Helpful Score: 12
The back of the book hooked me into buying this book. The premise of the story is there is a veil that leads to a prison where demons and worse things have been hidden from our world. And there is only one hunter. One per generation ala Buffy. Max is dark to Buffy's light however. The tattoo's are really interesting and a great addtion to the story. They come alive and protect her.
However I must say that the story itself falls flat. I felt like I was either struggling to understand some secret vocabulary or I was bored and really didn't care. There are too many people/things doing mysterious things for mysterious reasons. And none of it really gets resolved in the end. It felt like a prequel novel to a more complete book. I will get the next one to see if it's better fleshed out since the idea of the book was so great.
On the whole though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
However I must say that the story itself falls flat. I felt like I was either struggling to understand some secret vocabulary or I was bored and really didn't care. There are too many people/things doing mysterious things for mysterious reasons. And none of it really gets resolved in the end. It felt like a prequel novel to a more complete book. I will get the next one to see if it's better fleshed out since the idea of the book was so great.
On the whole though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
Helpful Score: 9
First off... This is not the first in this series...that is why so many readers felt lost. The first story from this series is in an anthology called "Wild Things." You must read this story first and you will fully understand the The Iron Hunt.
Now....I completely agree with Linda C. This book was fabulous. It was refreshing and had a completely different feel to it than most of the books that I have read in the paranormal genre. It is very different from Liu's Dirk and Steele series. I can't wait to read the second book! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!
Now....I completely agree with Linda C. This book was fabulous. It was refreshing and had a completely different feel to it than most of the books that I have read in the paranormal genre. It is very different from Liu's Dirk and Steele series. I can't wait to read the second book! LOVE IT! LOVE IT! LOVE IT!
"Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities...tattos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.
"I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss."
If you are looking for a soppy supernatural romance with a bitchy heroine and a alpha male love interest don't get this book! You, like some of the other reviewers, will be dissapointed.
This one took my breath away. The first person viewpoint is intense and startling. It's IS a little confusing, but it's meant to be. The reader must put the pieces together just like the heroine does. And this is no swooning heroine. She's not looking for a prince charming. She's got the world on her shoulders and demons at her back and she knows she'll win simply because she must. The description of the demons and other supernatural characters are guttural and poetic. Think more Dante's Inferno than Anita Blake.
If you're tired of bland prose and want something more etheral, more guttural. If you're tired of flighty heroines whose only determined quest is to sleep around. And if you're tired of heros who are full of the same annoying, macho blandness then you will like this book.
"I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss."
If you are looking for a soppy supernatural romance with a bitchy heroine and a alpha male love interest don't get this book! You, like some of the other reviewers, will be dissapointed.
This one took my breath away. The first person viewpoint is intense and startling. It's IS a little confusing, but it's meant to be. The reader must put the pieces together just like the heroine does. And this is no swooning heroine. She's not looking for a prince charming. She's got the world on her shoulders and demons at her back and she knows she'll win simply because she must. The description of the demons and other supernatural characters are guttural and poetic. Think more Dante's Inferno than Anita Blake.
If you're tired of bland prose and want something more etheral, more guttural. If you're tired of flighty heroines whose only determined quest is to sleep around. And if you're tired of heros who are full of the same annoying, macho blandness then you will like this book.
Helpful Score: 4
I REALLY enjoyed this book, however it is very unusual and I highly recommend reading the prequel short story, which is in the "Wild Things" anthology. It sets up her relationship with her boyfriend (which is kind of distant in this book) and gives more background. There's no real romance in this, it's a pretty pure, dark urban fantasy that was fantastic. The set-up was very unique, and the dark world really pulled me in. I can't wait for the next book in this series!
Helpful Score: 2
Liu has created an incredible world with this book. It is sometimes frustrating to be reading from the heroine's point of view because there is so much information she doesn't have and we don't know what's going on either! I have high hopes that some things will clear up in book two. After I read this book (Book One) I found out there is a prequel in the Wild Thing anthology. Perhaps more would have made sense if I had started there. There is so much in this created world - good (?) demons, allusions to fairy tales and ancient civilizations, beings that look human but aren't, not to mention her tattoos that protect her!
Helpful Score: 2
I came away from this book feeling.... nothing. I feel like I missed something or that I was an outsider looking in. However, that seems to be parallel with the heroine, could be on purpose? I really liked the idea of the plot and storyline but seemed to be lacking background information or it was all jumbled up in riddles. Maybe if I had a better background of the Wild Hunt legend this might have been better... I do have to say I loved the idea with the tattoos!!
