Review: Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

Title: Deadtown
Author: Nancy Holzner
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 12/29/09
Summary:

They call it Deadtown: the city's quarantined section for its inhuman and undead residents. Most humans stay far from its borders - but Victory Vaughn, Boston's only professional demon slayer, isn't exactly human...

Vicky's demanding job keeping the city safe from all manner of monsters is one reason her relationship with workaholic lawyer (and werewolf) Alexander Kane is in constant limbo. Throw in a foolhardy zombie apprentice, a mysterious, demon-plagued client, and a suspicious research facility that's taken an unwelcome interest in her family, and Vicky's love life has as much of a pulse as Deadtown's citizens.

But now Vicky's got bigger things to worry about. The Hellion who murdered her father ten years ago has somehow broken through Boston's magical protections. This ruthless force of destruction has a personal grudge against Vicky, and she's the only one who can stop it before it destroys the city.

Plot: 5 Stars
Paranormal Americans are fighting for citizenship around the country, and specifically in Boston, home of Deadtown, a part of the city where zombies and all other PAs are forced to live. I really liked the political aspect to the story, even though it took a slight backseat to the mayhem of Victory Vaughn's life. As the only demon hunter in Boston, Vicky running around town slaying the personal demons of others. Deadtown is a fresh and entertaining addition to the genre that has a little bit of everything.

Pace: 4.5 Stars
There was a point in the middle where I started to wonder how everything going on was related, but the lull didn't last long. Everything pulled together and sucked me in. It was almost too hard to put the book down after my lunch break and go back to work because I had to keep reading so I could finish.

Characters: 5 Stars
All of the characters felt real. They were fleshed out and unique, and no one seemed flat. I liked Holzner's take on shapeshifters and how Victory could only shift a certain number of times per lunar cycle. The different kinds of demons and hellions were interesting. And I loved her zombies! I've started and got bored with many zombie books, but these zombies were fantastic! They weren't mindless corpses that just wanted to eat "BRAINS!!" but "previously deceased humans," real people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Tina was still a snarky teen even as a zombie.

Cover: 5 Stars
Two words: Flaming sword. And the best part is, it's not a random prop to make the cover pretty, Vicky actually has a sword that bursts into flames in the presence of demons. I also like that the cover model doesn't have any tattoos, like many urban fantasy cover models, because Vicky didn't have any. Plus, I like the "from behind" pose because it allowed me to picture the character as she was described and not how she looked on the cover.

Overall: 5 Stars

Disclosure: I received my copy for review from Penguin.