April 11, 2014

Review: Dying Bites

Dying Bites (The Bloodhound Files, book 1) by D.D. Barant

dying-bites

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Edition Reviewed: Paperback
Amazon: Paperback | Kindle
Goodreads: Dying Bites

Her job description is the “tracking and apprehension of mentally-fractured killers.” What this really means in FBI profiler Jace Valchek’s brave new world—one in which only one percent of the population is human—is that a woman’s work is never done. And real is getting stranger every day…

Jace has been ripped from her reality by David Cassius, the vampire head of the NSA. He knows that she’s the best there in the business, and David needs her help in solving a series of gruesome murders of vampires and werewolves. David’s world—one that also includes lycanthropes and golems—is one with little knowledge of mental illness. An insane serial killer is a threat the NSA has no experience with. But Jace does. Stranded in a reality where Bela Lugosi is a bigger box office draw than Bruce Willis and every full moon is Mardi Gras, Jace must now hunt down a fellow human before he brings the entire planet to the brink of madness. Or she may never see her own world again…


Review:

This is a title that kept me going “Heck yes!” throughout the whole read. With “Oh, no she didn't!” Then at the end I was a little shocked that more of my reading friends had yet to read this one! A lot have it on their TBR piles, yet no read. The few that read it are giving it glowing ratings and praise! Dying Bites is the perfect intro for The Bloodhound Files.

Jace ends up getting pulled over to an alternate world from our own earth. They don't have any one with job description is the “tracking and apprehension of mentally-fractured killers.” They try to pull it off that they don't have such killers like we do in our world, but the truth comes out. What they don't have is too many humans, and they need a human view point to solve this. Vampires and werewolves are dominate and in the last world war it wasn't Hitler trying to purify the world from Jews, it was Vampires and Werewolves trying to turn the human populace. Soon after that Jace is faced with the chilling reality that humans face as the food source to vampires. Some try to protect them on reserves, and others just want to farm them. Humans are weak and at the bottom of the food chain literally.

Jace is investigating ritualistic killings being done by a human. The victims are vampires and werewolves. It soon becomes apparent that these aren't just random killings. Each murder site has power and in some way shows Jace horrors that occurred to the human race in this new world. The killer wants to wake up a god to make the world anew. It's beyond refreshing to see the moral conflict that Jace is going through. As she has to decide whether or not to take sides with the “monsters” or the humans. Because I certainly identified with the humans, and at times I could see where they were coming from. What's more is how the magic works in this world. Especially magic so powerful that guns and other such weapons are magically spelled out of everyone. Jace is the only one who can handle her gun and everyone else is still stuck using swords and arrows. Which makes you wonder who would have spelled that to happen, especially since modern weapons is what would even the odds for humans.

Even better is how certain things changed in this alternate reality. From wars to musicians. The way that vampires and werewolves changed some of the basic things in life. Such as full body suits to avoid the sun for vampires, and how a werewolves smell can be admissible in court.

So it's clear that I adored this world. Even better is that I adored the cast of characters introduced, it was great being presented with vampires and werewolves that showed humanity. Then the heinous ones that made you want to bear arms with the the human extremists (AKA Free Human Resistance). My favorite character actually ended up being Jace's Golem sidekick. The mythology behind Golem's is awesome, since they're the weapon advancement since modern weaponry as we know it doesn’t exist. The Golem is witty funny, and at times the most human thing in Dying Bites. Which brings to question what really makes a human, well, human?

This is told in first person so readers can sink straight into Jace's mind. It's refreshing to see such a strong woman faced with the reality that in this world she's fresh meat. I look forward to her duking it out with the bad guy, discovering more of this world, some of the romances kindling up, and of course time with my favorite Golem. The Bloodhound Files is definitely a Urban Fantasy that everyone should add to their collection. After reading the first book I made sure I owned all following books. That good, my bookworms. That good.

Sexual Content: Jace has sex, and she’s not conflicted! Yes. Sexual humor and some darker themes.

 
5/5- Fabulous, a beautiful obsession!


Previous book(s) in series:
Reviewed on BW: Amazon: Goodreads:
Dying Bites (1)
Death Blows (2)
Killing Rocks (3)
Better Off Undead (4)
Back from the Undead (5)
Undead to the World (6)

Dying Bites (1)
Death Blows (2)
Killing Rocks (3)
Better Off Undead (4)
Back from the Undead (5)
Undead to the World (6)

Dying Bites (1)
Death Blows (2)
Killing Rocks (3)
Better Off Undead (4)
Back from the Undead (5)
Undead to the World (6)

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