Skinwalker

dnf

The first 30 to 40 pages were a little bit rough but after that I got used to the writing style and the narrative. I really enjoyed this one and I'm hoping to continue with the series soon.

This book has the feel of a Mercy Thompson novel, and it gets many things right. The things it get right are not exceptional, but they are entertaining nonetheless, since the PNR genre is sorely lacking in good writing.

The heroine is a typical badass vampire hunter, stronger and faster then vampires even. She is not entirely human, and even among her kind, which there seems to be none, she is special. She has the spirit of a mystical being residing inside her, which makes her extraordinarily good at her job.

The narrative has a sobering feel. The author develops each character just enough to make them feel a little more then pieces of writing in a paper. The protagonist is intelligent, for instance, the scenes where she managed to keep some of her weapons even after close inspection. Also, she immediately looked for hidden cameras when she arrived at her employer given residency.

Jane goes right into business, first scoping the local area, then trying to establish contacts who could her her in her investigation.

BUT, all of this falls flat by the incredibly overly descriptive writing. Jane's introspective narration even when she shapeshifts, takes pages and pages away from a good plot or character development. It adds nothing to the book. Empathy can be established with a few words.

This felt more like the author was in a writing challenge, trying to hone in her scene description skills. And they aren't very good either.

Add to that very quickly her love interest was introduced in the plot, and he is the typical alpha male, good looking, scoundrel, no woman has ever rejected, cowboy style bad boy.

At leats up until I read, nothing was indicating that this is just a cheap excuse for smutty romance.

read 2:06 / 14:00 15%

egad
glad that's over

I really liked this. Jane and Beast are fascinating characters and the story's fast paced and exciting.

Hired to hunt a killer of vampires, Jane Yellowrock hopes to kill it before it kills her.

Jane Yellowrock pulls into New Orleans looking for a killer. Hired by the local vampire clan to kill whomever or whatever is killing vampires, she begins the hunt. Jane can turn into any animal she wants to. Before long she is on the trail of the killer and it leads right back to her door.

Jane is staying at one of the local vampire brothels. She has a shadow who wants to “help” with the case. The head of the vampire clan is keeping close tabs on her. Someone keeps putting cameras everywhere. Oh and the killer just paid a visit to the brothel and sliced and diced some people.

Jane is looking for answers and she is not liking the responses.

I have to thank Karen for hooking me on to Faith Hunter and the “Jane Yellowrock” series. Karen got me the first book in the series Skinwalker (Ace Books, 9780451462800, 2009) and I am hooked. If you like Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake, then you will like Jane Yellowrock. Yellowrock does not have all of the sex that Blake has (she has none), but the attitude and conundrums are the same.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the interaction between Jane and her Beast. The mystery of who Jane is, and her path of self-discovery. Her chemistry with Leo, Bruiser, and Rick is tantalizing. I think Jodi and Jane could make good friends if Jane allows it. I also think that it will be fun to see what happens down the road with the lady vampire. (giggle)

I cannot wait to read the next one. Thanks again to Karen for introducing me to Faith Hunter and Jane Yellowrock. I now have another strong heroine to add to my collection. ✶✶✶✶

What to say about this book... while it is more Urban Fantasy than PNR, it still had some PNR vibes because of her reaction to guys and how the guys all seem into her.
But, she is so kickass! I love that she is learning more about her heritage and herself. She is a grey character– not entirely good, not entirely bad. I also like that things don't just happen to her to make the story progress, she actively searches for clues and tries putting things together into something that will makes sense.

Yet, the writing isn't totally for me. For some reason I wasn't completely into this story. I'm interested enough in the world to keep going in this series. Just... ‘skinwalker' totally rubs me the wrong way and some of the other things brought up.

DNF

This book has been on my to be read list for quite a while. I loved it! It worked out that I waited so long to read it, because now there are quite a few more in the series for me to read. Yay! Jane Yellowrock was hired by the vampire council in New Orleans to kill a rogue vampire terrorizing the city. It feeds on humans AND vampires, so is it a rogue? Or something else?

Absolutely amazing! Amazing character development, amazing world-building, awesome plot. Just the type of main character that I like to read about–kickass female with amazing abilities with a mystery to her heritage and unfathomable skills.

I've had this book for a while and finally got around to reading it. I'm sorry I waited so long. I want to read the next asap.

Well Faith Hunter, you have my attention. In my quest for new Urban Fantasy to read, I stumbled across Jane Yellowrock's series. It sat on my to-be-read pile for ages, and now I fully regret not getting to this book sooner. Skinwalker is the whole package. A shapeshifting, half-Cherokee, snarky and kick-ass heroine? Yes please! For the love of all things bookish, yes please.

I'm totally a Jane Yellowrock fan now. Her character somehow manages to walk that line between being too cocky, and being just sarcastic enough to keep things fresh. Jane is intelligent. She's funny. She doesn't let any man tell her what to do. In fact, that's what I loved most of all! A lot of UF has a heavy focus on romance. This book fights those rules. Jane is single, and she's not looking to change that anytime soon. Oh, and did I mention she rides a motorcycle? My kind of girl!

Jane shares her body with Beast, the main form she shifts into. Beast is a predator. A big cat who, while her mind is more simplistic than Jane's, is extremely intelligent and therefore just as dangerous. I liked being in Beast's head. Her thoughts were clear, and the perfect way to see further into the mystery of the rogue vampire that Jane was hunting. I will say that after finishing this book, I think I'll read the next one rather than listen to the audio book. I feel like Beast's thoughts would be better on paper.

I loved that this book was set against the vibrant backdrop of New Orleans. What better place for ages old magic than a city who pulses with the stuff? Good music, good food, and vampires. Who needs anything more? Jane's story flew by as I watched her navigate the city, meet the locals, and hunt down the rogue. This was a great start to a new series! I'm eager for the next book to be in my hands.

Fantastic book. I felt a little iffy at the beginning, but it was just a bit of a rough start. By the middle I couldn't put it down. Extremely engaging and a fun world.