Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
Orbit (2009), Edition: Reprint, 368 pages
Description
I'm Jaz Parks. My boss is Vayl, born in Romania in 1744. Died there too, at the hand of his vampire wife, Liliana. But that's ancient history. For the moment Vayl works for the C.I.A. doing what he does best--assassination. And I help. You could say I'm an Assistant Assassin. But then I'd have to kick your ass.Our current assignment seemed easy. Get close to a Miami plastic surgeon named Assan, a charmer with ties to terrorism that run deeper than a buried body. Find out what he's meeting with that can help him and his comrades bring America to her knees. And then close his beady little eyes forever. Why is it that nothing's ever as easy as it seems?
User reviews
LibraryThing member dk_phoenix
Well... er... at least it's over? Oh wait, no, there are at least 3 more books in the series. Blarg.
Let me put it this way: The author tries too hard, the characters are unlikable and undeveloped, the plot and worldbuilding is inconsistent (where it exists, mind you), and the logic is sometimes...
Because I picked it up telling myself: "And now I am going to read some crap, just because I feel like it. And not good crap, either." Turns out I was right. I don't think I'll be looking for any other books in this series... there are just too many other good books out there to bother with something this mediocre.
Let me put it this way: The author tries too hard, the characters are unlikable and undeveloped, the plot and worldbuilding is inconsistent (where it exists, mind you), and the logic is sometimes...
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jumpy, at best. So, why did I bother to read past the second page?Because I picked it up telling myself: "And now I am going to read some crap, just because I feel like it. And not good crap, either." Turns out I was right. I don't think I'll be looking for any other books in this series... there are just too many other good books out there to bother with something this mediocre.
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LibraryThing member amf0001
Fun urban fantasy/vampire book. Jaz Parks is a good heroine, snappy, fearing for her sanity, has a crush on her vampire boss. It all got a bit too neat at the end, with the band of strangers pulling together to become this fighting machine/team, but the start was great. A freshish voice in a
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crowded genre, I'm definitely buying the next one. Show Less
LibraryThing member TadAD
Shallow characters and plot.
LibraryThing member BookWhisperer
AWESOME BOOK, DEFINITE MUST READ. I was engrossed in this book from page one. I love the main characters witty sense of humor, it has me laughing all the way through. Jaz and Vayl romance is one that lacks action, but not suspense. Jennifer Rardin adds just enough interaction that you continue
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reading craving for more. I will definitely continue through this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member magemanda
In a genre that contains such heavy-hitters as Kelley Armstrong and Kim Harrison, Jennifer Rardin's debut novel is heralded as a fresh new take on the 'paranormal fantasy' (or whatever tag it is going by these days!) spectrum.
Indeed, the idea that the main character is a CIA operative is
In fact, the whole story invites you to cling onto a *very* bumpy ride and either hold on or slide off. Unfortunately for Rardin, I've decided to quit this ride on the first book and here are my reasons.
The pace is frenetic - in fact, too much so. There is no breathing space, no time to effectively build the characters, no pause from the constant action to really get a feel for the world we're supposed to believe in here.
Supernatural elements are thrown in without a full consideration of world-building, and characters suddenly develop new tricks without any true reasons being given.
The book tries far too hard to be funny and misses on most occasions: "Oh boy. I'm in smart-ass mode and Vayl wants to break his ex's neck. If we don't play this right, they'll be scraping parts of us off the bumpers of these cars for days."
Jaz is heralded as a sassy, spunky CIA operative. However, she is also held up to be a delicate-looking, beautiful redhead who, it seems, would be incapable of extricating herself out of the many, many dangerous situations her smart mouth seems determined to place her in. She is a loose cannon, and it becomes tiring to see that her only answer to everything is a wiseass comment and the threat of violence. I was also disconcerted by the fact she kisses a person she has only just met - there was no reason for this given.
I struggled with the, at times, distinctly odd prose and similies. For instance: "In the silence, the banging of our bumper took centre stage like an American Idol loser" - this just makes very little sense. Add to that: "Vayl made a sound in the back of his throat, a primal distress signal, the kind you might hear from elephants as they mourn over the bones of lost brothers." This is a vampire we're talking about - a sleek, killing machine and the animal Rardin associates with him is an elephant? And which elephants actually do mourn over the bones of lost brothers? The writing stank, to be perfectly honest.
