Review: Nightlife by Rob Thurman

Title: Nightlife
Author: Rob Thurman
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 03/07/06
Summary:

Welcome to the Big Apple. There's a troll under the Brooklyn Bridger, a boggle in Central Park, and a beautiful vampire in a penthouse on the Upper East Side -- and that's only the beginning. Of course, most humans are oblivious to the preternatural nightlife around them, but Cal Leandros is only half human.

His father's dark lineage is the stuff of nightmares -- and he and his entire otherworldly race are after Cal. Why? Cal Hasn't exactly wanted to stick around long enough to find out.

He and his half brother, Niko, have managed to stay a step ahead for four years, but now Cal's dad has found them again. And Cal is about to learn why they want him, why they've always wanted him: He is the key to unleashing their hell one earth. The fate of the human world will be decided in the fight of Cal's life...

Plot: 4.5 Stars
The author reimagines paranormal creatures we're already accustomed to and new creatures that are just as scary. The necessary backstory was spread out throughout the novel in a strategic way that kept to coming back for more. Everytime Cal and Niko turned around, there was some sort of paranormal creature to deal with or run from or learn about, but it never felt like too much.

Pace: 4 Stars
This novel was non-stop action. The brothers really knew how to fight, and fight they did. The beginning was very fast-paced and easy to slip into. But around the middle, there was a change in POV and it took a little to get used to (and sometimes got a little annoying). But overall it was a very well balanced read.

Characters: 5 Stars
Niko and Cal are the perfect brotherly pair for the Urban Fantasy genre. They are the Sam and Dean Winchester of the written world, and I love them. Between Niko's nagging and healthy ways and Cal's lazy and sarcastic demeaner, they read like siblings who love each other, and love to get on each other's nerves. Although they didn't trust much, the minor characters that came into their life were well fleshed out whether they were there for a few pages or a few chapters.

Cover: 5 Stars
The cover model looks so much like Jared Leto that I all but drooled on the book. He is one of my top three celeb crushes... :) Cover model aside, I really liked the gritty feel of the cover. Especially the grayscale border around the edges. (The graphic design nerd in me loves little details like that.) It matched the atmosphere of the book perfectly.

Overall: 4.5 Stars

Disclosure: I bought this book for my own enjoyment. Or it was a Christmas gift... I don't remember exactly.