Review: Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

Title: Soul Thief Series: The Demon Trappers #2 Author: Jana Oliver Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin Published: August 5th, 2011 My Copy: The Book Depository Riley Blackthorne is beginning to learn that there are worse things than death by demon. And love is just one of them… Seventeen-year-old Riley has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father’s been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. As if that’s not enough, there’s Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who’s made himself Riley’s unofficial body guard, and Beck, a super over-protective “friend” who acts more like a grouchy granddad. With all the hassles, Riley’s almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether. But as Atlanta’s demon count increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city’s “little” problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell’s attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can’t last forever.

I adored the fast paced, distinctive storyline of The Demon Trapper’s Daughter which made Soul Thief an automatic add to my must-read pile. Jana Oliver’s second installment is good but the change in the plot’s direction does have me concerned. I was really hoping for some romance this time around, instead we get something else entirely and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. Beck, Simon and Ori all had the potential of being sexy alpha males except they act like complete morons 99% of the time. Soul Thief delivers a very different feel than its predecessor and I’m not sure if I like it.

Things have gone from bad to worse since we last saw Riley. This poor girl just can’t get a break! The demons know her name, her dad’s now among the walking dead, her (ex) boyfriend is convinced that she made a deal with the Devil, and the list continues! There aren’t even any little victories; no glimpses of hope. As a result, the story felt very weight downed with little to look forward to anytime soon. I understand that life is different here. Future Atlanta is not a pretty place but still, small victories, right? Life has to give us a few good moments here and there otherwise what’s the point!?

I was really hopping that Beck would make a move on Riley but alas he only morphs into an even bigger stick in the mudd. No one can be that good intentioned! C’mon people, it’s the end of the world! Do you really want to spend it alone? Okay, so her guardian’s a no-go but what about Simon and Ori? I’m afraid that there’s not much to report on either front. Simon is now the biggest douche in Oliver’s universe and as for Ori… eeeck! Completely unexpected! I’m also a little angered by what Jana does to his character. He was the light at the end of the tunnel. Probably not Riley’s forever but at least they could have cheered each other up for a while. Not anymore!

It wasn’t all bad though. I enjoyed the parts where miss Blackthorne and her BFF team up to investigate the holy water problem. He’s a nice distraction and Riley seems to act more like herself whenever Peter’s around. One especially cute moment stands out to me when they use technology to trap a Klepto-Fiend. Go teamwork!

The ending left me on the fence as to whether I want to give Forgiven a try. It’ll all depend on how Oliver decides to play her hand. Soul Thief was just a passable read compared to book 1 but maybe it was a necessary bump in the road and the follow-up will make everything better. It’s hard to say, but after such a strong start to this series with The Demon Trapper’s Daughter, I’m willing to keep an open mind.

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