Altogether a hugely disappointing read.
Indeed, the idea that the main character is a CIA operative is
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intriguing, and the vamp/supernatural elements of the story are dropped in without any painful info-dumps or unnecessary explanations. In fact, the whole story invites you to cling onto a *very* bumpy ride and either hold on or slide off. Unfortunately for Rardin, I've decided to quit this ride on the first book and here are my reasons.
The pace is frenetic - in fact, too much so. There is no breathing space, no time to effectively build the characters, no pause from the constant action to really get a feel for the world we're supposed to believe in here.
Supernatural elements are thrown in without a full consideration of world-building, and characters suddenly develop new tricks without any true reasons being given.
The book tries far too hard to be funny and misses on most occasions: "Oh boy. I'm in smart-ass mode and Vayl wants to break his ex's neck. If we don't play this right, they'll be scraping parts of us off the bumpers of these cars for days."
Jaz is heralded as a sassy, spunky CIA operative. However, she is also held up to be a delicate-looking, beautiful redhead who, it seems, would be incapable of extricating herself out of the many, many dangerous situations her smart mouth seems determined to place her in. She is a loose cannon, and it becomes tiring to see that her only answer to everything is a wiseass comment and the threat of violence. I was also disconcerted by the fact she kisses a person she has only just met - there was no reason for this given.
I struggled with the, at times, distinctly odd prose and similies. For instance: "In the silence, the banging of our bumper took centre stage like an American Idol loser" - this just makes very little sense. Add to that: "Vayl made a sound in the back of his throat, a primal distress signal, the kind you might hear from elephants as they mourn over the bones of lost brothers." This is a vampire we're talking about - a sleek, killing machine and the animal Rardin associates with him is an elephant? And which elephants actually do mourn over the bones of lost brothers? The writing stank, to be perfectly honest.
Altogether a hugely disappointing read.
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LibraryThing member TheLibraryhag
In this first book of the series, Jaz Parks is a CIA hitperson teamed with an ancient vampire. Their assignment is to eliminate a Miami plastic surgeon with links to terrorism and the supernatural. Before they can accomplish this goal, complications arise and the plot thickens rapidly.
This book is
This book is
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almost chicklit but not quite. Jaz is very funny and I could not help comparing her to Janet' Evanovich's Stephanie Plum but Jaz is actually competent and deadly. I know it sounds odd but it works. The cast of characters are great and you get to know them pretty quickly. I am already on the hold list for the second in the series. Show Less
LibraryThing member hagelrat
really enjoyable and well written with great characters. A little too mystical in some places and some of the geek gadgets seemed unlikely . Generally a really good read though.
LibraryThing member Jacey25
Once Bitten, Twice Shy is about the super secret CIA team of Jaz, a young woman with a lot of baggage and a black cloud over her, & Vayl, a centuries old kick butt vampire, who have been assigned to neutralize a plastic surgeon who has been sending money to terrorist operations. This is one of
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those books I've seen many times but thought it didn't sound right for me, if you're in the same boat I reccomend you pick it up and give it a try. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book despite being so not into spy, CIA type ideas. The Jaz Parks series thus far is good fun- reccomended. Show Less
LibraryThing member littleflwers
Basic story line - Jaz Parks is a gov. agent. She is paired up with a 300 year old vampire by the name of Vayl. They are after a immortal named Assan who is about to set loose a deadly virus. I was excited to finally get this book albiet in Kindle edition, but after reading it, I wonder what all
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the fuss was about. I didn't find the characters all that interesting. I tired easily of Jaz talking or thinking comments to herself. I didn't really feel Vayl was given any real characteristics that stood out. The story was pretty basic, nothing really new there. All in all this book just didn't do anything for me. It was tiresome to just read it. When I finally finished I felt so much more could have been done to make this a bettter read. Show Less
LibraryThing member Midnightshadow
I found the three first books in the Jaz Parks series in a thrift shop where I usually go. I read on the back of one of them but was mostly caught by the pretty covers. Since they were insanely cheap I decided to buy all three and give them a chance.
The basic idea about the first book is that we
I've not decided whether or not I want to read the two other books yet but this book is fine for taking to the beach or anywhere else if you want something that's easy to read and that doesn't move you or make you think.
