Customer Reviews

Wicked Game

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Courtesy of CK2S Kwips and Kritiques

Ciara Griffin is a con artist paying her way through college with her cons. Now however, she's trying to put that reputation behind her and start working a real job. Marketing intern to the owner of a local radio station, WMMP, sounds like just the ticket she's looking for. However, upon starting work, she learns her employers have a few surprises for her.

WMMP is floundering and Skywave, a giant communications company is trying to buy them out. WMMP has an eclectic late night lineup, covering each decade for about the 1940s/50s through the 90s and Ciara is in for the shock of her life when she learns a little secret the DJs are keeping. They are all vampires, permanently stuck in the years in which they were turned.

Ciara's has a brilliant marketing concept - revamp the station, changing the name to WVMP "The Lifeblood of Rock and Roll and have the vampires hide in plain sight, telling everyone they are vampires. After all, everyone knows vampires aren't real so no one will believe the truth. Unfortunately a local band of ancient vampires are none too keen on revealing their secret, ready to put an end to the radio station once and for all. Now, along with her new vampire friends, including one very hot DJ she'd love to get to know better, Ciara is neck deep in the Wicked Game to pull off the greatest con of her life.

Wow! Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready is a refreshingly original take on modern vampires in urban fantasy. From her unique concept on vampire society to the lively rock and roll radio station, this book is a breath of fresh air. The stakes are high as Ciara, and in turn the readers, learn why the radio station is so crucial to the vampires' survival. Add in not one but two groups of potential enemies in the form of vampire cult leader Gideon and The Control (a black ops military organization protecting good vampires and destroying bad ones) and tensions mount as circumstance grow more dire for Ciara and company.

I completely loved the idea of vampires stuck in their former "Life Time," making them unique from many other books out there, and even completely different from each other in the universe Jeri Smith-Ready has created. After all who can't appreciate the novelty of having a hippy, a Goth, and a grunger mixing it up with a classy 40's African American gentleman, a 50s/60s greaser, and a Rastafarian. Talk about lots of opportunity for amusement! As if that wasn't enough, I loved the characterization of the vampires, with more than one of them having developed some type of OCD behavior after their turning. I laughed out loud more than once over the antics. Watching a vampire trying to organize CDs and retrieving a whole container of spilled pencils being two of the more memorable scenes.

While all of the vampires and humans at WVMP are crucial to the story, the real star is Ciara. She has distanced herself from her con artist parents and is trying so hard to overcome her past. So it is rather ironic that the only way to save her life is to stage the biggest con she's ever tried. Ciara's heart of gold shines through even in the face of temptation and I can't help but lover her for her irrepressible spirit.

I so thoroughly enjoyed my extended visit to WVMP in Wicked Game and I can only hope Jeri Smith-Ready has more stories planned about those loveable vampires.

© Kelley A. Hartsell, April 2008. All rights reserved.

What would you do for a job?

Ciara Griffin has always lived for the con. Now she's trying to get her life straight and get a job in sales and marketing. A local radio station, WVMP, offers her a job, but there's a catch: the DJs are all vampires. These aren't ordinary vampires, however. Each DJ is stuck in the "Life Time" in which they died. Now a huge corporation wants to buy out WVMP. Will Ciara be able to play the con of her life in order to save WVMP? And what about her growing attraction to vampire Shane McAllister?

Jeri Smith-Ready is simply a master at creating vibrant characters, full of life! Ciara is a delight, with her old "con" nature tugging at her. Her wicked side constantly wars with her desire to do the right thing, making her all too human and very likable. Shane, too, has his darker side that he struggles against. Jeri Smith-Ready excels at showing growth in her characters as they encounter conflicts, both internal and external, and this is evident in WICKED GAME. Ciara and Shane will have to overcome their own inner struggles, as well as the threat of the corporate takeover, if they hope to succeed.

