Darklands (A Deadtown Novel) [Mass Market Paperback]

Nancy Holzner (Author)

Book Description

Release date: July 31, 2012 | Series: A Deadtown Novel (Book 4)

They call it Deadtown: the city’s quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its border—but Victory Vaughn, Boston’s only professional demon slayer, isn’t exactly human…

Boston’s demons have been disappearing, and Vicky’s clients are canceling left and right. While fewer demons might seem like a good thing, Vicky suspects foul play. A missing Celtic cauldron from Harvard’s Peabody museum leads her to an unwelcome conclusion: Pryce, her demi-demon cousin and bitter enemy, is trying to regain his full powers.

But Pryce isn’t alone. He’s conjured another, darker villain from Vicky’s past. To stop them from destroying everything she loves, she’ll have to face her own worst fear—in the realm of the dead itself.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Part of what makes the Deadtown novels so compelling is how Holzner employs themes of discrimination and fear. Vicky's determination and stubbornness are alternately her greatest asset and her most dangerous weakness. Holzner generates complications and tension with grace. --RT Book Reviews

I have loved each and every installment in this series, and this title was no different. I've learned to expect the unexpected. The author always keeps my on my toes with the twists and turns. --Sara's Urban Fantasy Blog

Praise for the Deadtown Novels

“All urban fantasy lovers should be reading this superb series.”—Bitten by Books

“Fresh and funny with a great new take on zombies.”—Karen Chance, New York Times bestselling author of Hunt the Moon

“Nancy Holzner is a master of characterization and I’ll be buying her next book the moment it hits the shelf.”—Ilona Andrews, New York Times bestselling author of Fate’s Edge

“Vicky is the kind of kick-butt heroine fantasy lovers can get behind...a novel lovers of fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal fiction in general won’t want to miss.”—Romance Reviews Today

About the Author

Nancy Holzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in a book. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glasses before she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents to institute a “no reading at the dinner table” rule. It was probably inevitable that she majored in English in college and then, because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continued her studies long enough to earn a masters degree and a Ph.D.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenure track to try some other things. Besides teaching English and philosophy, she's worked as a technical writer, freelance editor and instructional designer, college admissions counselor, and corporate trainer.

Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where they both work from home without getting on each other's nerves. She enjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera. There are still a lot of books she wants to read.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Ace (July 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1937007707
• ISBN-13: 978-1937007706
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.9 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #526,873 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Nancy Holzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in a book. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glasses before she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents to institute a "no reading at the dinner table" rule. It was probably inevitable that she majored in English in college and then, because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continued her studies long enough to earn a masters degree and a PhD.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenure track to try some other things. Besides teaching English and philosophy, shes worked as a technical writer, freelance editor and instructional designer, college admissions counselor, and corporate trainer.

Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where they both work from home without getting on each others nerves. She enjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera. There are still a lot of books she wants to read.

Visit her web site at www.nancyholzner.com.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars I gave it 3.5 stars August 4, 2012

By Urban Fantasy Investigations

Format:Mass Market Paperback

First thought when picking up the book was how much I dislike the cover, I really don't picture Vicky looking like that and it throws me off. If i didnt already like the series I probably wouldn't pick up DARKLANDS for the cover alone.

Unfortunately for Vicky (well and the world really) Pryce is back and already up to no good. It doesn't take Vicky long to come up with a game plan to once again get rid of him no matter what she has to sacrifice to do it. DARKLANDS brought out a lot of insecurities in Vicky especially revolving around her relationship with Kane. By the end of the book they seemed to finally come to an understanding but there are some new circumstances that are now in play that hopefully will bring them closer together and not push them farther apart. Kane really did some amazing things to prove to Vicky how much he loves her and I think she is finally seeing that they have something that will last.

A good portion of the book takes place in the Darklands and I hate to admit it but it was kinda boring to be there. There were a few good points which I wont point to as they will be to spoiler filled but for the most part even though I can see how it needed to happen to advance certain parts of the story I just couldn't get into it. There is still plenty of action packed moments and there is also some great Mythology thrown in.

DARKLANDS wasn't my favorite book of the series but I still enjoyed it and I'm still going to continue reading it.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars stellar addition to a favorite series of mine July 31, 2012

By S. Stogner VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

"You know how after a nice, long, restful sleep, you wake up to find things don't seem so bad after all?
Me either."-Vicky Vaughn

There are many reasons I read Urban Fantasy; I love kick-ass, snarky female women like Holzner's demon-exterminating heroine Victory Vaughn. The second reason is the alpha male hotties that tend to hang around said kick-ass women <G>. And the third is kick-ass (yes, I use this adjective a lot when talking about Urban fantasy) world building.