The basic idea about the first book is that we
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meet the female investigator Jaz Parks and her partner Vayl (who happends to be a vampire). The book was described as a 'fantasy version of Bond'. Ehm.. I think it is more related to Charmed or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The language is pretty bland but the story was interesting enough if you like action and crime related books. I've not decided whether or not I want to read the two other books yet but this book is fine for taking to the beach or anywhere else if you want something that's easy to read and that doesn't move you or make you think.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
Jaz Parks is partnered with Vayl, a vampire from Romania. They work for the CIA as assassins. They work with each other to chase paranormal enemies. Both of them have secrets and these secrets are about to come home to roost.
Vayl and Jaz are great characters and you can understand some of their
Vayl and Jaz are great characters and you can understand some of their
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reticence about issues. The two of them are great together and really come across as quite believable. I look forward to reading more in this series. Show Less
LibraryThing member sbrew1
Readers Annotation:
After having her entire team killed by vampires years earlier, Jaz is paired with one of the CIA’s best assassins, who also happens to be a vampire. She must learn to overcome her fears and prejudice in order to save the world from a deathly virus.
Plot Summary:
Jaz Parks is a
Evaluation:
I liked Jaz’s character she is sarcastic and strong willed and a very hard core CIA agent. Although I don’t like to compare authors, it is hard not to compare this series against the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. It is a funny murder mystery series that happens to have vampires in it. The vampires in this novel are not dark and gothic like traditional vampire tales. Add to this the romance mixed though-out and you have a fun, easy read, that doesn’t take a lot of thought. Ages: 13+/Interests: Murder, Mystery, Vampires, Romance.
*Adult crossover-a book written for adults that teens may appreciate.
After having her entire team killed by vampires years earlier, Jaz is paired with one of the CIA’s best assassins, who also happens to be a vampire. She must learn to overcome her fears and prejudice in order to save the world from a deathly virus.
Plot Summary:
Jaz Parks is a
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CIA agent for the supernatural community, and also what they have termed a Sensitive. A sensitive means that she can "smell" vampires, sense power, and has very accurate intuition. Jaz gets partnered with Val a centuries old vampire. They are given an assignment to take out a terrorist who turns out to be working with a powerful entity everyone thought was just a myth. Together they must unravel a complex mystery in time to save the world from a horrible virus. Evaluation:
I liked Jaz’s character she is sarcastic and strong willed and a very hard core CIA agent. Although I don’t like to compare authors, it is hard not to compare this series against the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. It is a funny murder mystery series that happens to have vampires in it. The vampires in this novel are not dark and gothic like traditional vampire tales. Add to this the romance mixed though-out and you have a fun, easy read, that doesn’t take a lot of thought. Ages: 13+/Interests: Murder, Mystery, Vampires, Romance.
*Adult crossover-a book written for adults that teens may appreciate.
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LibraryThing member elnice
My thoughts...In this installment Jaz and Vayl find themselves surrounded by ghost hunters. I have always thought ghost hunting was interesting so I was immediately drawn into this storyline. Although they are missing some of their team, they still manage to tackle some pretty fierce situations.
The relationship with Jaz and the vampire Vayl continues to develop. This series is so much fun to read, there is something for everyone. Guns, action, paranormals, high-tech gadgets and magic lead the story from beginning to end. The only thing I would like to see are more details. Jennifer does a great job of building up to the love scenes. You can feel the tension between the characters, but then the scenes are skipped. I'm not talking about explicit details, just a peek.
If you haven't read this series yet, I recommend them. If you enjoy stories with tough, kick-butt heroines and sexy vamps, you will not be disappointed.
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This book explains a lot more about Jaz's character. Her Dad tags along with them and I feel like they make some progress in their fragile relationship. The relationship with Jaz and the vampire Vayl continues to develop. This series is so much fun to read, there is something for everyone. Guns, action, paranormals, high-tech gadgets and magic lead the story from beginning to end. The only thing I would like to see are more details. Jennifer does a great job of building up to the love scenes. You can feel the tension between the characters, but then the scenes are skipped. I'm not talking about explicit details, just a peek.
If you haven't read this series yet, I recommend them. If you enjoy stories with tough, kick-butt heroines and sexy vamps, you will not be disappointed.