The tone of WICKED GAME is crucial to its success. The story has its darker moments as vampires are not portrayed as simply glamorous and sexy beings. No, Jeri Smith-Ready shows us their allure as well as their darker, blood driven side. However, there are touches of humor interspersed to keep the tone from becoming too intense. And who can resist a book that refers to humans as "sunnysides"?

WICKED GAME is a very clever twist on the vampire theme and one that left me hungering for a sequel. Jeri Smith-Ready has created a world populated with characters that I want to see more of. Regina, David, Jim... there are just so many avenues left to explore with all of these characters that I can only hope more books are on the way! If you haven't read a book by Jeri Smith-Ready, WICKED GAME is an excellent place to start as this is an author who consistently delivers quality stories.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

Ciara Griffin is a con artist who is trying to put the past behind her. Ciara parents were two professional swindlers who taught her everything she knows. But now that her mother's behind bars and her father has disappeared, Ciara just wants to be like everyone else. She performs one last con--a big one--to get her enough money to pay for college, and then decides to become an honest woman. It's with this in mind that Ciara goes to an interview for a marketing internship at WMMP (which sounds disturbingly like wimp to her jaded ears). It seems that Ciara's past makes her a prime candidate for the position, but before she can start the job the general manager gives her some required reading that might help her get to know her coworkers a little better--and help her decide if she can hack it (no pun intended). The required reading is a field guide to vampires. Long story short, vampires are stuck in the life time in which they died. Time is basically standing still for them, and it can be difficult to adjust to modern times. Each of the DJs at WMMP is so good at what they do because they are still frozen in the time period of the music they play. Like Monroe, an African American who died in the 40's and has a blues program, or Shane, a grungy rocker who died in the mid-90's with a penchant for Nirvana and angst.

Ciara is initially skeptical and dismissive--she was raised on scams and she knows one when she sees it. But when one of the DJs (Shane) proves just how real vampires are by biting her, Ciara comes face to face with the harsh reality that everything is not as it seems. And when the station is threatened from a buyout by a corporate giant (think Empire Records (Remix! Special Fan Edition)), it's up to Ciara to come up with another con to keep them in business. Revamping the WMMPy name, Ciara comes up with WVMP, the Lifeblood of Rock n Roll. She plans to out the DJs for what they are--vampires--and use this gimmick to convince listeners that this is why they're so in tune with the music they play. Her plan is a hit; at least until some other vampires decide they don't like having their truth broadcast over the airwaves. Suddenly Ciara, and the DJs, have more to worry about than preventing a takeover, they have to worry about keeping themselves alive.

Wicked Game was funny at times, but as a whole it just didn't do it for me. I just couldn't always generate the interest it took to read another page. In fact, I put it down several times while I read other things and only came back to it because I'm a person who finishes what she starts. I can't exactly pinpoint what it is that didn't work for me. I liked Ciara more than a lot of other romance heroines. I admired the fact that she knew when she was having a TSTL moment, and made the reader aware of it as well. It was a lot easier to tolerate than some simpering whiner who complains when bad things keep happening. And I liked Shane as the romantic interest, though I wished Ciara would quit stringing him along and make up her mind already. I think it's probably just that this book wasn't fast paced enough for me. Things moved slowly, and by the time there was a little action I couldn't really work up the motivation to care. Still, this book wasn't awful by any means. It had a lot of music trivia and some snappy dialogue, but it didn't balance out the uneven pacing and slow moments. I'd read another book by Jeri Smith-Ready, but I wouldn't pass this one on to a friend.

Rock Music & Vampires, two of my favorite things!

Former con artist Ciara takes a job at a rock radio station WVMP. She's hired as a marketing intern. She's there to help the station, so it doesn't get bought by big corp Skywave. The DJ's are vampires that are stuck in their era. It's the music and radio station, that is the staple to their world. To survive and Not Fade Away.

I found Jeri's vampire mythology very intriguing. Not only are they stuck in the era/year they died in but alot of them seem to have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, which I find very interesting. I don't think I have ever read about vampires like these ones. Another thing I found cool about this book is that each chapter is named for a rock song. Such songs as It's Only Rock N' Roll(But I like it), Everybody Wants to Rule the World, Come As You Are.