Helpful Score: 1
For anyone who was confused by this book or is considering reading this book, beware that it is the spinoff series from a short story contained within a collection called "Wild Thing." I think if I had read "The Iron Hunt" without having read the short story I would've been a bit lost.
That said, I really enjoyed this book. I had reservations about ordering it based on some of the reviews I read on PBS but I believe that most of those bad reviews would be much different if those people had read the short story, it really does explain a lot and I can see why they felt the story was flat or that they were missing something or that they couldn't figure out the main character. That said, I felt this book was quite different than anything else I've read in a long time, so many fantasy books have cookie cutter heroes or heroines and sometimes you just roll your eyes at the cliches. Maxine--who she is and what she is is quite different. She almost reminds me of a sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but in the demon world.
That said, I really enjoyed this book. I had reservations about ordering it based on some of the reviews I read on PBS but I believe that most of those bad reviews would be much different if those people had read the short story, it really does explain a lot and I can see why they felt the story was flat or that they were missing something or that they couldn't figure out the main character. That said, I felt this book was quite different than anything else I've read in a long time, so many fantasy books have cookie cutter heroes or heroines and sometimes you just roll your eyes at the cliches. Maxine--who she is and what she is is quite different. She almost reminds me of a sort of Buffy the Vampire Slayer but in the demon world.
Helpful Score: 1
This book started off slow, then hooked me in with the story...only to make me feel like an outsider trying to catch up on a secret language. There was way too much going on in too little space, too many characters to keep up referencing things that happened in the past without any backstory.
The concept of this book is amazing...something new in the dark fiction genre. I just wasn't as impressed with the story as I was with the idea.
The concept of this book is amazing...something new in the dark fiction genre. I just wasn't as impressed with the story as I was with the idea.
Helpful Score: 1
It was fast paced, cryptic, scary, touching, mysterious, and ultimately wonderful. I loved it! I'll definitely be adding this one to my favorites list and waiting breathlessly for the next installment.
I saw this on the book share bookshelf at work. It looked interesting enough so I picked it up and decided to give it a chance. I'm really glad I did. This is probably one of the most original stories I've read lately, and the main character is very likeable. I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the series. If you are a fan of the fantasy genre you will enjoy this book.
I really like this author's writing style. The world she is creating is captivating my interest a lot. I will be reading the rest of Hunder Kiss books. I enjoy reading about other realms, worlds, dimensions, others . . . I will very much enjoy reading these.
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
Review: The book has an interesting premise - the main character is a demon Hunter, which is a hereditary position, passed from mother to daughter. Along with that role she gets demons that are bound to her. If she dies, they die. During the day they are tattoos on her body, protecting her from all harm. At night they peel off and help her fight the evil that lurks in the dark. Someday, out of self interest they'll abandon her in favor of her daughter and those that she's hunted will turn on her.
Unfortunately, the premise was all that was interesting. From the beginning it's clear that the author is trying to build tension for a big event at the end of the book. However, for that to work I have to care about either the characters or the world. The world is a modern setting, but we don't see much of it except for a homeless shelter and the bad part of town. I read 74 out of 305 pages and did feel connected to the main character at all. I just read a big confrontation between the main character and a demon, one where she expected to die. I found I didn't really care either way if she did, and was almost hoping that she would so that I could go read something else. The supporting cast were given very brief introductions that didn't really make me want to know more about them either.
The book reads a bit like the 2nd book in a series. It feels like you are supposed to know the characters, what they do and some of the world specific definitions already (like the non-standard use of "zombie").
Review: The book has an interesting premise - the main character is a demon Hunter, which is a hereditary position, passed from mother to daughter. Along with that role she gets demons that are bound to her. If she dies, they die. During the day they are tattoos on her body, protecting her from all harm. At night they peel off and help her fight the evil that lurks in the dark. Someday, out of self interest they'll abandon her in favor of her daughter and those that she's hunted will turn on her.
Unfortunately, the premise was all that was interesting. From the beginning it's clear that the author is trying to build tension for a big event at the end of the book. However, for that to work I have to care about either the characters or the world. The world is a modern setting, but we don't see much of it except for a homeless shelter and the bad part of town. I read 74 out of 305 pages and did feel connected to the main character at all. I just read a big confrontation between the main character and a demon, one where she expected to die. I found I didn't really care either way if she did, and was almost hoping that she would so that I could go read something else. The supporting cast were given very brief introductions that didn't really make me want to know more about them either.
