Customer Reviews

Red-Headed Stepchild (Sabina Kane)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(12)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

3.5 stars. "Red-Headed Stepchild" is a debut fantasy novel from Jaye Wells with a good dose of sexual tension. As a debut novel there was quite a bit of world-building and scene setting, but the story still moved along at a rapid pace with not too much lag time. The heroine is a kick-butt assassin who becomes torn between her two worlds as the novel progresses.

Sabrina is the product of a forbidden union between a vamp and a mage. Her mother died not long after her birth and she was brought up by her Grandmother (note the captial G) who is the Head of the Dominae (vampires) and as cold as they come. Her Grandmother raised Sabrina in an almost-vacuum, while teaching her exactly what she wanted Sabrina to know--all other races are inferior, the Dominae is everything and as a halfbreed Sabrina owes her life and loyalty to those who raised her. And finally, she also raised Sabrina to be a stone-cold assassin who kills the 'targets' selected by the Dominae without question. Although Sabrina is frustrated by her inability to receive any kind of warm approval from her Grandmother, she still tries...until the day her target is her best friend and she's sent to become a spy in an enemy camp.

I admit to having some issues with Sabrina and her adamant refusal to open her eyes to the reality of what was going on around her. I understand WHY the author began the book the way she did...but that doesn't mean I have to like it. However, as the story unfolded I began to warm to Sabrina (in spite of her mulishness) and actually feel a bit sorry for her situation.

As first novels go, this one was pretty good. The action was fast-paced, the world is fairly complex without being confusing, and the heroine is certainly memorable. There were some weak spots where I felt the author was trying too hard to spell things out for me ad infinitum...but I'll still put the next book on my to buy list. If nothing else, I want to see where all that sexual tension goes!!

Plot Summary: Sabina Kane is the result of a Romeo-Juliet love affair between her vampire mother and mage father. As a half-blooded outcast, Sabina was raised by her vampire grandmother to be an assassin for their ruling body, the Dominae. Her loyalty is tested in a series of strange jobs that begin with killing a former friend, to infiltrating the enemy as a spy, and Sabina begins to question whether her grandmother loves her at all, or views her as just another pawn on the chessboard.

I now have another series to add to my "seriously-want-to-read-more" list. Since my appetite for all things paranormal knows no limit, I'm always pleased to find a new author who can feed my habit. Sabina satisfies all my favorite heroine criteria, which are probably becoming a tad clichéd with all the kick-butt heroine series floating around, but I can't help it. I love my heroines strong and sassy on the outside, and vulnerable on the inside.

As an assassin, Sabina has no problem being cold and objective until her grandmother orders her to kill one of her friends. Maybe `friend' is too strong a word, since Sabina is a consummate loner, but killing David creates the first crack in her blind devotion to the Dominae. Unfortunately, it takes her a long time to open her eyes, so by the time she realizes who her real friends are, she's already in danger of losing them.

The weakest link in this story is Adam Lazarus, a mage who intends to stalk Sabina until she agrees to his demands. Sabina and Adam don't share more than a make-out session and a couple of intense looks, but clearly this is going somewhere in the next book(s). Since we don't learn anything about him, it's hard to feel too excited about their potential romance. While I understand the importance of developing Sabina's character, I hope that Wells will rectify this issue in her sequel, and give us more on Adam beyond his blond hair and sexy smirk.

No clue right now when book two is coming. I'll add it to my Coming Soon page when I spot it.

Update 5/14/09: Since writing the above, I got an update on the second book (yeah, I emailed the author... I'm a total pest), and she kindly informed me that "Mage in Black" is coming out January 2010. Ms Wells also said that "there is a Sabina story coming out in the Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance, vol. 2 this fall. It's a prequel to Red-Headed Stepchild that sets up some backstory for Mage in Black." Don't cha just love it when authors are willing to talk to their fans? I sure do.

