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kberry513's review against another edition
5.0
This one was entirely heartbreaking. Jayne's uncle was clearly not the white hat everyone thought he was and the fact that he used magic to manipulate Kim into an affair so he could essentially wreck her life and place her at Grace Memorial so that he could free the demon. I think he was also probably responsible for Jayne's college friends dropping her.
However, I was literally yelling at everybody for being so dumb in this one, with the way they reacted. First, Jayne was a moron for not thinking that David needed a babysitter. He was clearly being manipulated by the demon. Second, Aubrey just took off, somewhat blaming Jayne, especially since she knew about the affair Eric had with Kim. Jayne had literally just asked him if he wanted to know who it was, and Kim didn't want to confess it so why was it Jayne's responsibility? Granted, I've always disliked that Aubrey and Jayne were together so I'm actually glad that they broke up, but still. Then Chogyi Jake told Jayne essentially that "nothing lasts forever" when she was confiding in him about having literally lost the only two family units she has known and how afraid she was to lose her new family. What a moron! Why on earth would he expect that she wouldn't then just return to the hospital (which is pretty much exactly what she did).
Granted, for the most part it would have worked out, except that no one was paying attention to David (and they all are to blame on this because they knew he was at risk) and he ended up setting the beast free. I assumed from the beginning that it would end up being him forced to take the place of his grandfather but it was a lot more emotional the way it happened. I was pretty sure Chogyi Jake would end up following through and then I thought maybe David was right that it wasn't in there with him, so it was heartbreaking that Jayne had to go through with it. I love Ex for being there for her.
As much as I prefer Ex to Aubrey as a love interest, Jayne often refers to his "paternalistic" attitude towards her and he is also a bit too condescending in the way he tries to protect her by removing her choices - although he has gotten much better about it. I was glad that Jayne took control with her relationship with Aubrey and dumped him, though.
And *finally* someone has made the connection that Jayne might have a rider or something else supernatural about her, even if it was the last line and obviously a teaser for the next on. I'm looking forward to finding out!
I'm glad Jayne
However, I was literally yelling at everybody for being so dumb in this one, with the way they reacted. First, Jayne was a moron for not thinking that David needed a babysitter. He was clearly being manipulated by the demon. Second, Aubrey just took off, somewhat blaming Jayne, especially since she knew about the affair Eric had with Kim. Jayne had literally just asked him if he wanted to know who it was, and Kim didn't want to confess it so why was it Jayne's responsibility? Granted, I've always disliked that Aubrey and Jayne were together so I'm actually glad that they broke up, but still. Then Chogyi Jake told Jayne essentially that "nothing lasts forever" when she was confiding in him about having literally lost the only two family units she has known and how afraid she was to lose her new family. What a moron! Why on earth would he expect that she wouldn't then just return to the hospital (which is pretty much exactly what she did).
Granted, for the most part it would have worked out, except that no one was paying attention to David (and they all are to blame on this because they knew he was at risk) and he ended up setting the beast free. I assumed from the beginning that it would end up being him forced to take the place of his grandfather but it was a lot more emotional the way it happened. I was pretty sure Chogyi Jake would end up following through and then I thought maybe David was right that it wasn't in there with him, so it was heartbreaking that Jayne had to go through with it. I love Ex for being there for her.
As much as I prefer Ex to Aubrey as a love interest, Jayne often refers to his "paternalistic" attitude towards her and he is also a bit too condescending in the way he tries to protect her by removing her choices - although he has gotten much better about it. I was glad that Jayne took control with her relationship with Aubrey and dumped him, though.
And *finally* someone has made the connection that Jayne might have a rider or something else supernatural about her, even if it was the last line and obviously a teaser for the next on. I'm looking forward to finding out!
I'm glad Jayne
burruss's review against another edition
3.0
In the last two books of the series, Hanover (Daniel Abraham, actually) has produced an entertaining if not terribly weighty urban fantasy/female empowerment tale of Jayne Heller fighting the good fight against demons and what not. They've been fluff, though well-written and entertaining fluff, and definitely worth recommending to genre fans. With that said...at times in the first couple books Hanover gave us a couple signs that more might be going on in the story than was readily apparent, be it learning that some spirits could be as complicated as humans in motivation, or even that supposed allies were enemies. Nothing that truly made the earth move but signs that Hanover might be willing to the play with elements of the chosen sub-genre.
