I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Infamous
by
Sherrilyn Kenyon
urban fantasy in Hardcover edition that was published by St. Martin's Griffin on March 13, 2012 and has 468 pages.
Explore it on Goodreads or Amazon
Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Blood Trinity, Man of My Dreams, Invincible, Born of Shadows, Retribution, Big Guns Out of Uniform, Tapestry, Deadly Promises, In Other Worlds, Dream Warrior, "One BAD Night", Dark Side of the Moon, Alterant, The Guardian, Whispered Lies, Born of Silence, Aftertaste, The Curse, Inferno, Rise of the Gryphon, Styxx, Dangerous Women, Son of No One, Dragonbane, Born of Vengeance, Deadmen Walking, Stygian
Third in the Chronicles of Nick urban fantasy series for young adults focuses on Nick Gautier as a child. (Sort of runs parallel with the Dark-Hunters series.)
My Take
The theme song here is of fighting and love. All within the ADD of teen hormones and Malachai tendencies with an interesting exploration of the effects of love which helps Nick figure out how to combat his own demonic nature. He also starts to learn to stand up for himself. Especially with his mother! And about time.
Maybe Nick was “conceived in violence to do violence”; a heavy birthright to combat — and it does provides new insight to his mom as well as to his own destiny — but he’s also the first Malachai raised with love.
Then there’s his father’s — Adarian’s — intentions and Nick’s own “predestined” future — with a big target on his back. And why Adarian has chosen to stay in jail…even manufacturing incidents to ensure his stay…for all that angst, anger, etc.
That Nick is such a crackup! I did enjoy his taunting of his teacher as he tries out the new magic — silkspeech — to which Grim has introduced him. Oh, and then he comes up with such sweet things to say when he puts Jill down for gossiping!
“She smiled. “If you say so. I don’t know her well enough to comment.”
“Then you don’t know here well enough to carry a rumor that is completely untrue.”
Very nice life goal: Nick wants to be a lawyer…it’s the warrior side in him coming out.
Nick finds out how very many friends he has when he’s in the hospital and again when he’s accused of rape.
It’s from one end of the spectrum to the other: it takes hospitalization and a false accusation for Nick to learn how very many friends he has, and, he meets his grandparents and they suck big time. Talk about rude, disgusting and, did I say, RUDE. I wanna smack ’em. How incredibly obnoxious they are@!#!
The Story
While kids at school are getting their secrets outed on a vicious website with their faces photoshopped into disgusting sex acts, and the demons are fixing on Nick’s position.
The Characters
Nick Gautier is 14 in this installment, and he’s just learned he’s a Malachai demon destined to destroy the world. And Cajun on his momma’s side. Huh…and he thought he was simply a teenager. With a mom — Cherise Gautier — who never listens to him and always jumps to the wrong conclusions. Menyara is an old friend of his mother’s who has been very supportive from the start. Ambrose is a very close relation.
St. Richard’s is…
…an elitist school. Brynna Adams was one of Nick’s first friends at St. Richards. Madaug St. James is another friend of Nick’s and is computer-brilliant. A little too brilliant sometimes.
Nekoda Kennedy and Caleb Malphas (a mid-level daeva demon but with far greater powers) are posing as students so they can protect Nick and/or the world. Each has their own agenda and individual bosses. Who themselves have their own agendas. Kody is also Nick’s girlfriend. Her boss is Sraosha. Caleb slipped up and did something that has damned him to work as a slave demon for Adarian.
Stone Blakemore is one of the bullies at school who is always picking on Nick. He’s also a werewolf. Casey Woods is Stone’s on-again, off-again girlfriend who has her sights set on Nick. Mason is one of Stone’s friends. Jill and Joey Becker are new students with an unexpected connection to Nick. Dina Quattlebaum is another student.
Adarian wants his son well-trained in his powers because he has some very final plans for Nick. Thankfully, he won’t allow Grim to kill Cherise. Noir is the demon whose leash Adarian slipped and he’s been hunting for Nick; he’s one of three who created the Malachai as a counterpoint to the Sephiroth army. Jared is the Sephiroth representative as Nick is the Malachai.
Kryian Hunter is a Dark-Hunter who has employed Nick to do odd jobs for him. And whom his mom thinks is a drug dealer. Acheron is the go-to guy in the Dark-Hunter series. The Boss. The Man In Charge. And Nick’s friend. Simi shows up for a cameo. Virgil Ward is a vampire attorney. Artemis is the goddess who creates the Dark Hunters.
Michael “Bubba” Burdette runs a computer-gun store and a server farm in the back room. And, hoo boy, has this boy got a backstory! Turns out that Bubba’s mama is a world-renowned doctor, Dr. Bobbi Jean Burdette, AND a friend of Cherise’s. Mark is his too-goofy partner with a preference for hiding behind duck urine
Grim Reaper has been hired to teach Nick how to use his powers. Only, it’s not as benign as I’ve thought…
Aimee, Dev, Cherif, and Quinn are ursine shifter siblings at Sanctuary. Wren is a tigard and hanging out as a busboy at Sanctuary.
Asmodeus, Thorn, and Bane (Pestilence of the Four Horsemen and a friend of Grim’s) help Nick when he inadvertently shows up in Azmodea.
The Cover and Title
The cover is GREEN! It’s a sulky looking Nick in a hoodie with some sort of shield projected onto his chest and the book’s title centered within.
And Nick is Infamous throughout their world for his true identity.