The book reads a bit like the 2nd book in a series. It feels like you are supposed to know the characters, what they do and some of the world specific definitions already (like the non-standard use of "zombie").
The premise is interesting, the boys are charming and the Hunter Kiss is an amazing, strong woman. There is humor in the book that is very appealing. As well as darkness and hope.
Another great thing is that the series are just getting better (I am on book 3)
Another great thing is that the series are just getting better (I am on book 3)
This was a very interesting book and I have never really encountered a story quite like it. If you are going to read this book, you SHOULD read "Wild Thing" which has a short story in it (like a prequel) which made the book make more sense!
Pros~ Neat story about a girl who fights demons and who has demons who live on her skin by day and by night they peel off to fight and eat demons. Its got a lot of twists and turns and I had no clue how it was going to end.
Cons~ Its a dark book in that its not cheery, no laughs, and its almost a stressful read. Its confusing at times because there are so many twists. Even the character in the book is clueless as to whats going on around her, its like shes the only who doesnt know "the secret."
I did enjoy this book and will read more, but its not like the Rachel Morgan series (by Kim Harrison) which is a fun/light read. Maybe you will like it, maybe not, happy reading.
Pros~ Neat story about a girl who fights demons and who has demons who live on her skin by day and by night they peel off to fight and eat demons. Its got a lot of twists and turns and I had no clue how it was going to end.
Cons~ Its a dark book in that its not cheery, no laughs, and its almost a stressful read. Its confusing at times because there are so many twists. Even the character in the book is clueless as to whats going on around her, its like shes the only who doesnt know "the secret."
I did enjoy this book and will read more, but its not like the Rachel Morgan series (by Kim Harrison) which is a fun/light read. Maybe you will like it, maybe not, happy reading.
Whenever a book fails this completely too capture my interest I'm compelled to explain why. I want to say that I'm usually a fan of Liu's work--I enjoy the Dirk and Steele books very much. But this book was something I just couldn't get into.
The premise is pretty cleaver. Maxine Kiss is a demon hunter. The only family she has ever known are the tatoos on her body which come to life and help her fight at sunset. Maxine has a lover named Grant who actually intrigued me at first. He runs a homeless shelter, he used to be a preist, and he has the power to alter people's personalities through music. This all seems really fantastic. Oh, how I wanted to like this book.
This book almost read like a sequel to a book that never existed. It starts out with a prologue--Maxine is a child with her mom, and they go into a zombie bar and...weird stuff happens. I was still trying to wrap my mind around zombies and demons and how everything in this world works when the story picked up with Maxine as an adult. There is no pause to explain who she is or what she actually does. We meet Grant, who seems to have an elaborate back story that isn't told (at least not right away). There are also the residents of the homeless shelter and of course the tatoos to be introduced. It's a lot all at once. I understand wanting to jump right into plot and not get too bogged down in world building, but as a reader I require at least fragments of explanation that I can reasonably peice together. Say, what are demons in this universe, and what are zombies? Where does Maxine come from and how exactly does she go about her calling? Who is Grant, why are they together, where do his powers come from? I feel like this story needed a prequel or an origin story to answer the question of who are these people and why should I care. The style reflects this lack of useful information. There are a lot of abrupt statements and sentence fragments.
Fantasy readers are used to dealing with questions that go unanswered for most of the book, and yes part of the fun is figuring it all out. But this has it's limits. I didn't finish this book because I didn't feel attached to the characters at all. I don't plan on continuing with the series.
The premise is pretty cleaver. Maxine Kiss is a demon hunter. The only family she has ever known are the tatoos on her body which come to life and help her fight at sunset. Maxine has a lover named Grant who actually intrigued me at first. He runs a homeless shelter, he used to be a preist, and he has the power to alter people's personalities through music. This all seems really fantastic. Oh, how I wanted to like this book.
This book almost read like a sequel to a book that never existed. It starts out with a prologue--Maxine is a child with her mom, and they go into a zombie bar and...weird stuff happens. I was still trying to wrap my mind around zombies and demons and how everything in this world works when the story picked up with Maxine as an adult. There is no pause to explain who she is or what she actually does. We meet Grant, who seems to have an elaborate back story that isn't told (at least not right away). There are also the residents of the homeless shelter and of course the tatoos to be introduced. It's a lot all at once. I understand wanting to jump right into plot and not get too bogged down in world building, but as a reader I require at least fragments of explanation that I can reasonably peice together. Say, what are demons in this universe, and what are zombies? Where does Maxine come from and how exactly does she go about her calling? Who is Grant, why are they together, where do his powers come from? I feel like this story needed a prequel or an origin story to answer the question of who are these people and why should I care. The style reflects this lack of useful information. There are a lot of abrupt statements and sentence fragments.
