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52 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A tantalizing read!, June 26, 2008
This review is from: The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
During the day Maxine Kiss is covered in black tattoos, even her nails. The only part of her body that is not covered in markings is from the top of her neck to her hairline. Maxine keeps all the markings covered - always. During the day those same tattoos are her armor. Nothing can harm her. She is invincible. At night the tattoos peel from her skin to take on forms of their own. No one would ever have imagined an army of demons living on one woman's skin. When "the boys" peel off of her skin, Maxine is human - vulnerable. But the demons are the best little bodyguards on earth. Long ago a prison had been built out of air, a prison made of layers and rings and boundaries. The worst demons were sealed in the prison. Yet now, ten thousand years later, the prison is beginning to fail. However, even way back then, someone knew it would eventually happen. That someone created the Wardens, men and women with the speed and power to guard this world against a break in the prison veil. The Wardens were humans constructed to fight those demons that manage to slip through the veil. The Wardens are all dead now. The women in Maxine's family are the last. Someday, just like her mother before her, Maxine will raise and train her daughter. Then "the boys" will abandon Maxine for her daughter - leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies. This, for Maxine, is normal. It is the way of Earth's last protector. It is life with no love, reveling in death. Enter the one man who just may change everything. **** This story is nothing short of bizarre. I was well into the story before everything began to make sense. Zee, the only one of Maxine's demons which actually talks, loves to speak in riddles. As things begin to solidify and make some sense to me, the author throws me for a loop by introducing zombies and demons that Maxine tolerates, if not allowing herself to feel some affection towards. If you are looking for a quick read then this is not the book for you. Author Marjorie M. Liu's story is multi-layered and will grab readers' interests quickly, never to let go. A tantalizing read! **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.
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51 of 56 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Good But Somewhat Confusing Read, June 25, 2008
This review is from: The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
****SPOILERS**** I bought The Iron Hunt without realizing that there had been a prequel story in the Wild Thing Anthology. As I was reading it, I was often confused. It almost seemed like I had jumped into the second book of the series, and I kept checking the introductory pages to make sure this was the first one. When I couldn't find anything about another book, I just assumed the author wanted to start the story right in the middle of all the action. Unfortunately, some of this did hurt my enjoyment of the book, but not enough to stop. I'll be picking up the anthology next, and will most likely continue on with the series. Maxine Kiss was born to become a Hunter, just like her mother, and her mother's mother, and so on. She is Earth's protector against the demons on Earth and the demon army waiting impatiently for the veil to fall. The story begins when a private investigator, whom she doesn't know, is found dead with her name on his body. Maxine begins searching for answers and finds several people along the way, all of whom may be or may become very important to her. I very much enjoyed the world that Liu had created, particularly the characters and their relationships. All of Maxine's Demons were so . . . well, lovable and cute, even when they weren't supposed to be. Maxine's memories of her mom and grandmother brought me to tears and the other characters and their various and complicated relationships with Maxine kept me wanting to know more. The book also took a few surprising turns- I was amazed by all Maxine had to go through in a single book. Most of my difficulties with this book stem from not having read the short story. I felt the loss of seeing the beginnings of Maxine's relationship with Grant, and never felt like I really got a feel on Grant beyond him being a pretty decent and powerful guy. Because I wasn't sure if the author was going to do anything with Grant, I didn't know what to think of a couple other men (and in my mind, potential love interests) who came into the picture. The back cover states that hers is a life lacking in love until one man changes everything. This confused me too because when the story opens, she already has Grant and has a life with love. Therefore, it took me awhile to decide if Grant was the man described in the summary or if it was someone else. Because of this confusion, I kept worrying that Grant was going to get killed off or something similarly drastic. Another frustrating aspect for me were all the hints, and questions and mystery surrounding Maxine and her real powers, and who she really is. In fact, ALL the other characters ALL seemed to know what's going on about everything, except Maxine. I wasn't sure if some of these questions were hinted at or answered in the short story, and again just felt like I was missing something. I also got fed up at everyone's refusal to answer a direct question. This happened A LOT. Despite a somewhat frustrating and confusing read, I still managed to get sufficiently caught up in the action, characters and the story that I quickly sped through and finished The Iron Hunt. I would recommend this book, however, I would also suggest reading the short story first.
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25 of 28 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hunter Kiss is my home girl!, August 10, 2008
This review is from: The Iron Hunt (Hunter Kiss, Book 1) (Mass Market Paperback)
"Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities...tattos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons. "I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss." These are the words on the back of the book to intrigue a potential reader into buying and reading. Plus, look at the cover illustration--the woman covered in tattos. Doubly intriguing. I bought the book and here I am reviewing this supernatural thriller or urban fantasy. Take your pick. I am not particularly a fantasy fan, but when Maxine Kiss's tattos came to life and slithered off her body into their unique demon forms, I was totally mesmerized. Such imagination hooks me every time. Several reviewers wrote about the confusing elements of the story. Indeed, things seems to be left out or unexplained, but I figured there must be sequels to carry forth. This first volume in the Hunter Kiss series is all about Maxine, the last Hunter. When the story begins she has already done major battle, but this story is about Maxine's developing powers. Long ago, demons were locked in this prison away from humans, but the veil is coming up and demons are escaping. It is a hunter's job to kill them. Marjorie M. Liu, the writer, is a wonderful craftswoman of style and use of language. When Maxine's lover moves a stack on books on Mesopotamia, Liu is inserting a basic piece of information. The great epic about Gilgamesh plucking an eternal life-giving plant after an impossibly long swim references Maxine's equally long swim and gaining of the eternal ring so important to later events. Like Gilgamesh she "loses" it as well. The only reference to this ancient story is that stack of books. The reader must be well-read enough to know the story. I like that. Some reviewers found the story confusing, as did I, but I liked that mix of story elements that didn't quite make sense. Oturu is a horrible demon with knives for feet, but he is also a friend and keeper of the ring. Maxine herself is a demon and demon hunter. No one is ever what they seem in this story which references real life. Are we ever really what we seem? The demons who live in her tattos keep life-threatening secrets from Maxine, but their job is to protect her. Contradictions. The second most interesting character is Grant, a human--is he?--Maxine's lover, who can alter a being's personality and life flow by the music from his flute. We never learn why he limps. I was fully engaged in this novel from beginning to end. At the conclusion, I thought how well-ended this is. It was satisfying as a book unto itself, or as an introduction to a whole series. Thank goodness there will be a Book 2. Can't wait!
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