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LibraryThing member samantha.1020
In Once Bitten, Twice Shy, we meet Jaz Parks who is an assasin for the C.I.A. and is partnered up with a very powerful vampire named Vayl. Their newest assignment is to take out a plastic surgeon who has to ties to a dangerous group of terrorists. But Jaz and Vayl soon find out that their
Will someone please tell me how I have not heard more about this author before?? This book rocked and I was swept away within the story. Jaz is a great main character: she's strong but has her weak points, is a bit haunted, and has a mysterious past (although there is light shed on some of it). And Vayl is just awesome in my opinion. Jaz respects him a lot but can't seem to figure out why he chose her to be his partner. It gives Vayl and his motivations an air of mystery which added to the story. The chemistry between the two is great and makes me really excited to see how their relationship develops further along in the series because right now they are strictly partners. The story was fast paced and exciting and I flew through this book in a matter of days. The storyline itself was original and I found that the details surrounding the ancient evil to be very interesting (I'm not saying any more in fear of spoilers). Suffice it to say that I couldn't get enough of this book while I was reading it and am already itching to get my hands on the 2nd book.
All in all, a promising beginning to a new to me series and a series that I will most definitely be continuing on with. I'd recommend this book to anyone that enjoys urban fantasy or a good paranormal read.
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assignment is more complicated than they thought and before they know it they are up against an ancient evil.Will someone please tell me how I have not heard more about this author before?? This book rocked and I was swept away within the story. Jaz is a great main character: she's strong but has her weak points, is a bit haunted, and has a mysterious past (although there is light shed on some of it). And Vayl is just awesome in my opinion. Jaz respects him a lot but can't seem to figure out why he chose her to be his partner. It gives Vayl and his motivations an air of mystery which added to the story. The chemistry between the two is great and makes me really excited to see how their relationship develops further along in the series because right now they are strictly partners. The story was fast paced and exciting and I flew through this book in a matter of days. The storyline itself was original and I found that the details surrounding the ancient evil to be very interesting (I'm not saying any more in fear of spoilers). Suffice it to say that I couldn't get enough of this book while I was reading it and am already itching to get my hands on the 2nd book.
All in all, a promising beginning to a new to me series and a series that I will most definitely be continuing on with. I'd recommend this book to anyone that enjoys urban fantasy or a good paranormal read.
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LibraryThing member krau0098
This is the first book of the Jaz Parks series by Jennifer Rardin. So far there are 8 books planned for this series. The fifth one comes out Jan '09 and is called "One More Bite". This was a great book.
Describing this book as James Bond meets the supernatural community is definitely accurate. Jaz
Jaz is an amazing character. She is tough, by uses common sense and recognizes her bounds. She accepts the changes in her life and tends not to whine and agonize over them. She is a get-it-done kind of girl, who loves her gadgets, and her hot cars. There is a lot Jaz has to discover about herself; as a Sensitive she doesn't quite know the bounds of her power. She is working on it though and makes leaps and bounds in discovering what she can do in this book.
Vayl is also awesome. He is tough and has some crazy cool vampiric abilities (he is a wraith for goodness sack!); yet he does make mistakes, and he does have that vulnerable side that a good male character needs. We find out some of Vayl's past in this book, but there is a lot more there to uncover.
The writing is very solid. I like the writing style a lot. It is fast-paced, full of awesome action scenes, and cool ideas. The gadgets that Jaz gets to work with are really neat, her gun Grief, is lots of deadly fun, and I just couldn't put this book down.
I bought books 2-4 used before I had read book 1. Now I am glad that I did. I am excited to read the next couple books. So far I think this is going to be an incredible series. I wanted to give it more like 4.5 stars because I think the second book will tell if this is an outstanding series or just another good series in the long line of good paranormal series that are out there.
In summary, I love Jaz, I love Vayl, I love the writing and I am so excited to read more of it! There wasn't a single thing about this book that I didn't love.
Describing this book as James Bond meets the supernatural community is definitely accurate. Jaz
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Parks works for the CIA. 6 months after she starts reporting to her new boss; the group's top assassin, Vayl, requests that Jaz join him as an assistant. What Jaz and Vayl thinks is a typical, kidnap and question the terrorist, kind of gig gets complicated when they find out that the terrorist in question belongs to an underground organization that is aligning itself with the underbelly of the supernatural community in order to unleash a virus deadly to vampire-kind.Jaz is an amazing character. She is tough, by uses common sense and recognizes her bounds. She accepts the changes in her life and tends not to whine and agonize over them. She is a get-it-done kind of girl, who loves her gadgets, and her hot cars. There is a lot Jaz has to discover about herself; as a Sensitive she doesn't quite know the bounds of her power. She is working on it though and makes leaps and bounds in discovering what she can do in this book.