The book was fast, fun and sexy. I highly recommend it. So far it's one of my favorite book of 2008.

Ciara Griffin's parents raised her to be a con artist, but she wants to go straight. She pulled one big job to help her survive awhile, but she needs a job if she wants to keep paying her bills. Her best opportunity? Interning at local station WMMP. Of course, it seems prudent to quit once she learns the station believes the DJs are vampires. She learns her potential coworkers aren't insane when she takes the scruffy Shane home and he bites her.

Eventually, Ciara decides to continue working for the station and designs a brilliant marketing strategy. Reveal the DJs are vampires because no one will believe the gimmick is true. The station needs the money the increased popularity will bring because the owner is threatening to sell to the conglomerate Skywave. Luckily, WVMP, the Liveblood of Rock `n' Roll is a hit. Unluckily, other vampires are not pleased with the marketing strategy.

WICKED GAME moves quickly, combining business, cons, and more traditional fantasy action to create a truly satisfying urban fantasy. People complain about the glut of vampire novels, but Smith-Ready's showcases their best aspects. She's created an interesting mythology: vampires are stuck in the time they changed and must maintain ties both to their Life Time and the present. WVMP combines the music of the vampires' times with modern technology, a perfect solution. Especially since Smith-Ready has the musical chops to pull it off.

I also appreciate that Ciara doesn't instantly want Shane to bite her. In fact, she starts to fight him when he accidentally does it. It shows a level of sense that most urban fantasy heroines seem to lack. Ciara is not a traditional BA type - when the violence breaks out, she's not in the center breaking skulls, she's trying to get out of the fray. I respect that. She's a tough woman, but her strengths aren't physical. Refreshing.

Excerpted from In Bed With Books

Ciara Griffin is a former con artist turned radio station intern. Trying to mend her ways she takes a job at WVMP and dives into the secret world of vampires and Control, the agency who keeps the world safe.

These vampires really need to drink daily but can survive longer and they can use banked blood but prefer fresh donors. The big difference is that these vampires are locked in the specific time when they became the undead and their mind is stagnant. Supposedly they have an impossible time learning new things to keep them moving continually towards the future. After so long, they eventually morph into something that is blah and slide into oblivion. Lastly, if they should be killed and not 'die' on their own their death is worse than horrible.

Ciara eventually falls for Shane McAllister, one of the vamps. Besides living vs. dead there is plenty of angst with their relationship. Shane was by no means perfect in his former life and Ciara is carrying a big package herself. Still, they play well off each other and you want good things to happen. There are several secondary stories that keep the book moving along.

Tidbits about songs filter throughout and you will probably enjoy this if you grew up in the 80s or are a music lover. If this is your type of story you will probably enjoy 'Covet', another dark paranormal book and the first in a new series by J. R. Ward.

It's been a while since I've been this totally gonzo about a book. I just really loved it. It's smart, the writing is clever, tight, sexy in the right places, tense in others, scary here and there and totally original.

Ciara is a smart but not perfect heroine. A grifter (oh how I love twisted characters) trying to go straight for a host of believable and layered reasons. Her job at this funky radio station makes sense. The way she acts with the vampires makes sense. The way she interacts with Shane her sort of boyfriend/vampire makes sense. I liked her a lot because she was accessible in a really wonderful way.

The mystery/suspense element was well done. The worldbuilding was clever and believable and the romantic sub-plot handled well and in proportion to the story. On top of all this? Jeri is a really, genuinely nice person, which is all too rarel.

Wicked Game is a really good book and if you haven't grabbed it yet you really should. You won't be sorry at all.

The protagonist, Ciara Griffin, finds a marketing internship at WMMP, a radio station with an eclectic format. It doesn't sound like the stuff of urban fantasy tales, but after a few stitches, Ciara is in on the station's little secret: the DJs are vampires.