In this, the third book, Hanover finally blows the lid off and confirms that he is building towards something different than the standard monster hunt led by kick-ass young woman. A beloved character is revealed to be far more morally ambiguous than first thought and by the book's end the protagonist has to make a hard and cruel choice that will change her forever. Add in a fascinating and scary setting and these touches put the novel a step ahead of its predecessors and bode well for future books in the series.
In this, the third book, Hanover finally blows the lid off and confirms that he is building towards something different than the standard monster hunt led by kick-ass young woman. A beloved character is revealed to be far more morally ambiguous than first thought and by the book's end the protagonist has to make a hard and cruel choice that will change her forever. Add in a fascinating and scary setting and these touches put the novel a step ahead of its predecessors and bode well for future books in the series.
bmg20's review against another edition
2.0
I have read all 3 books in this series and as hard as I have tried to like them, I don't think I'll be reading any of the future books.
The storyline has great potential, but the authors style of writing can be so irritating. The one thing that I've noticed in all his books is how his main character, female, seems so fake. It's almost like the author has no idea about females.
The books can be enjoyable but don't expect a lot.
The storyline has great potential, but the authors style of writing can be so irritating. The one thing that I've noticed in all his books is how his main character, female, seems so fake. It's almost like the author has no idea about females.
The books can be enjoyable but don't expect a lot.
deranged_pegasus's review against another edition
4.0
An almost unexpected ending aside from the nagging thought in your mind that was finally calmed by the revelation. The convolutions of motivations and the horrific truths revealed were handled beautifully. Overall the book is a wonderful continuation of Jayne's tale.
chllybrd's review against another edition
4.0
reviewed by http://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
The team heads to Chicago to investigate a case that Kim called them in on. Grace Memorial Hospital is a labyrinth of floors, rooms and walkways and people have been reporting identical disturbing dreams. While there shocking information come to surface about Jayné's Uncle Eric and lives change in ways no one expected. There is ton of development in most of the characters, spooky things happening and Romantic drama. I had no problem staying connected to the story. I thought this one wasnt AS good as the other books in the series but still a good read. This was one of the series that I stumbled on and didn't see much talk about before I started reading it. I'm glad I picked it up when I first did and will continue to follow the series.
The team heads to Chicago to investigate a case that Kim called them in on. Grace Memorial Hospital is a labyrinth of floors, rooms and walkways and people have been reporting identical disturbing dreams. While there shocking information come to surface about Jayné's Uncle Eric and lives change in ways no one expected. There is ton of development in most of the characters, spooky things happening and Romantic drama. I had no problem staying connected to the story. I thought this one wasnt AS good as the other books in the series but still a good read. This was one of the series that I stumbled on and didn't see much talk about before I started reading it. I'm glad I picked it up when I first did and will continue to follow the series.
tiffasaurusrex's review against another edition
3.0
The characters don't really grab me at all, but the story is great. I'm dying to see what happens with Ex after the events of book 2. Can't stand Aubrey.
alexiachantel's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 Stars
Like a punch to the gut, you are taken by surprise, feet kicked out from under you, gasping for air, and mind reeling. After some revelations about the mysterious Eric are discovered more than one of our characters will feel this way.
JaynÉ, Aubrey, Chogyi Jake and Ex are called in as reinforcements by Kim. There is something big going on where she works, something that is going to change the course of all their lives. Even if there wasn’t this big unknown just the fact that JaynÉ and the guys are going to be around Kim has some serious tension potential. The ex-wife hanging out with the current girl friend is a tried and true drama waiting to happen; only hang up is JaynÉ actually likes Kim.
With each book you can see how much foreshadowing Hanover does. As pieces to the puzzle that is JaynÉ’s life are found you can look back and see the hints that were so cleverly hidden. When the group finally finds and opens up a hidden room of Eric’s you might catch yourself wanting to yell out loud, finally!
There is a lot of action in Vicious Grace, more so than the first two books. It really feels like a pivotal point in the larger story arc. Hanover gives the characters more challenge and emotional attacks than ever before. Everyone is tapped to the max in manners of special talents, physical stamina, and courage. And if that isn’t enough to have you gripping the edge of your seat, the very last line of the book finally drops the bomb that we have been waiting for.
Review posted at Reading Between the Wines:
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-vicious-grace-by-m-l-n-hanover.html?zx=30f5dadd209f52bb
Like a punch to the gut, you are taken by surprise, feet kicked out from under you, gasping for air, and mind reeling. After some revelations about the mysterious Eric are discovered more than one of our characters will feel this way.
