Bloodstone (Deadtown #3) By Nancy Holzner
Urban Fantasy
Paperback
September 27, 2011
Ace

Reviewed by Tori

Nancy Holzner’s gritty urban fantasy series, Deadtown, continues on in her third installment, Bloodstone, which picks up not long after Hellforged left off. Shapeshifter and demon slayer Vicky Vaughn barely won the battle against the demon Pryce and his harpies, and was shocked when his body disappeared. Now a serial killer is on the loose, further escalating the already high tensions building between the paranormals and the humans. Juliet, Vicky’s room mate has returned with the Old Ones fast on her tail and Vicky learns just how much she doesn’t know about her room mate. When Vicky is captured by Myrdden and the Old Ones, she calls to Mab who arrives just in time with Kane to save Vicky from certain death. Myrdden has aligned with the Old Ones to reanimate Pyrce and bring him back to life. Vicky learns through Mab why Myrdden has plagued her family for centuries and what caused the animosity between Gwen and Mab.

While Bloodstone is somewhat tamer than the first two, the advances of the arc provides us with clues to where the series is heading. We learn more of Mab’s past, which explains much about Vicky’s present situation. Action and suspense keep you on your toes as you follow Vicky and Mab in and out of Deadtown as they attempt to find Myrdden and put a stop to his nefarious plans.

Ms. Holzner does a nice job in helping us visualize and understand the situation between the humans and the paranormals. Bigotry rains supreme as the paranormals (monsters) are effectively contained in Deadtown; requiring the use of passports, id’s, and paperwork in order to come and go. She gives a sense of realism to their situation and the trials they go through as they try to peacefully live their lives. The social and political ramifications play a big part in the overall arc of this story. I expect we’ll see more reaction on this storyline in the future.

Old friends run a muck in here. We learn more about the mysterious bar owner Axel and get a rare peek into his very private sanctuary. Tina is back after her pop singer career failed and wants her apprentice job back. While I enjoyed Tina’s sarcastic humor in the first two, her whining and selfish nature was annoying. Kane is a key player and I enjoyed the quality time he and Vicky got to spend together. We see more of their relationship and the bonds that keep strengthening with each installment. I also enjoyed seeing Vicky’s sister Gwen and her family. There are serious changes happening there that require Gwen to also look towards her past for answers. I look forward to seeing where this storyline heads to.

Bloodstone explains much and solidifies the arc that was built up in the first two books. If I had one complaint, it was that the explanation of Myrdden and the Old Ones became tedious at times and I found my attention wandering, wanting to get back to Vicky and the main conflict, which brought the book down for me.

Overall Rating: C

Recent Reviews:
All Things Urban Fantasy – 3/5
A Book Obsession – 4/5
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