There is a problem looming- the station may be sold to a mega-conglomerate, Skywave, if revenue does not increase. Skywave would take away the station's unique format and put the vampires out of work. Saving the station means saving the DJs (the DJs are each locked in the music lifetime they were created; being connected to the music of their time helps keep them sane).

Ciara comes up with a marketing plan to have the station changed to WVMP ("The Lifeblood of Rock and Roll") and use the DJs' vampire identities as gimmicks and thereby hiding in plain sight. The story escalates when they have to fight those who do not want vampires to interact with humans.

But there's a lot more layers to the story---Ciara is fighting her own demons. Having been raised by con-artist parents, she's trying to go straight. She also develops relationship to the "youngest" DJ at the station, Shane. Interspersed through the book are the backgrounds of how the vampire DJs came to be, as well as the human station manager David's relationship to the vampire world.

The book is like a perfect mixtape--- it has the perfect balance of action, wit and romance. Smith-Ready has crafted a fresh vampire tale. It might be a tale of redemption, but there are no stereotypical dark tortured vampires (well, if you don't count OCD) and the heroine is clever without being foolish.

(A few notes: The author's references to music in the book was superb. And as a personal aside, any book that sneaks in the word jagoff (and its verb form, jaggin') is alright by this Pittsburgher!)

I had high hopes for this novel. The premise sounded like so much fun, and being a fan of the musical periods the vampires represent made it even more tempting. I will confess that I am frequently disappointed with Urban Fantasy that tips into the romance end of the scale, but the relationship between Ciara and Shane, the youngest of the vampires from the 90s, is not the main plot.

Keeping sleepy privately owned WWMP afloat is. A giant radio station eating corporation wants WWMP, and Ciara steps up out of the box and comes up with the gimmick that will save the station. The reactions of the various DJs are hysterical about her plan.

Smith-Ready's vampire model is quite original. I'd never heard of anyone using the trapped in time situation for their fanged ones. Having the vampires fighting to stay solid by clinging to their eras and adjusting to the ever changing world is a great take on the mythos.

The evil vampire cult leader is as creepy as they come. Smith-Ready paints a vivid and believable picture of the big bad and his followers - both fanged and human. No his logic doesn't always make sense, but he's crazy so that's ok.

I'm very much looking forward to more books in this series. It is well written. Although being told in present tense makes it a bit jarring at first, but I think I understand why it's told that way. It's to keep the reader locked in the present, not the past like the vampires are. (But I could be wrong.) The pacing is good, and I never found myself skimming over filler sections. All in all it was a great read.

And the website for WVMP - the life blood of rock and roll might be the greatest tie-in site ever created. There are playlists from each of the DJs, station merchandise and soon there will be DJ blogs too. Be sure to check it out. [...]

I've been a fan of Ms. Smith-Ready's ever since I read "Requiem for the Devil" several years ago. I'd thought it was an excellent book & had wondered how will this author follow such a fantastic read. Then the "Crow" books came out and I had my answer....she followed up and surpassed her freshman work. Now I knew, when I'd heard Ms. Smith-Ready was coming out with a new book, that it was going to be something special. Until I read "Wicked Game"...I just didn't realize how special. "Wicked Game" is, simply put, stunning. I was hooked starting from page one...and read non-stop the entire book in one sitting. When I read that the book involved vampires...I just knew that this author would be THE one to put new life into their mystique...and boy did she!

Ciara Griffin, ex-con artist/college student, accepts an internship at a local floundering radio station with a wide and varied music format. She discovers that the DJs of the station are all vampires...and all completely in-tune with the music genre of their heyday when they were alive. I won't give any more away in this review other than my extremely strong recommendation that you buy this book ASAP and enjoy it as much as I did.

*on a tres cool side note...my 14 year old daughter was THRILLED to see that the main character shares the same first and last name as her! Ciara Griffin from "Wicked Game" and Ciara Griffin, my daughter...both rock! :)*