*Rating* 4.0*Genre* Urban Fantasy*Review*Better Off Undead is the fourth novel in the Bloodhound files with our heroine FBI profile Jace Valcheck as the main protagonist. Jace, if you haven’t followed this series from the start, was taken from her own world by David Cassius the director of the National Security Agency, and brought to what she affectionately calls Thropirelem. Her mission: find and eliminate Aristotle Stoker who is the descendant of Bram Stoker and a known terrorist, then she will be returned unharmed. Easier said than done.Jace has made a life in Thropirelem, and even has a pet dog named Galahad who is part St. Bernard, and part human depending on what time of day it is. She has befriended Dr. Pete’s niece Xandra (werewolf), and has become the godmother to Gretchen’s daughter Anna (both vampires). She has a Lem partner named Charlie who really makes this series for me.Thropirelem’s population is filled with vampires, and werewolves making up 99 percent of the population. The remaining one percent is humans who have survived several attempts at eliminating them permanently.I loved this book and the storyline. Seriously, who can argue about the bantering between Cassius and Jace that ends up totally blowing my mind and changing the dynamics of this series at the same time?Gretchen is one scary vampire and I would not want to piss her off under any circumstances. Her rattling of swords with Xandra is funny and amazing. I wouldn't want to get between Gretchen and her baby for fear that she would just strangle me with my own tongue!Charlie is one of the best side kicks in the UF genre. I think only Hank of the Charlie Madigan series can come close to matching him in awesomeness. I love the way Jace and Charlie snipe at each other. The negative for me? Jace's continually telling him to shut up.Cassius, ah yes. Let me say that Cassius makes Bones seem like a fledgling. He's an old vampire who goes above and beyond to save the remaining humans like Jace. When Cass and Jace finally get together, it's almost a perfect fit. Of course, biting in a certain area is seriously erotic.Jace is forced into a corner after she is infected by Tair better known as Dr. Pete. Her humanity is challenged, and her choices and desires undergo a drastic self- awareness check. She is basically given no choice after Cassius makes the decision to save her humanity from either turning her into a vampire, lycan, or dead. For me, there was no other choice. I get worn out when characters are turned into something they weren’t when the series started. For once, I would like to have my main character remain human or a human with serious abilities. I also love her dog and the fact that it seems she has come to the conclusion that this is now her new home, and thus, she needs to set down some kind of familiar routine which includes friends, and a life outside of working for the NSA. Barant makes an interesting correlation between Jace’s situation of being a minority in Thropirelem and our real world and how minorities are treated in today's society. Barant actually shows what the remaining 1 percent of humans are dealing with on a daily basis including being put on a reservation like the American Indians were before them for their own safety from the paranormal community.The revelation about Cassius involvement with the humans and how he has made it is mission to protect them from extinction only goes to prove that Cassius isn’t your normal vampire. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series called Back from the Undead which releases April 2012
GizmosReviews
*Rating* 4.0*Genre* Urban Fantasy*Review*Better Off Undead is the fourth novel in the Bloodhound files with our heroine FBI profile Jace Valcheck as the main protagonist. Jace, if you haven’t followed this series from the start, was taken from her own world by David Cassius the director of the National Security Agency, and brought to what she affectionately calls Thropirelem. Her mission: find and eliminate Aristotle Stoker who is the descendant of Bram Stoker and a known terrorist, then she will be returned unharmed. Easier said than done.Jace has made a life in Thropirelem, and even has a pet dog named Galahad who is part St. Bernard, and part human depending on what time of day it is. She has befriended Dr. Pete’s niece Xandra (werewolf), and has become the godmother to Gretchen’s daughter Anna (both vampires). She has a Lem partner named Charlie who really makes this series for me.Thropirelem’s population is filled with vampires, and werewolves making up 99 percent of the population. The remaining one percent is humans who have survived several attempts at eliminating them permanently.I loved this book and the storyline. Seriously, who can argue about the bantering between Cassius and Jace that ends up totally blowing my mind and changing the dynamics of this series at the same time?Gretchen is one scary vampire and I would not want to piss her off under any circumstances. Her rattling of swords with Xandra is funny and amazing. I wouldn't want to get between Gretchen and her baby for fear that she would just strangle me with my own tongue!Charlie is one of the best side kicks in the UF genre. I think only Hank of the Charlie Madigan series can come close to matching him in awesomeness. I love the way Jace and Charlie snipe at each other. The negative for me? Jace's continually telling him to shut up.Cassius, ah yes. Let me say that Cassius makes Bones seem like a fledgling. He's an old vampire who goes above and beyond to save the remaining humans like Jace. When Cass and Jace finally get together, it's almost a perfect fit. Of course, biting in a certain area is seriously erotic.Jace is forced into a corner after she is infected by Tair better known as Dr. Pete. Her humanity is challenged, and her choices and desires undergo a drastic self- awareness check. She is basically given no choice after Cassius makes the decision to save her humanity from either turning her into a vampire, lycan, or dead. For me, there was no other choice. I get worn out when characters are turned into something they weren’t when the series started. For once, I would like to have my main character remain human or a human with serious abilities. I also love her dog and the fact that it seems she has come to the conclusion that this is now her new home, and thus, she needs to set down some kind of familiar routine which includes friends, and a life outside of working for the NSA. Barant makes an interesting correlation between Jace’s situation of being a minority in Thropirelem and our real world and how minorities are treated in today's society. Barant actually shows what the remaining 1 percent of humans are dealing with on a daily basis including being put on a reservation like the American Indians were before them for their own safety from the paranormal community.The revelation about Cassius involvement with the humans and how he has made it is mission to protect them from extinction only goes to prove that Cassius isn’t your normal vampire. I am definitely looking forward to the next book in the series called Back from the Undead which releases April 2012
