Release Day Review: A Wild Light

A Wild Light
Hunter Kiss, Book 3
Author: Marjorie M. Liu
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Ace (7/27, 2010)
Available from Amazon

Summary: For too long Maxine Kiss has felt an inexplicable darkness inside her-a force she channels into hunting the demons bent on destroying the human race. But when she finds herself covered in blood and crouched beside her grandfather’s dead body with no memory of what happened, Maxine begins to fear that the darkness has finally consumed her.

I read my first Hunter Kiss novel several months ago, and loved the dark urban fantasy series. I asked for a review copy of A Wild Light from the publisher in time for the release day today. The author has given the readers a third book that answers questions raised in previous books, but has also given us new mysteries and developments. Maxine continues to discover who she is and what her role is in the world. The series is such a fascinating look at the heroine and what sacrifices are necessary and which ones are only perceived that way. We tend to protect ourselves from pain, and those we love, sometimes pushing them away instead of communicating our feelings and fears. Though Maxine is in a battle against evil, she is also a woman. Some needs can't be ignored, and if they are, a person can't maintain a healthy frame of mind. I think this is a constant struggle for Maxine, as she tries to hang on to her humanity and compassion while fighting evil.

A Wild Light is a dark urban fantasy in a gritty setting with murder and mayhem. The battles are often ugly, and people are not what they seem. I'm reminded of epic fantasy books that raise philosophical dilemmas of right and wrong, while giving us some kick ass fight scenes. The Boys, Maxine's demon sidekicks, provide the reader with humor at unexpected times, and offer touching moments as well. They bring to mind that old adage "Don't judge a book by it's cover" as we find out more about their past and why they are with Maxine. The author has a mean wit that keeps the book from becoming too dark as things spiral out of control.

You could read A Wild Light without reading the series, but I think you would miss so much of the characters' growth and the journey they've been on since the first book, that it wouldn't be near as satisfying.

Fans of Vicki Pettersson, Stacia Kane, Dakota Banks and Rob Thurman will love Marjorie M. Liu without a doubt. The series is one to read over and over as new developments come to light, and the characters get under the reader's skin.

Find out more about the author and her books on her website here.