Sci-Fi, Fantasy & Horror Reviews

Book Review: Blood Oranges

By Sandy Amazeen Feb 5, 2013, 2:54 GMT

My name\'s Quinn. If you buy into my reputation, I\'m the most notorious demon hunter in New England. But rumors of my badassery have been slightly exaggerated. Instead of having kung-fu skills and a closet full of medieval weapons, I\'m an ex-junkie with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time. Or the right place at the wrong time. Or...whatever. Wanted for crimes against inhumanity I (mostly) didn\'t ...more

Junkie Siobhan Quinn garnered the reputation as a demon killer after the accidental death of a ghoul. While in the throes of a high, a werewolf attacked her but before it could kill her, the creature was killed by something even more dangerous. Quinn awakens suffering severe withdrawal and in the company of a deadly vampire known as the Bride of Quiet who makes it clear there is a score to settle. The Bride intends to turn Quinn into a weapon while being turned into an abomination that few would be willing to tolerate. Twice damned, Quinn attempts to adapt to deal with the complications of being both a werewolf and vampire. Quinn’s sometime benefactor known as Mr. B has his own designs on her transformation and no qualms about using her even as he helps orchestrate a final showdown with the Bride of Quiet that can only end with the death of one of them. With help from an ancient, Quinn will still have a hot time surviving both a werewolf vendetta and the Bride.

What started out as an interesting new urban fantasy featuring a sassy heroine ended up crushed beneath the weight of repetitive smart-mouthed clichés that only served to slow down the action. While one can relate to Quinn’s difficult life, her attitude and mouthing off carries their own punishments as she continually makes matters worse for herself, a point that soon grows old. With so many excellent titles in the genre to choose from you might want to give this a miss.