Customer Reviews

Darkness Calls

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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

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...

I strongly recommend you read the previous book in the series, Iron Hunt, before reading this book. Maxine Kiss descends from a long lineage of born demon hunters; natural loners, who live nomadic lives. Breaking the cycle of her mothers before her, Maxine falls in love, settles down and commits to Grant.

Grant is an ex-priest who runs a homeless shelter in Seattle. Grant has become Maxine's one oasis among a world of darkness. An ancient society of religious zealots tirelessly tries to capture Grant and kill Maxine, to get her out of the way.

In the last installment we learned that Grant was the Lightbringer and in this installment we find out exactly what that title means. Grant's past comes back to haunt them both and turns Maxine the hunter into the hunted. Despite being relentlessly pursued Maxine and Grant share an unwavering bond that transcends multi-dimensions, space and time. With the inevitability of the veil that separates and imprisons most of the demon race falling, Maxine being the last of her kind needs allies more now than ever.

I was fascinated with the creative and extraordinary idea that the origins of mankind are from another planet. Avatars who are incorporeal entities of thought, power and energy, floated aimlessly through space outside of time; discovered a labyrinth/backdoor to earth, manipulated and tinkered with human DNA to make them what they are today. However, Avatars were not the first to arrive on this planet; Lightbringers were already here. Avatars who mercilessly hunted Lightbringers thought them to be successfully extinct until they discovered Grant, the last Lightbringer.

The story's world building and description of the characters, as well as the blow by blow of the plethora of action scenes were fluid, brilliant and vivid. I highly recommend this book and series to dark urban fantasy readers. However, I don't recommend this book and series to paranormal romance readers. This is not a romance in the least. Although the story does put some focus on Maxine and Grant's relationship, they pretty much come as a package, there aren't any "couples issues" per se and the sex is nil. I also look forward to the next book in this series Wild Light due out 7/27/2010.

I also recommend:
Enslave Me Sweetly (Alien Huntress, Book 2)
Magic Strikes (Kate Daniels, Book 3)
Angels' Blood
Spiral Hunt (Evie Scelan)
Greywalker (Greywalker, Book 1)

I found this book to be many times better than the first one in the series. The first book asked alot of questions but gave very few answers. This book asks more questions but it gives many more answers and finally makes sense of the first book. I find I like this heroine more and the characters are more bizarre yet more understandable. This is what the genre is about and I look forward to the next installment. So many write this type of book but very few do it well.

Maxine Kiss is covered with tattoos. They are tattoos by day but by night they are companions. She is alone, the last of her kind. So many need saving but she can only save one soul at a time. Does she get depressed? Yes! But now she has a kind of family that she has never had before. She has always traveled, but now she stays in one place for one man, Grant. Who or what he is we do not know, only that he seems able to fight the dark that is taking over the world. He is crippled in body but not in spirit or mind.

As time goes by it seems the old demons and gods are getting ready for the veil to fall. The veil that keeps the evil away from mankind. Only a few know about it or the fact that it is weakening. Necessity can make strange bedfellows as Max is finding out.

Someone in the church wants Grant dead. Someone is willing to drag him back to the brotherhood from which he was cast. A friend of his needs him to come and if he goes to the rescue you bet Max will be there, unless someone or something gets her first.

Finally we are getting answers to questions but I don't want to ruin it for you. You need to read this book and if possible the first one. Just wade through the first one and then this one will start to make alot more sense. I really enjoyed this one and will wait with bated breath for the next.

I was eagerly waiting this and was honestly slightly disappointed from the first page. She was in the main characters head a little to much for me and it was distracting. I had flash backs to Anita Blake and her angst driven moments that seemed to last for pages.

I do like her world building and the fact that the main character is "human" and not all powerful. She loves and wants to love, opposite of most super women today.

Will I buy the next one? Yes, without a doubt

I LOVE Marjorie Liu...but didn't like this book at all. The heroine's living tattoos are way cool. But the characters are constantly falling in and out of various inter-dimensional spaces, where they meet up with way too many other characters, in the present and past, and characters are injured, or just morph, making it really hard to keep up with who is who, good guy or bad, and where in the space-time continuum are they right now. And no sex! Sheesh! : )

This was the 1st Maxine Kiss book I read, so maybe all the books in that series are super weird. If you want to try the Hunter Kiss series, borrow one 1st, and I would suggest not reading this one 1st.

Plot Summary: Maxine Kiss comes from a line of nomadic women warriors who battle demons, zombies, and all manner of evil. Five demons are bound to her personally - by day they cover her skin and make her impervious to all harm, and by night they are set free to help her hunt. Maxine has settled down in Seattle with her lover, Grant, who also possesses strange powers, but their life is interrupted when an old enemy of Grant's shows up at their homeless shelter. It soon becomes apparent that someone desperately wants Maxine dead, but she's a very hard lady to kill.

I blew it big time when I picked up Darkness Calls without realizing that it's the second installment in the Hunter Kiss series. Ah well, mistakes happen. There are several elements that worked well, but not well enough to persuade me to go back and try The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1). Urban fantasies are a dime a dozen these days, and nothing here stood out, or felt unique.

I definitely liked Maxine's demon sidekicks, and their penchant for baseball caps and popcorn was cute. Watching her turn into a literal Superwoman by day was also cool, but she was a little too impervious at times. Personally I think that UF heroines are more appealing when they're more, not less, vulnerable. Maxine's connection with Grant was pleasant, but it was too tame. I didn't feel the heat between these two, and I like to see a lot more intensity.

The myths driving this story were way too complex and muddled for me to follow. Part of my confusion could very well come from the fact that I jumped into book two, and I acknowledge that fact. Even so, I think it's way too complex, and it just takes away from the central storyline. The third Hunter Kiss novel, A Wild Light, will be released August 2010.