Vayl is also awesome. He is tough and has some crazy cool vampiric abilities (he is a wraith for goodness sack!); yet he does make mistakes, and he does have that vulnerable side that a good male character needs. We find out some of Vayl's past in this book, but there is a lot more there to uncover.
The writing is very solid. I like the writing style a lot. It is fast-paced, full of awesome action scenes, and cool ideas. The gadgets that Jaz gets to work with are really neat, her gun Grief, is lots of deadly fun, and I just couldn't put this book down.
I bought books 2-4 used before I had read book 1. Now I am glad that I did. I am excited to read the next couple books. So far I think this is going to be an incredible series. I wanted to give it more like 4.5 stars because I think the second book will tell if this is an outstanding series or just another good series in the long line of good paranormal series that are out there.
In summary, I love Jaz, I love Vayl, I love the writing and I am so excited to read more of it! There wasn't a single thing about this book that I didn't love.
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LibraryThing member rexrobotreviews
"Once Bitten, Twice Shy" was better than I expected! The first two? chapters I pushed through a little, but once I got into the book I really got into it. I'm really happy there are already four other books out and the sixth due out 10/29/09. I'm reading the second now- so maybe the 29th will be
Jasmine (Jaz) Parks is an assassin for the CIA. Before joining the CIA,she led a Helsinger team. (Helsinger team is a special ops group formed to kill high profile vampires and terrorists.) Her entire team is wiped out by a group of badass vampires- Jaz being the only survivor. This is when she joins the CIA as an assassin so she can work alone.
Now, Vasil Nicu Brancoveanu (Vayl) is a three hundred year old vampire and sixty years ago, he became an assassin for the CIA. He is their best assassin and gets to choose mostly the who, what and where of every mission. He has taken Jaz as his assistant out of the blue- blindsiding Jaz. She accepts- after all, who better to learn the tricks of the trade from?
Mohammed Khad Abn-Assan (Assan) is a "plastic surgeon" of Pakistani origin. Assan holds massive charity affairs for New Start to raise money for disfigured children. However, the majority of the funds that is raised are deposited into an account for the Sons of Paradise terrorist group. Vayl and Jaz need to take him out and almost do when they're slapped in the face with a plot twist. (Remember, nothing ever goes as planned! I believe Jaz's military father taught her this.)
Our Jaz has many psychological problems throughout the book- such as blacking out and memory loss. A big thing that our heroine needs to overcome is the fact that she was the only surviving member of her Helsinger team... It may have been easier for her to move on if her best friend/brother's wife and her fiance weren't apart of those that died. Also, there is obvious sexual tension between Jaz and Vayl. Can't wait for these two to hook up- they have to eventually, right? I'll be reading the next novels to find out! Jaz struggles with her sexual attraction towards Vayl because it has only been a little under 2 years since her fiance was murdered. The more she considers lovin' up on her boss- the more guilt builds up over the death of her fiance.
This novel has many twists and turns, with lots of action. I liked this book a lot, but it is a one time read. Don't let that turn you away! I definitely think anyone who loves vampires, confused assassins, covert operations and sexual tension should read this one!!
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around by the time I'm finished with the 5th =)Jasmine (Jaz) Parks is an assassin for the CIA. Before joining the CIA,she led a Helsinger team. (Helsinger team is a special ops group formed to kill high profile vampires and terrorists.) Her entire team is wiped out by a group of badass vampires- Jaz being the only survivor. This is when she joins the CIA as an assassin so she can work alone.
Now, Vasil Nicu Brancoveanu (Vayl) is a three hundred year old vampire and sixty years ago, he became an assassin for the CIA. He is their best assassin and gets to choose mostly the who, what and where of every mission. He has taken Jaz as his assistant out of the blue- blindsiding Jaz. She accepts- after all, who better to learn the tricks of the trade from?
