Seven Kinds Of Hell (Fangborn #1) by Dana Cameron
Urban Fantasy
March 12, 2013
Publisher: 47 North
Reviewed by Tori
Archaeologist Zoe Miller has been running from a haunting secret her whole life. But when her cousin is abducted by a vicious Russian kidnapper, Zoe is left with only one option: to reveal herself. Unknown to even her closest friends, Zoe is not entirely human. She’s a werewolf and a daughter of the Fangborn, a secretive race of werewolves, vampires, and oracles embroiled in an ancient war against evil. To rescue her cousin, Zoe will be forced to renew family ties and pit her own supernatural abilities against the dark and nefarious foe. The hunt brings Zoe to the edge of her limits, and with the fate of humanity and the Fangborn in the balance, life will be decided by an artifact of world-ending power. (Goodreads)
Seven Kinds Of Hell is my genre preference for reading.The excerpt alone demanded I jump right on this Urban Fantasy when it was offered up to me for review. An archaeologist who finds herself a pawn in supernatural politics, involving a questionable family she never knew about? My kind of book. Or so I thought. Frankly, this was the most confusing and staid book I ever read. I found the character development stunted and overwhelmed by the continuous and massive world building and storyline set up. There are multiple storylines swirling around each other which only added to my confusion. This book is all about the set up. This is unfortunate because I wasn’t able to connect with the characters or the main plotlines.
Our heroine, Zoe Miller, is a fledgling archaeologist. Her mother, on her deathbed, gives her one piece of final advice. The same advice she had been giving Zoe all her life. Stay away from your father’s family. Hide, stay low, never reveal yourself, and run if found. When Zoe’s mom passes, that choice is taken from Zoe and her father’s family comes after her. Zoe has no idea what she is but we soon learn she is part Fangborn. She is a born werewolf, but with an extra something that everyone wants to control. The storyline revolves around the fact that Zoe was kept in the dark all her life about her genetics and family so we learn as she does.
Zoe is pulled head first into the Fangborn world when her friend is kidnapped and his release is contingent on her finding certain relics. Relics that could save or end humanity. As Zoe struggles to find the relics to bargain for her friends release, we see help from friends and foes alike. Zoe comes off strong and human. She isn’t a super hero and she learns from her mistakes. All the characters seem strong and had great potential, yet I never felt more than the surface of them was scratched. What I felt and what I think the author wanted me to feel never happened.
I liked the world building concerning the Fangborn and how they came into existence. I have always enjoyed mythology and the story has it in spades. The Fangborn are secretive race of supernaturals; vampires, shifters, etc…. Referred to as Pandora’s Orphans, they came into being after Pandora’s box was opened. They are the hope that came after the evil was released. Cameron inhibits them with unique powers that twist the usual offerings. Vampires don’t drink blood, they drink the evil in people. I also enjoyed Zoe’s “powers” though her seeming disinterest in her other half felt odd.
What kept me from enjoying the book was the lack of development and connection between the world building and the characters. Zoe is hit hard, repeatedly throughout the book by various factions yet the explanations for all this happening is given in the form of a history and educational lesson. A is happening because of B and C which is because of D, E, and F. There is no real emotion behind the explanations. The writing is strong and the storylines are interesting but the interactions between the two main components are dry and uninspiring. It casts a pall on the entire story because the telling of it is so matter of fact. I have been told there were four small short stories previously released about this world and I wonder if reading them first may have served to integrate me into this world better.
The resolution is fast paced and wraps up some of the plotlines though the ending leaves us with a bit of a cliffhanger. While I’m sure many urban fantasy enthusiasts will enjoy this full length new world introduction, I find it’s just not the world for me.
Overall Rating: D
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I reference a song by Chuck Berry when I reviewed this because I got tired of her constant running away. *shrug* There were so many good ideas in this book (with the vampires for one) and they don’t get much lift off so to speak. I felt there was too much emphasis on the external elements within the plot, so it was hard to connect or feel really anything for Zoe. Which is a shame, because the book had huge potential.
I agree. I felt we were given to little of the characters and too much “history.”
Oh :/ It sounded so promising. I would have wanted more
OH that is a shame. I was looking forward to this one. It sound great.