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The Cold Kiss of Death
It is part of the Spellcrackers.com #2 series and is a in Hardcover edition on July 16, 2009 and has 352 pages.
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Other books in this series include [books_series]
Second in the Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy series revolving around a sidhe fae with an unusual disability.
My Take
It’s a fascinating premise with lots of action. I do, however, understand why McLeod’s series isn’t more available or popular as she leaves the reader (me!) hanging and clueless on so many points. We still don’t know what hold Bastien had over Gen’s parents. If the tradition on changelings goes back to Boadicea, then why is Queen Victoria the one mentioned as though she were the first? Where did the snakes come from?
Then there’s Genny’s stupidity. She keeps dropping herself into dumb situations although the reason she has survived so far does become clear. At least this time, McLeod wasn’t going on about bacon. For all her supposed smarts, Gen lets her blood be taken by a stranger? I can’t believe Genny hasn’t put effort into countering the vampires’ mesma.
Her relationship with Malik is not as titillating as I think McLeod wants us to feel. I do feel sorry for Malik because he does seem to want her, but only if she actually wants him back. In spite of his actions, he’s a vampire with morals. Who knew?
Yeah, there’s a scene where the Earl appears!! Eek… And, we get more data on Genny’s prince. The one from whom she ran?? With excellent reason!
Oooh, clever how McLeod gets Genny to warn Malik.
Oh boy, this whole body/soul swap is too complicated for me.
Eeek, nasty distinction between demon choices and????
The Story
Seems there is quite a bit of information no one thought to pass on to Genny, and she keeps stumbling from one disaster to another.
The vampires have learned about Genny’s condition and they’re all anxious to tap that lode. Then there’s the fae with their own acquisitive, lusty eye on her. And everyone thinks that Rosa owns her.
The Characters
Genevieve Taylor is half-fae, half-human, and infected with 3V making her a vampire as well (?). She ran away on her wedding day at 14 years of age and has been in hiding ever since. Rosa is a vampire whose persona and aspect Genny takes on when she needs to feed. Seems there’s more to that spell than the Ancient One claimed. Nor does anyone but Malik appear to appreciate Rosa. Finn Panos is a satyr and Genny’s boss over at Spellcrackers.com. He has an underlying motive, but seems sincere. Only time will tell. Dr. Grace is with the Human, Other, and Preternatural Ethical Society (HOPE), a clinic that treats Vampire Venom and 3V as well as anyone caught out by magic.
Malik al-Khan is a revenant vampire and has been plotting to steal her from Bastien since Genny was four.
Cosette is the ghost of a young girl haunting Genny. Ex-Police Constable Janet Sims is reduced to mall security after her shenanigans in Sweet Scent of Blood. She’s harboring a great deal of resentment toward Genny and it comes out in some unexpected ways. She’s Witch Wilcox’s granddaughter.
Mr. Travers is a troll and the landlord of Genny’s building. He’s on her side, but Witch Wilcox has a great deal of influence. And a nasty vamp Back-Off spell. Hannah Ashby is an accountant by day and a vamp-flunky all the time. She’s another with her own nasty agenda. Sweet on the outside, but watch your back. Darius is her new vamp pet whom she keeps throwing at everyone. Tomas Eriksen is the baker Genny is accused of murdering. Dr. Joseph Wainwright is one of Malik’s friends. He’s helping Genny recover from the bakery explosion. Another with hidden secrets. Lots of ’em.
Detective Inspector Helen Crane is also a witch with a major hate on for Genny. Mostly because Finn is interested in her. She’s a pretty lousy detective with those blinders on.
Bobby is Mr. October, the previous story’s victim who is caring for his dad trapped in a coma from Sweet Scent of Blood. Tavish is a kelpie, has a history with Genny, and is a whiz on the computer. Skills he may use to help clear Genny. It seems that Tavish, the Soul taster, also have more than a nodding acquaintance with a number of the men in Genny’s life. He’s also in charge of one of the four Gates from the Fairy Lands. Neil Banner is a Souler and a necromancer with his own secrets.
Ladies Isabelle and Meriel rule a number of the fae in London. Grianne is a phouka, and while she hates Genny, they have been working together to rescue faelings. The queen of the Fairy Lands has also been protecting her from the babymaking until Gen was 23 when the fae thought Tavish was courting her. Then working for the witches brought her under their protection. Moth-girl, a.k.a., Sharon, is a present to Gen. Only Genny misinterprets the type of present she is.
The droch guidhe is a fae curse laid by the sidhe queen which prevents the London fae from reproducing. The only way to break it is if a London fae has a child with a sidhe. And they all believe that London fae is Genny.
There are four vampire families in London who seem to owe allegiance to Bastien, the Autarch and Gen’s prospective, sadistic, vampire husband from whom she ran and includes the Golden Blade family led by the vicious, human-hating Elizabetta while the Red Shamrock is led by Declan (and helped by his brothers Patrick and Seamus) who is Bobby’s master; Fiona is a nasty human clairvoyant who runs Declan’s pub. The Blue Heart and the White Diamond (Genny’s family line) are the remaining two.
The Cover and Title
The cover is black with a warm brown silhouette of a tree in the night and Genny’s concerned, cat-eyed face floating in the sky.
The title is too accurate as it’s The Cold Kiss of Death for Genny several times.
