Darkness Calls (Hunter Kiss) [Kindle Edition]

Marjorie M. Liu (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Readers of early Laurell K. Hamilton [and] Charlaine Harris...should try Liu now and catch a rising star."
-PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (STARRED REVIEW)

Product Description

Demon hunter Maxine Kiss, inked with living tattoos, is on a mission to rescue the man she loves from a bloodthirsty army. To save him, Maxine has only one choice: to lose control—and release her own powers of darkness.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Format: Kindle Edition
• File Size: 581 KB
• Print Length: 320 pages
• Publisher: Ace; Original edition (June 30, 2009)
• Sold by: Penguin Publishing
• Language: English
• ASIN: B0028M9RWA
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #22,178 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

More About the Author

Marjorie M. Liu is an attorney who has lived and worked throughout Asia. She hails from both coasts, but currently resides in the Midwest, where she writes full-time.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Another good installment in the series, July 7, 2009

By 

Kelly (Fantasy Literature) (Columbia, MO United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Darkness Calls (Hunter Kiss, Book 2) (Paperback)

I loved The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1), and was eagerly looking forward to the sequel. (Has it really only been a year?) I'm happy to report that _Darkness Calls_ is a worthy successor. This time around, Maxine and her boyfriend Grant are being hounded by a mysterious group of religious fanatics and by a horrifically creepy being who introduces himself as "Mr. Erl King," a name that will probably be familiar to myth-geeks like me. Seriously, this is one icky villain. I'm feeling nauseous right now, just remembering some of his scenes.

*shudder*

Anyway, like _The Iron Hunt_, _Darkness Calls_ features lots of action, some humor, quirky secondary characters, and plenty of nods to mythology and folklore. I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Around the middle of the novel, I got briefly bogged down because I was a little confused about what was going on. Part of this was almost certainly my own fault. I didn't reread _The Iron Hunt_ before starting _Darkness Calls_, and I'd forgotten some of the terminology and some of the world-building, which meant I couldn't always remember who belonged to what supernatural faction and who was trying to kill whom for what reason. Another aspect of the confusion was intentional. Maxine herself doesn't understand everything that's going on, especially not at first. The attempts on her and Grant's lives keep her running and fighting 24/7. When she does have the chance to take a breath and have a deep conversation, the "wise old sage" characters in her life are often more cryptic than helpful.

This feeling of confusion passed quickly, though. I was captivated by the events leading up to Maxine's showdown with the Erl King. The climactic scenes are harrowing and highly emotional. As an added bonus, there are a few more Labyrinth scenes and mystic-vision scenes. These are where Liu's prose and the epic scope of her imagination really shine.

Another thing that was done really, really well: the romance between Maxine and Grant. In _The Iron Hunt_, Grant was almost background. Maxine was dealing largely with her own personal demons (real and metaphorical). Here, Grant is an integral part of the plot, and so is the relationship between him and Maxine. Many urban fantasy series focus on the formation of new relationships, or on the dramatic turmoil of relationships in crisis. What Liu depicts is rarer in the genre: a long-term relationship that works. Maxine and Grant face tons of problems, but you get the sense that their love and commitment are a match for whatever comes their way.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars fabulous Kiss urban fantasy, July 1, 2009

By 

Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews
(#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Darkness Calls (Hunter Kiss, Book 2) (Paperback)

For generations, her female bloodline was nomadic never making emotional relationships especially with men. Instead each one hunted the demons until they birthed the next generation hunter and consequently die. Thus the current demon hunter Maxine Kiss has a problem as she has fallen in love with the former priest Grant, the last Lightbringer.

How much an issue an emotional entanglement can cause ignites when the Avatars attack Grant fearing his power. Instead of staying out of the fracas as her ancestors would have done, Maxine and her living tattoos enter the fight to protect her beloved. Now the Avatars have a bigger fear that the Lightbringer and the demon Hunter will unite in love and bring what to the world.

The second Kiss urban fantasy (see THE IRON HUNT) is a fabulous action-packed thriller starring a strong female superhero who is humanized by her love for Grant. The story line is fast-paced from the moment the Avatars attack and never slows down as Maxine risks her life for love; an unheard of action by any generation demon hunter. Marjorie M. Liu provides a powerful complex tale in which she makes her vivid paranormal world seem real.

Harriet Klausner

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely fantastic!, July 7, 2009

By 

JSG "paper lion" (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Darkness Calls (Hunter Kiss) (Kindle Edition)

I just finished "Darkness Calls". I practically read it in one sitting. It was absolutely excellent. I am a huge fan of this series and have been since the original short story came out by Ms. Liu. This book is the second full book in the series and I think probably the best so far. The heroine, Maxine Kiss, is unique and fascinating and great fun to read. The other characters, both new and old, are equally wonderful, especially Grant and Jack. And don't forget the boys! And the bad guys are really bad yet equally interesting. The background story is unique and special. I highly highly recommend this series and this book. Kudos to Marjorie Liu! This series is just getting better and better! Can't say enough...