Mohammed Khad Abn-Assan (Assan) is a "plastic surgeon" of Pakistani origin. Assan holds massive charity affairs for New Start to raise money for disfigured children. However, the majority of the funds that is raised are deposited into an account for the Sons of Paradise terrorist group. Vayl and Jaz need to take him out and almost do when they're slapped in the face with a plot twist. (Remember, nothing ever goes as planned! I believe Jaz's military father taught her this.)
Our Jaz has many psychological problems throughout the book- such as blacking out and memory loss. A big thing that our heroine needs to overcome is the fact that she was the only surviving member of her Helsinger team... It may have been easier for her to move on if her best friend/brother's wife and her fiance weren't apart of those that died. Also, there is obvious sexual tension between Jaz and Vayl. Can't wait for these two to hook up- they have to eventually, right? I'll be reading the next novels to find out! Jaz struggles with her sexual attraction towards Vayl because it has only been a little under 2 years since her fiance was murdered. The more she considers lovin' up on her boss- the more guilt builds up over the death of her fiance.
This novel has many twists and turns, with lots of action. I liked this book a lot, but it is a one time read. Don't let that turn you away! I definitely think anyone who loves vampires, confused assassins, covert operations and sexual tension should read this one!!
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LibraryThing member pacey1927
This book has been in my TBR pile longer than most. When I heard the author passed away I moved it to the top of my pile. I am glad I did because I found a lot to like about this series and especially these characters.
Why the book rocked and I can't wait to read more: Jaz is an awesome character.
Why the book couldn't be rated higher than four stars: This was Rardin's first published book. The pacing was off a little but wasn't distracting. What did distract me from the enjoyment of the novel was the constant "Like a blah blah, her movements were blah blah" or "Jazz did this, like a blah blah". Too many similes. Sometimes three a page! From what I hear this does get better as the series progresses.
Overall the tale was enjoyable and the characters were standout, in my opinion. I am definitely on board to read the rest of the series and I feel badly that I waited this long to read this. My condolences to the family of Mrs. Rardin. She created a fabulous world and I am thankful she was able to share her talent with us.
Why the book rocked and I can't wait to read more: Jaz is an awesome character.
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She is strong but vulnerable. She has expereienced serious trauma and heartbreak in her past. She does some weird stuff because of it and she questions herself a lot. I found all that to be realistic and therefore more likeable. Also I really liked Vayl. I usually don't care for the dark vampire in these books, but Vayl is such a nice guy! He could end up being my favorite vampire character ever. I want to see more depth in his character through the series' progression. I also liked her sometimes inventor sidekick. So yes, a very good group of characters. I liked the explantion of what happens when someone dies and what Jaz sees. While the theme of vampire/human detectives isn't exactly unique, there are enough twists to this tale to make me excited to read more. Why the book couldn't be rated higher than four stars: This was Rardin's first published book. The pacing was off a little but wasn't distracting. What did distract me from the enjoyment of the novel was the constant "Like a blah blah, her movements were blah blah" or "Jazz did this, like a blah blah". Too many similes. Sometimes three a page! From what I hear this does get better as the series progresses.
Overall the tale was enjoyable and the characters were standout, in my opinion. I am definitely on board to read the rest of the series and I feel badly that I waited this long to read this. My condolences to the family of Mrs. Rardin. She created a fabulous world and I am thankful she was able to share her talent with us.
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LibraryThing member Jac8604
Pretty funny, although a bit cheesy at times that just added to it's charm. I enjoyed this one much more than I thought I would.
LibraryThing member TheYodamom
The action was first rate, I got tired of the "my poor past routine". I really wanted her to connect with her vamp more, ah well lack of romance. Perhaps that lowered it a star for me. This book really called for a little love, she and he have been so wounded. I thought the distraction from the
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human, Cole was a wasted write in, I could not find a reason for him to be there. I really wanted to dive more into the past of these characters, perhaps she will lead us their in future books ? The way she was brought back, was fascinating, top rate ! Show Less
LibraryThing member irunsjh
An good start to your typical Urban Fantasy series. The mythology is not anything drastically different from anything else used in the typical vampire story, but it did not distract from the novel. Sometimes it is nice to know what to expect right from the get go. I did like the main character, I
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thought she was an interesting character, with a back story I was not expecting. Overall I enjoyed this book, and look forward to seeing what else is in store for her and her partner at the CIA. Show Less
LibraryThing member emblue
Not into it. Too pop/wannabe/trying hard.