Darklands is the fourth book in this series, but you can easily read this as a stand-alone because the first two chapters catch you up on what has happened in the previous books. Of course that means you will run into some spoilers from the previous books if you are a new reader, while longtime followers of the series might have the urge to skim, but don't because Holzner does a great job of weaving in the backstory and new material with big dose of humor. The story opens with Vicky as a speaker at Tina's (Vicky's teenage zombie ex-apprentice) High School for Career Night and an uninvited visual aid shows up. I did mention that Vicky's job is a demon exterminator <G>?

Vicky's life has been shaped by the tremendous amount of guilt she has been carrying around. Not only does Vicky feel guilty about her father's death, but also for embracing her Cerddorion (shapeshifting) abilities and the friction that causes with her mother and sister. Then there is Kane, Vicky's werewolf boyfriend who wants to take their relationship to the next level, which conflicts with her Cerddorion lifestyle. All this guilt sits on her gut like a giant quivering maggot...oh, wait! It really does in the form of an Eidolon demon that Vicky gives the nickname "Butterfly". I sure hope we get to see more of "Butterfly" in future books.

I was impressed with Holzner's world of demons and the supernatural after reading book one, Deadtown, which is based on Welsh mythology. In Darklands she created a new and fascinating place that lies between the human realm and the afterlife called the Darklands, once again twisting Welsh myths and the legends of Arthur into something original and clever. I can't stress enough how much I admire intelligent world building and Holzner delivers with this series.

And if I want to get all smarty-pants about the book I can say the title not only refers to a physical place Vicky must venture in order to save the world, but also an emotional place where she must save herself from guilt. But, that hurts my brain too much so I will stick to thinking about that smexy werewolf (growl) Kane and where I might be able to find one...I wonder if he has a brother...

This is another home run in the Deadtown series with page turning action, humor, clever world building and a twist at the end I didn't see coming. Love it when that happens.

5 "Creepy ass cloak wearing" Sheep
[...]

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars An incredibly entertaining installment July 31, 2012

By A Book Obsession.. TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Kindle Edition

Being the only professional demon slayer around, Vicky makes her living by bringing down the demons who prey on unsuspecting humans. But when her clients start canceling in droves as their tormenting demons disappear, Vicky knows something fishy is going on. Turns up her psychotic cousin Pryce is up to no good. He's bound and determined to get the shadow demon half that Vicky destroyed back so he can continue in his quest to conquer all of the realms, bringing about death and destruction the likes of which have never been seen. To stop him, she will have to make incredible sacrifices as she travels to the realm of the dead with no guarantee of making it back alive.

It seems like Vicky never gets more than a brief respite before she is thrown into another world threatening mess. In Darklands, the stakes are even higher than before and there was plenty of heart pounding action. But in between all those action packed moments, Vicky also went through a lot of growth, both in her relationship with Kane, which I'll get into in a little bit, but also in facing the incredible amount of guilt over her father's death that she has carried over the years. Because of this she has thrown herself into a lone ranger type of mentality, making relying on others incredibly difficult for her, with her mentor, Mab being the only exception. Yet, due to a guilt demon forcing her to face those issues as well an interesting turn of events, Vicky finally seems to be on the path to accepting help when she needs it. And trust me, she needs it in Darklands. I really enjoyed seeing her open up to others to accept their help despite wanting to keep them safe. It's time she learned that she isn't the only one who can take risks for the people they care about.

Vicky's insecurities with her relationship with Kane really came to a head in Darklands. She's very hot and cold towards him, and it is very obvious that she really cares, but there is that extreme fear of commitment. Despite his willingness, Vicky still hesitates to take the next step, or really anything to solidify the relationship at all. I really think she doesn't believe she deserves Kane, especially since she could never give him a picket fence life. So she pushes him away, but it would seem that he's had just about enough of her wishy-washiness, and is bound and determined to prove to her that he isn't going anywhere. In fact, I'd say he does one heck of a job showing her that he would follow her anywhere and give up anything for her no matter the cost, forcing Vicky to face her feelings for him. It really says something when a man is willing to literally go to hell and back for the woman he loves. All I can say is that is well past time Vicky wakes up and faces the music.

With each book in the Deadtown series, I only get sucked further in, this installment even more so considering the way things ended. While not a cliffhanger in the strictest sense, a lot of things are left in the balance, leaving me desperate to find out what happens next. Darklands was incredibly action packed, leaving me literally on the edge of my seat. Combine that with the intense emotional moments and Vicky's character growth, and Darklands made for an incredibly entertaining installment that cannot be missed!