It could have been a good book, but it just... sucked for so many reasons. It drives me crazy when characters refuse to get answers to important things. Authors write characters like that to add suspense because their story is too weak without it, but it makes the story hard to believe. I mean, if somebody knew about how your mother died and about your other family and a prophecy concerning you, you would definitely want to know every detail. The main character just brushed all of this off though. It also got on my nerves when she kept denying the obvious and was too weak to accept the reality about her grandmother. The "friendships" she made were too quick and unconvincing. She easily killed a friend she had had for years in the beginning of the book without giving him a chance to explain, but was somehow more attached to the people she met later on and had known for only a few weeks. It made no sense. She was a terrible assassin and lost most of the fights she was in. I won't even get started on the demon and how illogical that whole situation was. I got tired of the cliche and repetitive lines. For instance, people kept calling her a bitch, and she'd respond with, "I've been called worse." It was just so corny. I'm definitely not going to bother with the sequel.

This cookie cutter urban fantasy lost me on the first page. When she killed David, her best lifelong friend, without letting him say a word in his defense she became too cold for me. I have to have alittle compassion and empathy in my assassins. Although she finally realizes her mistake, she never redeems herself in my eyes. I could be sorry for killing my best friend. But then she goes on to do stuff that will bite her in the butt. I am sorry I bought it. I read the reviews before I buy, but these reviews let me down. I read so much that I have become much more critical of the copycat writers out there.

Buy it at your own risk.

I had to stop reading this book after 30 pages, I was so fed up with the main character. The writing didn't flow and the plot and characters were transparent. Sabina is an airhead, not an assassin, and when she is confronted with a demon there was not an ounce of tension but the same "ho-hum" that began on the first page. The first scene where Sabina walks into a shop to talk to a mage felt like something I had written when I was 14. "You shouldn't be seeing this, it's magic, but if you don't tell anyone it's here it's ok." A big WTF to that.

Not worth the money, but if you must try it, find it at your local library.

I wanted to like this book i really did, but that didn't work out so well. The first situation is Sabina burying a drug dealer then fighting her life long best friend, coldly killing him before he can get out two words to explain. That didn't sit well for me. It was extremely cold, when she finds out she was set up to kill him there is a sentece or two of regret, but thats it. This whole book didn't set right with me. Its not really a romance book other than one kiss. There's loyalty issues which bothered me. Sabina is a half mage (which she despises till the last scene), half vampire. She is an assasin for the vampire council, and a piss poor one at that. Its never really shown any assasign skills, just constant proclamation that she's a great assasign. She is sent to infiltrate one of the enemys cult/church and get close to the leader then assasignate. the leader made my skin crawl such a slim bucket. Everyone except a mage named adam and a nymph named Vinica betrays her. There wasn't much good stuff to balance the bad, it was one sided. It wasn't very well rounded. I wish i hadn't bought it, but thats the chance you take on new authors. I hope the next book is better, but i wont be spending money or time on it.

I was looking forward to this even after reading the reviews. I should have taken heed. The simpleness of the main character was irritating to say the least. Her point blank refusal to acknowledge the world around here was just wasteful..in pages and time.

As for her being a trained assassin...I'm gonna have to say no. I got no more than an average chick with a gun. Why shouldn't you win against someone who doesn't have one?

I'm hoping the next one is better on the basis of it can only get better.

[...]
All Things Urban Fantasy Review

My criteria for liking a book often comes down to liking the main character. After reading the first chapter of Red-headed Stepchild, I was ready to streak my hair red just so I could look like Sabina Kane.

"Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal."

When we first meet Sabina, she's in a graveyard digging a six foot hole for her latest meal (a kiddy drug pusher--Sabina gets a bite and cleans up the neighborhood in the process: everybody wins). An orphan raised by her mother's family, Sabina Kane is a vampire. Well half vampire, half mage. The product of a forbidden love affair, Sabina is forced to wear the stigma of her illegitimate birth literally on her head (the aforementioned red streaks).