JaynÉ, Aubrey, Chogyi Jake and Ex are called in as reinforcements by Kim. There is something big going on where she works, something that is going to change the course of all their lives. Even if there wasn’t this big unknown just the fact that JaynÉ and the guys are going to be around Kim has some serious tension potential. The ex-wife hanging out with the current girl friend is a tried and true drama waiting to happen; only hang up is JaynÉ actually likes Kim.
With each book you can see how much foreshadowing Hanover does. As pieces to the puzzle that is JaynÉ’s life are found you can look back and see the hints that were so cleverly hidden. When the group finally finds and opens up a hidden room of Eric’s you might catch yourself wanting to yell out loud, finally!
There is a lot of action in Vicious Grace, more so than the first two books. It really feels like a pivotal point in the larger story arc. Hanover gives the characters more challenge and emotional attacks than ever before. Everyone is tapped to the max in manners of special talents, physical stamina, and courage. And if that isn’t enough to have you gripping the edge of your seat, the very last line of the book finally drops the bomb that we have been waiting for.
Review posted at Reading Between the Wines:
http://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/2012/02/review-vicious-grace-by-m-l-n-hanover.html?zx=30f5dadd209f52bb
nyxshadow's review
3.0
http://nyx-shadow.blogspot.fr/2012/05/la-fille-du-soleil-noir-t3-reves-impies.html
alice2000's review against another edition
4.0
I am a huge fan of this series and about half way through Vicious Grace I got this feeling that I was going to be disappointed. The pace had slowed down and there wasn't nearly enough of either Ex or Chogyi Jake. That being said...getting into the last third of the book and it was everything I loved. Fast pace, high emotion, good action and just a good story.
A lot changed in this one, things I didn't see coming. All I can think at the end is when does the next one come out?
A lot changed in this one, things I didn't see coming. All I can think at the end is when does the next one come out?
drey72's review against another edition
3.0
I’ve read the first two in M.L.N. Hanover’s Black Sun’s Daughter series, and couldn’t say “no” when the opportunity came up to check out the next two…
drey’s thoughts:
I know I wasn’t too enthused about the first book in this series – Unclean Spirits left a lot of things hanging, and I’m just not a fan of that… But I did pick up Darker Angels and that wasn’t too bad, so I thought I’d give the next two books a whirl. And Vicious Grace did not disappoint.
Jayné does a lot of growing up here. Sure, she had to do some when she inherited her uncle Eric’s business – and some of his associates. But now, she’s coming to the realization that her uncle might not have been the person she thought he was. AND she’s finding out that her boyfriend’s ex-wife isn’t horrible to hang out with. More than that though, Jayné is realizing that sometimes people can’t help being who they are, and if that means letting them go then that’s ok. Not bad for a twenty-four-year-old, huh?
There’s a bunch of angst here – mostly of the I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing-and-I-don’t-want-my-friends-to-get-hurt variety, but also some of the does-he-still-love-me stuff. I don’t mind the former, but I don’t care for the latter – not even for freshly-minted demon-destroyers. Call me cold, but angst and I don’t get along very well…
I want to see more of Jayné’s growth. And I want to find out where M.L.N. Hanover’s going with Jayné’s revelation at the end of Vicious Grace. So Killing Rites, here I come… If you haven’t tried this series, start with Unclean Spirits for the background.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!
drey’s thoughts:
I know I wasn’t too enthused about the first book in this series – Unclean Spirits left a lot of things hanging, and I’m just not a fan of that… But I did pick up Darker Angels and that wasn’t too bad, so I thought I’d give the next two books a whirl. And Vicious Grace did not disappoint.
Jayné does a lot of growing up here. Sure, she had to do some when she inherited her uncle Eric’s business – and some of his associates. But now, she’s coming to the realization that her uncle might not have been the person she thought he was. AND she’s finding out that her boyfriend’s ex-wife isn’t horrible to hang out with. More than that though, Jayné is realizing that sometimes people can’t help being who they are, and if that means letting them go then that’s ok. Not bad for a twenty-four-year-old, huh?
There’s a bunch of angst here – mostly of the I-don’t-know-what-I’m-doing-and-I-don’t-want-my-friends-to-get-hurt variety, but also some of the does-he-still-love-me stuff. I don’t mind the former, but I don’t care for the latter – not even for freshly-minted demon-destroyers. Call me cold, but angst and I don’t get along very well…
I want to see more of Jayné’s growth. And I want to find out where M.L.N. Hanover’s going with Jayné’s revelation at the end of Vicious Grace. So Killing Rites, here I come… If you haven’t tried this series, start with Unclean Spirits for the background.
drey’s rating: Pick it up!