Although I feel the first book was better, this one was still wonderful. This book had a lot of information to cover in a very short time and I still felt a bit unresolved when finishing. Hopefully there will be a part 3. I think there will be because their are tons of questions that STILL need to be answered. So yes, I'm a little disappointed, but there were lots of great moments and I enjoyed it a lot. Great job Liu.

Darkness Calls is the second full length novel in Marjorie M. Liu's Hunter Kiss series. This is the first book I have ever read from Marjorie and it certainly won't be my last. Marjorie is a wonderful storyteller and catches the reader up to speed. This is one dark and raw urban fantasy that makes your squirm. Some will probably not be able to get past the first chapter because the action is so gritty and a bit disturbing. Darkness Calls reads more like a horror novel, where as you turn each page, you are not sure who will end up dead next. Bodies don't just end up on the floor, but are ripped apart with their blood and guts all over the place. Tasty right? With that in mind, I have to say that Marjorie has delivered a very original tale that grabs you by your throat and won't let go.

The character of Maxine Kiss is also very unique. Not only is she a hunter of zombies, demons and truly evil beings, but Maxine's body is a wonderland of tattoos that come to life after dark. Her boys, as she calls them, are handed down to every female in her family from so many generations passed. These tattoos have their own names and personalities. Zee is her main bodyguard along with Raw and Aaz. There are also Dek and Mal who act like pelts on Maxine's shoulders and in her hair. Dek and Mal enjoy humming Bon Jovi songs in Maxine's ear. These five demons are playful but also very deadly. One minute they will play with teddy bear or baseballs, the next they will take down their victims and consume them whole. Maxine's boys protect her at night and because of them, she is invincible. Not even bullets can harm her, until the daytime when they hibernate within her skin. Then she is vulnerable.

Maxine has never stayed put in one place, mainly because of her mother who was a nomadic zombie hunter. They moved from place to place until the things her mother hunted ended up killing her. Now Maxine has roots in Seattle, Washington. Maxine wants to build a home, but it will take a great deal of patience on her end because she always has the need to run. There is one man who won't let her run. He is former priest and in charge of the Coop, the local homeless shelter. Grant Cooperon is the complete opposite of Maxine. Grant has a brain disorder where he can see sound. He is also a lightbringer who can see people's auras. Maxine has found true love with Grant. She thinks of Grant as her man. Calling Grant, "her man" is a lovely endearment that Grant graciously accepts. Maxine also thinks Grant is beautiful even though Grants walks with a limp because of a bad leg and uses a cane. He wants to build a future with her and hopefully have children. But if Maxine has a daughter this bloodline curse will be passed down. And Maxine doesn't think she has much longer to live. Maxine's lifestyle is harsh and deadly. But as long as Maxine has her boys and Grant, she has hope that she can stay alive.

Things are never a dull moment and when a priest from Grant's past finds him, he and Maxine will be taken on a very dangerous journey. This priest, Father Antony Cribari is a very sketchy character. He believes Grant is a monstrosity and was the reason Grant was kicked out of the priesthood and almost executed. Cribari wants Grant to come with him to China to save a dear friend of Grant's who has been possessed by a demon and tortured and killed three nuns. Grant accepts even though Maxine has a bad feeling that he is being set up. Maxine can't go with Grant to China because of her condition with her boys jumping out of her skin at night, so she remains behind.

While Grant is away Maxine is caught unaware and is taken captive. Father Cribari is the one responsible and wants her dead. Maxine is able to escape but needs to find Grant and save him. Cribari works for a man, or rather one of the most evil of all, a Mr. Erl King. Is Mr. King Satan? That's up to the reader to decide. Whoever this King is, he wants Maxine out of the way because she is the key, one who can enter too and from the Labyrinth, another dimension or a wasteland that King wants to enter and take over.

In this wasteland is Maxine's grandfather Jack Meddle who is an avatar. He is her spirit guide and the one who can help her defeat King because at one point Jack was able to imprison him. But King was able to break free and is angry and wants revenge.

Along with Grant, Jack and a few friends such as Father Lawrence and mind reader Killy who are sympathetic to their plight, Mary, a semi-deranged homeless woman full of hidden powers and Byron, a misunderstood teenage who looks up to Maxine, this eclectic group will take on Erl King even though they may not survive. And death will be the least of their problems if Erl King comes out on top.

This is one book not for the faint of heart. The action is very intense and there are many scenes that deal with the psychological horrors that reside in all of us. Marjorie is able to make this all come to life with the supernatural and takes certain religion aspects, fairy tales and other myths and combines them where the reader will have quite the rush as they watch Maxine fight for her life and those she cares for. Maxine is another warrior heroine that is so well known in the majority of urban fantasy I have read. What I really loved was that Maxine has a great network of individuals to be her back up. Where else have you ever read about someone's tattoos coming alive and taking over almost every scene they are in? It seems so freakish because these helpful demons of Maxine are with her every second of the day. Makes for interesting times in the bathroom, doesn't it?

Maxine and Grant are very much a couple, but the intimacies they share are very subtle. These two are very set with one another. They are each other halves of their souls and I think if one died, the other would go into the afterlife to follow the other. All Grant has to do is look at Maxine and you will feel the deep love her has for her. And it also doesn't hurt when he kisses her so desperately because he is not sure if Maxine will be alive the next time he sees her. Maxine is more the type to stand back and watch Grant. She is not as affectionate as he is, but you can still feel the love and chemistry she has for him, and he for her.

Darkness Calls is one riveting book and Marjorie Liu is one incredible writer. The desperation Maxine feels as she deals with her past and unknown future is one that will keep you reading and anxious for the next terror Maxine will have to endure.

Katiebabs

The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1)