In the world created by Jaye Wells, vampires (or Lilim, as they are called) are the offspring of Lilith and Cain and therefore they all have red hair (their inherited `biblical mark of Cain'). In fact all the dark races are in someway the descendents of Lilith: Demons, Fey etc. The world-building was definitely a strong point in this book: The politics of the various races are believably nuanced and have a real feeling of history behind them. There is the Dominae, a trio of female vampires (headed by Sabina's grandmother) who govern over the vampiric race, and the Hecate Council that rules the Mages (or Mancies), and the Sellie Court of the Fey. The genesis of Vampires are also fully explained in a new and unique way. Along with a sense of mystery regarding Sabina's mixed heritage which promises to be more fully explored in future books.

There is a lot to like about this book, but sadly with each increasing chapter, my affinity for Sabina,--and by extension this book--decreased. Chip nothing, Sabina had a boulder on her shoulder. I almost cheered when different characters called her out as a bitch. This is more of a personal pet peeve (but, hey, this is my blog): barely a hundred pages into the book Sabina had already commented twice that some guy made her panties/crotch get wet. I hate that phrasing; I just find it crass and vulgar. Big turn off. But the biggest obstacle I had with Sabina how she really skirted the TSTL [to stupid to live] line throughout this book (especially the first half).

It is abundantly clear almost from page one the the Dominae have been using and lying to Sabina practically from birth, yet whenever someone tries to point this out to her, we get half a page of inner monologue where Sabina can't believe someone would expect her to believe such lies, because, of course, she's way too smart for anyone to deceive her. And even when she finally sees proof for herself of the Dominae's duplicity, she still won't believe that their lies extend to other extremely obvious areas. I understand that Sabina would be reluctant to cast her grandmother, the woman who raised her, in the role of villain, but there comes a point when reluctance must give way to reality. Sabina consistent refusal to acknowledge what was right in front of her was extremely frustrating.

The tone of the book was also problematic for me. Some chapters indicated that the author was going for a lighter, more humorous tone: like the scene with Gilguhl (Sabina's demon sidekick) dressed in a pink kimono and indulging in his infomercial addiction. But then basically on the next page, a darker more gritty tone has Sabina in a nightclub walking in on a guy giving oral sex to another guy. Back to the demon who can now turn into fuzzy kitty, then off to a creepy sexual cult. Light or dark; funny or gritty. Both have there place. I would have preferred consistency one way or the other. The author was clearly going for a hilarious meets horror blend, it just wasn't entirely successful for me.

Sabina's first outing, like her hair and nature, is a bit uneven to say the least. But I'm not giving up on this series. The premise and world Jaye has created is too intriguing for that. Ultimately, I think there is enough promise here to warrant checking out The Mage in Black when it comes out in March of 2010.

Sexual Content:
Some crude language, a man performing a sex act on another man.

More and more I have little patience for excessively whiney and stupid heroines. I always ask myself, "If I were in a similar situation, would I do this?" In Sabina's case, over and over I thought a resounding, "No." She seemed more like a mindeless contract killer than a thinking, strategic assassin. Everything about Sabina was turned off; her conscience, her intelligence, her curiosity were all pushed away so that she could run around town doing her grandmother's bidding. This is one of the rare cases where the secondary characters were more intelligent and fleshed out than the main character. Sabina seemed more like a angst-ridden teenager who spun her wheels than an adult who was struggling to take control of her life.

If I knew then what I know now, either I wouldn't read it at all, or I'd get it from the library. I should have known when she killed one of her best friends in the first chapter that she wasn't worth an apple-wood stake.

This story had great potential that somehow fell flat. Characters were likeable. It flowed pretty well. I was able to read from start to finish. When I finished the last page, my final thought was that it hadn't really been worth the time I had invested and that I didn't have enough interest to pursue reading the sequel to see if it would get better.