Deadtown by Nancy Holzner
Series: Deadtown #1
Published by ACE
Published on: December 29, 2009
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 327
Format: Paperback
Source: Borrowed
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If you were undead, you'd be home by now...
They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders-but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human.
Deadtown really excels at the level of characterization. It seems no matter how small one’s part is in this mutant (or monster?) Boston, you will receive a interesting name, with the exception of Daniel Costello, and you will receive a generous number of lines. One can say that about very few debuts.
With this stomping ground, of course, comes the danger of being all over the place. Although I would say the elements that intersect with Vicky – Celtic shapeshifter, zombies, Harpies, dream patrolling, being a terrific aunt, bodyguarding, cloning – are pretty disparate, they are not desperately clinging to one another as if they did not belong together.
Because each – the influence of the media, Shakespeare references, demonic taxonomy – receives a generous amount of development, the rather strange plot feels natural. Vicky Vaughn, taking up center position, acts passionately and reasonably, even as those around her suffer from quite a lack of reason (here’s looking at her sidekick zombie, Tina).
As might be expected (seems every urban fantasy protagonist falls prey to these kind of things), certain obvious leads escape Vicky’s attention until the last moment. The way things seem to be going takes a sharp U-turn, which I will leave very vague seeing as how shocking and delightful it was for me to read. And so the end leaves much room for development, especially with Kane, who sort of misses the romantic boat throughout the book’s proceedings.
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  My Review |
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| Recommended: | For those familiar with a map of Boston |
| Like this, like that: | The Horngate Witches series by Diana Pharaoh Francis and the Charlie Madigan series by Kelly Gay |
Thanks for the review Joshua, I still have to start reading this series, but the first books are on my shelves waiting.
Alright, so long as they’re in waiting…
This whole series is a great read 🙂
You bet!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it as well. It took me a while to start this series but I read all the book the oneq after the others. Loved them all and can’t wait for the next one now!
I still gotta read book four, but I’m right on your wavelength.
I love this series. It’s a great UF with a kick ass heroine.
5 paws!!! I always get excited about 5 paws.
On my list it goes. Thanks for reviewing 🙂
Great review! I’m delving into UF more and more and this sounds like it’s right up my alley. I’ve had this on my Nook for a while now (as a freebie), hope to read it soon!
It’s sitting on my shelf. Just need to pull it off. Thanks for the review.