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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
First in the Blood Lily Chronicles, October 27, 2009
Lily Carlyle died when she tried to avenge her sister's attacker. But she is given a second chance at redemption when she's brought back to life in another woman's body. Lily must start life over as a demon hunter and stop evil forces from opening a door to hell on earth.
Kenner is the author of one of my favorite series - the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom. So, I had high expectations for her new fantasy series. This is a decidedly different feel from Kenner's other light-hearted books. Lily is a tortured soul, still wanting to look out for her little sister, despite having to leave her old life behind. And even though she had a shady past, Lily is determined to do the right thing this time around. And that means helping the forces of good fighting evil. Lily is a kick-butt heroine in true urban fantasy fashion.
This series debut has one of the most twisted plots I've ever read. The story kept me on the edge of my seat with suspense. When demons seek redemption from their past, it's hard to determine who the truly bad guy is. But one thing is for sure, readers are in for a big surprise. Tainted is fast-paced, dark, and action-packed. Urban fantasy fans won't want to miss this new series.
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6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gutsy plot twist makes this one unique, October 27, 2009
The premise of _Tainted_ is this: A young woman, Lily, is killed while carrying out vengeance against a rapist who attacked her sister. Lily is sure she's going to hell for all the things she did in her short life, but instead she comes back from the dead...in someone else's body. Her mission: to hunt demons for God. Her reward, if she succeeds, is redemption.
At first, I was reminded of a couple of other urban fantasy series. The wrong-body plotline and the theme of sisterly love reminded me a bit of Vicki Petterson's Signs of the Zodiac (though Lily's new body is a stranger's, not her sister's). The idea of earning redemption by slaying supernatural nasties called S.J. Day's Marked to mind. And Deacon, the possibly-evil bad boy who stirs Lily's senses, reminded me of a lot of urban fantasy love interests. What I really loved from the beginning, though, was the story of Lily's struggle to integrate herself into the life of Alice, the woman whose body she now inhabits. It's hard and confusing trying to take over someone's life without giving away how little you know, and it's sometimes sad, as when Lily realizes how few of Alice's acquaintances have even noticed the difference.
What really kicks _Tainted_ into high gear is Lily's growing curiosity about Alice. Why is she in Alice's body in particular, and what happened to the real Alice? Things start adding up a little funny, and I remember thinking, "If Julie Kenner has the guts to take this story where I think she's taking it, I'll be thrilled." And Kenner does. A big fat plot twist takes _Tainted_ out of "standard-issue urban fantasy" territory and makes it something unique and very much worth reading. Even Deacon turns out to have more depth than I was expecting.
If I have any quibble with _Tainted_, it's this: Demons, in Kenner's universe, bleed black sludge instead of regular blood. This is plot-relevant a couple of times. Trouble is, I can think of two scenes that would have been very different if Lily, and the reader, had been privy to the color of a bleeding character's blood. Knowing whether these two characters were demon or human would have given a lot away, and so the narration simply doesn't mention the color of the blood. Given that Lily usually notices this detail during combat scenes, the fact that she doesn't in these two instances feels a little bit like cheating.
That said, _Tainted_ is quite enjoyable, and I'm looking forward to the two upcoming Blood Lily Chronicles novels. There are enough twists here to set this series apart from the pack, and that's something to celebrate in this subgenre.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great premise and plot, didn't deliver, December 20, 2009
Tainted started out at a 5 with tough big sister avenging and protecting her little sister only to find herself dead and then reborn, in another's body. I read urban fantasy for a break, or escape if you prefer, and this book started out with me be totally interested in Lilly's issues. This had justified murder, serving a higher authority, right vs wrong. Our heroine, Lilly, was set up as strong with human faults. Then the story just stopped progressing. The story line seem repetitive and in fact ended like a bad TV serial wanting you to tune in next week to find out what happened. Tainted started as a 5 and ended as a 2, so I gave it a 3. Kenner set up the story line will enough for me to read the next book ...... maybe.
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