Publication Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Kensington Publishing
Imprint: Zebra
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Pages: 336
ISBN-10: 142012403X
ISBN-13: 978-1420124033
(Received for an honest review from Kensington Zebra )
Purchase: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, IndieBound
Jess Haines on the WEB: Website, Blog, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads
Books in the series:
Hunted by the Others (2010), Taken by the Others (2011), Deceived by the Others (2011), Stalking the Others (2012), Forsaken by the Others (2013)
Coverart: Click the image for a larger, clearer view of the covers in this series.
Excerpt from Forsaken by the Others, courtesy of Amazon's Look Inside feature.
Synopsis:
Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head...and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town - namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who'd like to turn her into a chew toy. On Royce's suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten-literally-in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them-and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge...
Thoughts:
Forsaken by the Others is the fifth book in the H & W Investigations urban fantasy series by Jess Haines. Urban fantasy fans will love protagonist, Shiarra Waynest and her eclectic group of friends. You have everything from werewolves and vampires to zombies in this one. It is somewhat of a departure from previous books in the series and sets a different tone for Shia. With quick wit and a bit of sarcastic humor, Haines has created a strong heroine with a knack for making sketchy decisions. Forsaken by the Others is not what you might expect and could prove a new direction for the series and for Shia.
This is one of those urban fantasy series that I was able to start from the beginning. Readers who are fans of the series have watched Shiarra Waynest develop and change. There are certain things about her character that have remained the same though, her stubbornness and her ability to make bad decisions. As a heroine Shia doesn't always think things through and that has gotten her into a lot trouble. In Forsaken by the Others she must leave her home and everything she is used to because she has several factions of people looking to do her harm. Haines uses this opportunity to change the pace of the series. To be honest I'm not too sure it's a change I like.
Personally, I would have liked to see where Shia's relationship with Alec would go, after the events of the last book, Stalking the Others. They have had this cat and mouse banter and attraction going on even from the first book and it was nice to see them finally give in to that passion in the last book. I expected things to kind of pick up from there and that there would either be more of the same or Shia would decide it was a bad idea. Unfortunately, readers get none of that here. Shiarra and her partner are sent across the country from Alec and there is little to no interaction with between Shia and Alec. That was a bit disappointing.
Also in this one Alec takes on a different kind of demeanor. Always before he has seemed in control, on top of things and very intimidating. In Forsaken by the Others, he takes a back seat. He doesn't seem to be aware of things going on beyond his territory and in so doing, he puts Shia in danger. Did he do it on purpose? Did he just not care? Or was he just oblivious. I'm not sure. I have always liked his character even though he wasn't exactly a good guy. That alpha male attitude is attractive. I wanted a lot more of him in this book. The old Alec, not the one we get here.
I'm not saying this was a terrible book. In fact it was quite good. The action was realistic and interesting and readers continue to see how Shia is being transformed. As per usual, she still can't seem to make the right decisions, but that is part of her charm so to speak. If she did the right thing all the time she would be a whole lot less interesting. I just found myself wishing she hadn't gone so far away. I'm not sure I like this direction. I hope that Haines goes back to the old Alec in the next book. Forsaken by the Others ends with an unexpected cliffhanger. I definitely will read the next one. I hope that the changes Haines is making will level out and the heart of the story returns to center in book six.
Forsaken by the Others is available NOW from your favorite bookseller.
I'm giving this one 4 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
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