Fantasy readers are used to dealing with questions that go unanswered for most of the book, and yes part of the fun is figuring it all out. But this has it's limits. I didn't finish this book because I didn't feel attached to the characters at all. I don't plan on continuing with the series.
I was very excited to read this book because I read a smaller story about the same characters in Inked. Unfortunately, this is a book I had previously tried to read, but the author meandered around with the story so much that I'd lost interest and didn't finish the book. Motivated by the better (2nd story) I got to the end and found out how Maxine Kiss got what started as a ring on her finger. Marjorie Lius storytelling really benefits when she lets someone edit her meanderings. I enjoyed her demon tattoo characters, but the story, not so much.
I really did like this book, as i love reading this genre. I dont really care that much for any intense romance,like more of the thriller/mystic, so this book was fine with me in its content. But I do admit it was a little different than the urban fanatasies i usually read....however am looking forward to reading her next two in the series...
The Iron hunt ok, so there is a first book, wish I knew that !!!! this one was soooo confusing and I just wanted it to hurry & make sense. It never did.
very dissapointed with the time wasted. sure read the 1st book before you try this one.
very dissapointed with the time wasted. sure read the 1st book before you try this one.
A new twist on the paranormal protector theme--worse than werewolves or vampires--demons preying on humanity!
From back cover: Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities...tattoos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.
I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss.
By day, her tattos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own-demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. It's the only way to live, and the very way she'll die. For one day her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival--leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies. But such is the way of Earth's last protector--the only one standing between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veil. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment--and one man--changes everything.
From back cover: Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities...tattoos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.
I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss.
By day, her tattos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own-demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. It's the only way to live, and the very way she'll die. For one day her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival--leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies. But such is the way of Earth's last protector--the only one standing between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veil. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment--and one man--changes everything.
This first book of Hunter Kiss lets us get acquainted with the woman who fights demons but also wears her own demons in the form of tattoos. We learn about her mother and a family tradition.
I wanted to love this book, but I spent the first half wondering if there was an introduction, maybe a short story in an anthology, that I'd missed. Then the story really got rolling and while it has a good premise, the main character spends A LOT of time being introduced to new characters, nearly all of whom know more about what's going on than she does and none of whom will ever answer a question directly. Some of this in a novel is intriguing and gets a reader thinking, too much is just plain frustrating. This was a little too much in my opinion.
I imagine I will eventually try the next book in the series to see if Liu has worked out the kinks, but I won't be waiting out in front of the bookstore for it.
I imagine I will eventually try the next book in the series to see if Liu has worked out the kinks, but I won't be waiting out in front of the bookstore for it.
I can't really say whether I liked this or not. It was really bizarre and at times seemed to just ramble with no direction. The story was hard to follow as it was just too abstract. Not enough information was given as to what the heck was going on. Though I really liked "the boys" - these demons were cool. They ate tools and teddy bears. How cool is that?
I havent' decided whether I'm going to read book 2. I did like Maxine Kiss and Grant and especially Byron. Heck I even liked Tracker and Oturu. Hell, I guess I did like it after all. Maybe I will read book 2.
I havent' decided whether I'm going to read book 2. I did like Maxine Kiss and Grant and especially Byron. Heck I even liked Tracker and Oturu. Hell, I guess I did like it after all. Maybe I will read book 2.
I was not really thrilled with this book. It went from one problem to another, which is fine, but it was boring and confusing even if you read the book "Wild Thing" with the being of the story. I also wasn't thrilled with the story being told in first person. Liu's idea about tattoo demons is awesome, but it needed more. I seriously don't know what Liu was thinking. For get this series and go for her "Dirk and Steel" series. That is a series that won't disappoint.
The premise of the story caused me to buy this book, but it fell short of the mark. There is so much information that it becomes confusing and hard to keep in order. I'll try the next and see if the series improves.
looks like a new series from liu thats different from her previous works
I did not like this book at all, the writing left me cold & I didn't like the main character. I probably won't read anything else by this author again.
