As Lie The Dead (Dreg City #2) By Kelly Meding
Urban Fantasy
July 27, 2010
Paperback, 416 Pages
Dell

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: "The brass no longer controlled me. I was done being their bitch."

As Lie The Dead picks up right where Three Days To Dead left off. Evangeline Stone (Evy) and Wyatt have survived the battle with the goblins and are trying make sense of all that happened. When Evy is approached by one of the last surviving Owlkins, Phineas (Phin), and asked to protect a pregnant Owlkin and her mate, she knows that this is not over by a long shot.
Evy agrees because of the role she played in the Owlkins massacre. But Phin is not done with her. She soon finds out that he has approached the Supernatural Assembly and charged Rufus (a Handler in the Triad) with the murder of his clan members and seeks retribution.

Evy cannot allow a friend and team member to be sacrificed for following orders so she makes a deal with Phin. Give her three days to bring the true offenders to justice-her superiors. But that is easier said then done. As Phin and Evy submerge themselves in to the investigation; political intrigue and shadowy conspiracies reveal themselves, showing them that the game is much bigger then they ever suspected. And everyone is expendable.

Evy is also dealing with an identity crisis, her feelings for Wyatt, and her anger towards her betrayal by the Triad.

"….I think I really fucking honored her and all others who died when I was raped and tortured to death last week. How about you?"
No one spoke. Tybalt had been there the day they found my dying body in the old train station.
He had seen what the goblins had done to me, and he had the gall to question what I’d sacrificed?

Kelly Meding has created a fantastically complex and dark urban fantasy world that grabs you from page one and never lets go till the end. The main theme in this series is betrayal and revelations. Intense in their portrayals, we are shown what secrets, power, and prejudice can do in a changing world and to those who are sanctioned to fight for it.

Jammed packed with action and suspense; creating a roller coaster ride of emotional ups and downs. I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat wondering, "how can this end good?" Even with the multiple story lines; you never feel overwhelmed. The word play and blending is smooth without any abrupt changes or confusion.

As Lie The Dead is every bit as exciting as Three Days To Dead. Once I started there was no stopping till I turned the last page. Her characters are unbelievably alive and solid. These are people who’s emotions and choices mirror real life. They do what I would expect them to do in a real life situation. We see more of the "Assembly" and through some interesting flashbacks, learn more about the Triad and Evy’s history.

Evy is a strong sarcastic ass kicking character who’s unwavering moral code and big heart enable her to do what is right. She is no one’s sheep. I admire her adaptability. When faced with sharing a face and memories with another soul and seeing her entire foundation rocked to the core; she mans up and faces her demons and acknowledges her flaws. While I admire that she tries to see from all sides; it also annoyed me. She is wayyyy too forgiving. I’d have had to make my position known in a physical sense at some point.

Wyatt is an enigma.  A HOT enigma. I like that we are still not sure where his loyalties lie. Is he a good guy? Bad guy? While he is or was her Handler, he also loves her with everything he has. Evy is not sure about her feelings for him though. Is it hers or Chalice’s feelings that guide her heart? He handles it well and never pushes her beyond a certain point. We don’t see a lot of him in this book but he is there when she needs him. I do love that he is beginning to question the Triad, their agenda, and his loyalties.

Phineas, a new smexy main character, brings strife and revelations to this story. As one of the last surviving Owlkins, he demands justice for his clan and places Evy in a precarious situation. Yet you can see his respect and affection for Evy in many of his actions. I do hope he stays a main character in the book. He made for interesting times in the story.

All in all As Lie The Dead is an action packed Urban Fantasy where suspense, intrigue, and teasing romance will hold you hostage till the end. Ms Meding is a new player in the UF playground and more then holds her own. I do recommend reading the first book in this series, Three Days To Dead. The storyline is convoluted and you will need the first book to if you hope to understand and get the full experience of this one.

I look forward to the next in the series, Another Kind of Dead, which is slated to release In July 2011.

Rating: 4/5

Recent Reviews:
The Good, The Bad, and The Unread – B+
Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks – 5/5
My World…In Words and Pages – Recommends
Book Lovers Inc – 4/5
Goodreads

This series includes:
Three Days to Dead
As Lie the Dead
Another Kind of Dead – July 2011

Author’s Website.