Green Eyed Demon

June 14, 2011 in Fantasy, Urban | 1 comment

I picked up Green Eyed Demon in February thanks to a package from Orbit (thanks Jack!). Green Eyed Demon is the third in a series written by Jaye Wells, and follows the events of Sabina Kane, a half vamp, half mage hybrid. An assassin for the Dominae, or head vampires, (think female triumvirate), Sabina is a kick ass, shoot-first-ask-questions-later kinda gal. Raised by vampires, she learns of her mage side (and powers) much later in life (in addition to a few other HUGE family secrets). When things become more complex and the tenuous peace between the mages and vampires is threatened, Sabina has to decide which side she’s really on. I can’t say much more without being hugely spoilerific, but Ms. Wells has done some excellent work with this series.

Red Headed Stepchild (Book 1) has one of the THE funniest scenes I think I’ve ever read in urban fantasy (hint: It’s when Sabina learns she’s not “just” a vampire). When I picked up Green Eyed Demon, it was so enjoyable because I had almost forgotten how much I had enjoyed the first two. The mythology that Wells has provided is simply unheard of til now and truly awesome. There’s a good amount of classical/latin (Pythian Guard, Hekate Council) mixed in with biblical references. Her premise is that Lilith was the first vampire and that after “de-sanctifying” the Garden of Eden, anything apple is fatal to vampires. Therefore, it’s not just stakes, but applewood stakes. Sabina loads her gun with apple cider bullets. Also, all vampires are identified by their red hair: after Cain killed Able, he was punished by God and “marked” with red hair. Sabina, only half vampire, has black hair with streaks of red. It’s a very cool take on what I think is becoming a bit tired.

Here’s an excerpt from Ms. Well’s latest short story, Violet Tendencies:

All in all, excellent stuff. It’s a fun, fresh take on the usual Vampire mythos, so pick it up if you’re getting bored with all the other stuff out there! You can read the first chapter here, and be sure to follow Jaye and Giguhl on Twitter!

  1. Bets Davies’s avatar

    Bets DaviesNo Gravatar on June 20, 2011 at 12:44 pm

    Hmm. I’m always torn between being a vamp traditionalist and loving to see the new things people do. I’ve seen more than one “Dracula-is-actually-Judas”, and I’ve seen Lilith as the mother to elves and as a demon, since those are both historical. Hell, I’ve used Lilith as the mother of elves, but let’s not go there. I’m not sure if I get the Cain reference. Yeah, he’s cast out by God, as Lilith was, but does anyone God casts out become a vamp? Seems like you’d get to play with some other historical characters that way.

    The whole apple angle is new and fascinating. Again, I’ve seen Judas as a vampire to justify both his hatred of religion and silver problems (which aren’t actually traditional). And a number of kinds of wood are traditional, but apple isn’t one. I’m trying to decide if I feel like that apple cider bullets are just a bit overboard.

    It seems integral to the story, so I am not sure how it could have been excised, and it certainly can’t be now, but the mutt concept bothers me a little. I feel as if I’ve seen it in vamp lore actually quite a bit. However your review suggests she has created a cohesive and original world, and all my musings are simply based on your review and my first reactions. The fact I wrote about it for so long suggests it still holds interest, and I will jot down the title etc. because I can’t afford to buy anymore books right now, especially with the, oh, hundred or so I have stock piled already.

    Great reviewing. My macaw loves chewing up apple branches, which makes me feel safe and cozy.