Shadowfae

August 3, 2009
In the intriguingly dark version of modern Melbourne depicted in Hayes's debut, succubi and incubi tempt mortals with erotic rapture; vampiric mob families war over territory and women; and fairies are dying of an unknown cause. Succubus Jade and incubus Rajahni Seth, both in thrall to a demon lord for 1,000 years, discover a way to escape, but as they compete to collect the soul needed for their separate spells, they discover they're falling in love. The numerous erotic scenes are compellingly emotional and intense, and are perfectly in place as a plot about sexual predators develops. Urban fantasy readers will love the atmosphere, but not the rules of soul collecting and demon serving, which seem confusing and incongruous, or the centuries-old characters who act like jealous 20-somethings without perspective, maturity or patience.

August 15, 2009
Debut urban-fantasy series that readers would do best to avoid.

Jade, a succubus, is a slave to the demon lord Kane, who makes her suck out the souls of his enemies. On a job, she runs into Rajah, a stunningly attractive male incubus, and soon becomes wrapped up in a convoluted soul-stealing plot that could free her from Kane's clutches. The creatures here—ranging from fairies, banshees and Mafia-style vampires in Melbourne, Australia—are plentiful if not especially original. More original, and extremely unfortunate, is the author's compulsion to show her characters in practically every scene either having sex—incredibly explicit, purple-prose sex—or at least thinking about it. Comically over-the-top passages abound:"Sexual energy glimmered off him in waves like a heat haze, his eyes glowing with desire, his ripe lips parted and wet";"Our spirits mixed, melded, rolled together in a breathless, loving surge." Hayes' preoccupation with bodily fluids can be outright nauseating: at the climax of the novel, one character vomits liquid into another's mouth.

Definitely not for everyone—and hopefully not for anyone.

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September 15, 2009
Melbourne's hidden world of supernaturals includes vampire mobsters, demon crime lords, troll bouncers, and glitteringly brittle fairies. When Jade, a succubus in thrall to a sadistic demon, seeks her freedom, she risks not only her life but the possibility of love with the one person who could deny her the thing she wants most. Australian author Hayes's debut and series opener exemplifies erotic urban fantasy at its most visceral, illuminating the splendor and squalor of life on the edge. VERDICT Fans of Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry novels and Caitlin Kittredge Nocturne City books should enjoy this tale of sex, violence, and the supernatural, but it may be a little too graphic for those who enjoy more romantic urban fantasy.

Copyright 2009 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.