Review: Vicious Grace

Sometimes over the course of a series, you think you've got things figured out. When I started this book, I knew who I thought Jayné was and was not supposed to be with; I thought I knew there was more to that tattoo than a drunken night of debauchery; and I thought I knew what it meant for Jayné to be the Black Sun's Daughter. But still, I wasn't prepared for how it all went down.

As the story begins, Jayné is happy in love with Aubrey. The two of them are training with Ex and Chogyi Jake, when Aubrey's ex-wife Kim calls for help. Something strange is going on in the hospital where she works and she's out of her depth in how to handle it.

A really long story short, a big bad was trapped beneath the hospital decades ago and now it's on the verge of breaking out. But it seems Jayné's Uncle Eric was actually working to make that happen before he died. Over the course of the book, Jayné learns some shocking truths about Eric. She makes big sacrifices; she suffers loss; and she loses an innocence that she didn't even know she had.

There were a lot of twists and turns. And even when those things I thought I knew came to pass --sort of-- it didn't feel like I expected. It was sadder than I thought it would be and more emotionally resonant. (And I'll admit, there were definitely some developments I never saw coming at all.) There was also a lot of action and some really gripping scenes, especially in the climax at the haunted hospital. Each installment of this series draws me in more and more. 4 1/2 stars.

*Review copy provided by Pocket Books

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Vicious Grace

by MLN Hanover (Daniel Abraham)

Release Date: November 30, 2010

Publisher: Pocket Books