse and torture and made her own way in the world is a huge part of the story.
I can't help but compare Kit with Kate Daniels. They are both demi-humans. They both carry a big bad swords that call to them. They both end up with a sexy ass shifters who just happen to be the Alphas of their respective packs. They both can take a beating like nobody's business and bounce back with a little help from their friends.
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that people will probably love Damon. I hated him from the first moment he was introduced to the story. It wasn't until he shows his mettle and sticks up for Kit in more ways than one, that I had a change of heart. I dislike having any male characters call a grown woman little girl. It's truly demeaning and churlish and a bit disturbing. I realize Damon is a shifter, but I also hate all the touching he does throughout this book.
J.C./Shiloh Walker - Thank you so much for providing me a copy of this to review and read. I definitely recommend this book to those who love a good UF story.
Expected publication: August 1st 2012 by Shiloh Walker, Inc
September 12, 2017
Guys, I was blown away by this book. I stayed up reading until I literally couldn't focus anymore, grabbed a few hours of sleep and finished up as soon as I woke up the next morning. I was completely in love with the total snark that Kit and Damon were tossing back and forth. I was completely in love with the tension - OMG! THE TENSION - between the two of them. I loved the way the snippets of Kit's life as a child were dribbled to us to help us understand why she's as reckless and driven as she is. I loved how gritty it was. It was dark and bloody and it hit the spot as far as what I wanted to read went.
I really did love how prickly Kit and Damon were with one another but I REALLY REALLY loved how Damon's interactions with Kit evolved as he spent more time with her. His desire to find Doyle makes him ruthless in the beginning, eager to use Kit's abilities toward his own end. He's rude, domineering and very snarly. Then... things change. His needling turns into something a little more suggestive and Kit's not quite sure how to deal with it at first. This slow switch in his attitude was intriguing because you could see the way Kit got under his skin. You could see his opinion changing as the book progressed. I kind of loved it.
There was a lot going on in this book - I will say that the world building in the beginning was DENSE but I think it was needed to set the tone for later - and there are parts of it that aren't pretty. But it is captivating. Incredibly so. Kit's entire existence and her heritage were so intriguing. Her abilities, her weaknesses... I honestly want more. I'm considering rereading the book immediately to help ease the pang of my withdrawal.
Dark, gritty, and sexy, this is one series I will be continuing with. No question.
-Kelly @
1/11/15 reread - HOLY SMOKES. I think I like this book even more on the reread. I'm all *flaily hands* now.
I really did love how prickly Kit and Damon were with one another but I REALLY REALLY loved how Damon's interactions with Kit evolved as he spent more time with her. His desire to find Doyle makes him ruthless in the beginning, eager to use Kit's abilities toward his own end. He's rude, domineering and very snarly. Then... things change. His needling turns into something a little more suggestive and Kit's not quite sure how to deal with it at first. This slow switch in his attitude was intriguing because you could see the way Kit got under his skin. You could see his opinion changing as the book progressed. I kind of loved it.
There was a lot going on in this book - I will say that the world building in the beginning was DENSE but I think it was needed to set the tone for later - and there are parts of it that aren't pretty. But it is captivating. Incredibly so. Kit's entire existence and her heritage were so intriguing. Her abilities, her weaknesses... I honestly want more. I'm considering rereading the book immediately to help ease the pang of my withdrawal.
Dark, gritty, and sexy, this is one series I will be continuing with. No question.
-Kelly @
1/11/15 reread - HOLY SMOKES. I think I like this book even more on the reread. I'm all *flaily hands* now.
February 10, 2023
First in a series about a mystical Jack of all trades Kit Colbana who does whatever she has to go earn a living, courier work, investigations, runaway you name it she's probably done.it. Her real occupation is as an assassin, that's what she was trained for but she turned her back on that life. Not much of a life, she escapes the compound where she was raised when she was fifteen after ten years of abuse (they called it teaching) at the hands of her family, the scars are psychological as well as physical but Kit is determined no matter what she's never going back. At first she just ran as far as she could and hid away when she got there. Meeting the warrior witch Justin changed her life they cooperated on a job and in doing so Kit found her place. She opened her.own offices and hung out her shingle for hire. Years later an emissary from the Cat Alpha comes to her with a job, everything in her screams to turn the job down but it's a missing teen............. And children in trouble are her weakness, so she takes the job only to realise she's been saddled with a babysitter, Damon an enforced for the Alpha is charged with accompanying her wherever she goes, he takes her to meet the Alpha and Kits sense that she should have walked away is confirmed when she realises the woman is insane. Now it's Kits life on the line if she doesn't find the boy....................no pressure then........
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