Finally! A Keeper

I started Kim Harrison's Dead Witch Walking for Keishon's TBR challenge. She suggested that I keep the book until October when it's paranormal month. Since I have a ton of paranormal in the TBR pile I decided to keep reading. I'm pretty sure this book would be from the fantasy genre but, I found it in the straight fiction area. Whatever. I'm just glad I finally read it!

Main character Rachel is a runner for Inderland Security. Basically, there was a plague caused by bio-engineering tomatoes that wiped out a good portion of the human population. At this vulnerable point human's discovered that there really were such things as vamps, weres and witches (and a whole bunch of other stuff) because they were all immune to the plague. Inderland Security is basically a gov't agency that employs vamps, weres and witches etc. to catch those who are unlawfull. I'm not really sure who decides what is right and not but, what the hell, I'm in.

The beginning is slow going because let's face it, there is some serious world building going on. Also, you have to meet all the characters, Ivy a living vamp (born vampire and has soul) Jenks (a pixie with a wife and brood of kids - don't worry the kids are just backdrops) and a bunch of others that have to be met and dealt with. Oh, and Rachel is a white witch - does only safe magic - no deaths needed to cast a spell.

What was so refreshing about this book is that the main character does not know everything. It was the rush I got the very first time I read Laurell K Hamilton. The feeling that you knew the character was flying by the seat of their pants and in all honesty, Rachel was flying! To the point that even the reader is thinking, 'are you nuts!?' That is the only place you could even compare LKH to Harrison. Rachel makes mistakes and doesn't have all the answers which is nice because who does? As for kick-ass, this heroine is more my speed. Someone who can take care of themselves (for the most part) and aren't taking themselves too seriously. Rachel can accept a helping hand without going all fem-acho (?).

Not only that but Harrison gives her character some humour. I was pleased to discover just how funny Rachel and Jenks could be. There's no deep eerie soul searching and thoughts of 'what am I?' although I imagine if we were in Ivy's head there would be a lot of that.

Another great thing is that I didn't notice this book was in first person. I didn't notice. I hate first person as a rule but maybe that only has to do with romances. I say that because I went into this book expecting it to be just fiction, no romance or anything so I guess I had no preconcieved notions about it.

I don't want to say too much about the plot because I hate spoilers and don't want to spoil it for someone else. Let's just say there is so much going on that I am grateful I don't have to wait for the next book in the series because it is already out!

For those who don't know my tastes, I didn't get Kelly Armstrong's Bitten but then I think I may have approached it as a romance. I just don't get the love for this author. I have not read any more books by her but I have one in the TBR pile - hello October. I also tried to read Charlaine Harris' first book and didn't get very far (I got bored). I was a huge fan of LKH until book 10 and yeah, that's about it on my trip through fiction land. Oh, I have read a Jim Butcher but, meh. I think it might have to do with the main character being male. Just can't relate.

I am such a happy camper right now and it is quarter to six in the morning and I don't know whether my crappy bookstores will have these books in stock or not! But then, it is now officially Thursday morning and there is no way Amazon or Chapters would be able to ship these books out to me by the weekend. Not that I should read these back to back. I should really read something else now, right? Still, I like to have the books in my possession so that at any time I can pick it up. Looks like I get to spend some time in the bookstores today. Ohhh, and it's payday, lucky me!