LibraryThing member ChrisWeir
First in the Jaz Parks series. Jaz is a vampire hunter with a twist, she also has a vampire as a partner. This one there after a bad guy who's out to unleash a demon who will rule the world. They have developed a new virus that will kill 9 out of 10 people currently alive. There's lots of backstory
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bits and pieces for Jaz that almost makes it seem like you've missed a book somewhere. But all in all a good book, reads like a thriller/suspense movie. Show Less
LibraryThing member RozzieReads
Jasmine Parks seems sort of like a baskit case at times, and at others a logical kill crazed assassin. Well, she is both of those. She works for the C.I.A. and hunts vamps and other baddies around the world. She ends up working with Vayl, who is a vampire himself. Jasmine (or Jaz) has a lot of
The black outs started the night that her team was attacked and killed. Ever since then she has aquired a sensitivity to paranormals around her. An assassin who can sniff out the bad vamps sounds good. This is why she is working with Vayl. He believes that Jaz can develope her new skills, and be more effective. That’s part of the reason why he wanted to work with her.
So in this book, it starts out that they are suppose to assassinate a terrorist, but the problem is they discover he is in the middle of working something big. He’s working with a new vampire, and creating a virus to kill massive amounts of people. Jaz and Vayl are put into tight situations when they realize that someone who works with them, is betraying them and trying to have them killed. They have to discover who all the players are in the plan to kill thousands, when it takes place, and need to stop it.
This book is full of twists and turns, and I was actually wrong when I thought something was going to happen. This is a good book if you enjoy reading about characters who are trying to sneak around with James Bond goodies, trying to save the world, and almost dying a lot. Not tomention Jaz is a spaz and that makes it entertaining by itsself. I don’t think I would really even consider this a romance, but there really wasn’t any. It was a VERY MINOR ASPECT of the book. I think you could fit all the romance in a total of 3 paragraphs.
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issues, that you don’t fully understand until way into the book. She feels a deep guilt and agony over the loss of her team that she was the leader of. She’s lost some contact with her family because of it also. She has a tendancy to black out and “wake up” hours or days later, not knowing what’s happened and what she may have done. Now the blacking out is not drug/alcohol related at all, it’s her brain protecting her from whatever is so traumatic at that time. So what could be so traumatic that an ASSASSIN’S brain is blocking it out??The black outs started the night that her team was attacked and killed. Ever since then she has aquired a sensitivity to paranormals around her. An assassin who can sniff out the bad vamps sounds good. This is why she is working with Vayl. He believes that Jaz can develope her new skills, and be more effective. That’s part of the reason why he wanted to work with her.
So in this book, it starts out that they are suppose to assassinate a terrorist, but the problem is they discover he is in the middle of working something big. He’s working with a new vampire, and creating a virus to kill massive amounts of people. Jaz and Vayl are put into tight situations when they realize that someone who works with them, is betraying them and trying to have them killed. They have to discover who all the players are in the plan to kill thousands, when it takes place, and need to stop it.
This book is full of twists and turns, and I was actually wrong when I thought something was going to happen. This is a good book if you enjoy reading about characters who are trying to sneak around with James Bond goodies, trying to save the world, and almost dying a lot. Not tomention Jaz is a spaz and that makes it entertaining by itsself. I don’t think I would really even consider this a romance, but there really wasn’t any. It was a VERY MINOR ASPECT of the book. I think you could fit all the romance in a total of 3 paragraphs.
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LibraryThing member Spurts
Good read; well written; not completely formulaic paranormal genre and somewhat more plausible in the characters and worldbuilding. I did enjoy; but, I think, like another reviewer, this will have trouble standing out from everything flooding the shelves in this genre just from the book cover and
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blurb on the back cover because while not completely formulaic does not wow me with the originality of the worldbuilding. Having read it, I can recommend even if you are sick to death of vampire tales. Show Less
LibraryThing member Raeadav
I had a hard time getting into this book. I really didn't think I'd finish it. But once I got into it...almost 80 pages into it...did I really start to connect with the characters and enjoy the book. I think I'll read the next one. :)
Subjects
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2007-10-08
Physical description
368 p.; 4.13 inches
ISBN
0316043540 / 9780316043540
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Pages
368