Early Review: The Renfield Syndrome

J.A. Saare
Urban Fantasy
Rhiannon's Law #2
Mundania Press

Synopsis:

Vampires, and werewolves, and demons, oh my.
Rhiannon thought facing off against a deranged child vampire was the most dangerous task she would ever have to undertake, but she’s about to discover making a deal with a demon is far, far worse. Sent forward into another reality, one in which vampires are now dominating nearly extinct humans, she realizes the sooner she returns to her vampire lover, Disco, the better.

Unfortunately, time changes a lot of things, including those most trusted around her. When she’s faced with a loss and betrayal unlike any she has ever known, her focus shifts from severing the debt between the demon that wants to kill her, to exacting a revenge that will bring forth consequences she never could have fathomed. By reaching out to the darkness lingering within her, she’ll find the strength to push forward despite the circumstances that would see her dead and buried.

After all, when it’s all said and done, all that she has left to lose is her soul.

Review:

I just told author JA Saare she deserves a soap box and a bullhorn so that she can proudly say “Listen up, this is how you write a Book2 for a series". And I meant it.  No, set-up-to-make-book-3-the-shit, here.  This book is solid and unique on it’s own, and all-together made of awesome. Fans of the series will not be dissapointed. The plot was absolutely non-stop, and the characters continue to be larger than the pages allow.    

The plot was intense.  And I loved it!  Rhiannon is plopped in the future (101 years to be exact) and she’s left scrambling to figure out how the hell she’s going to get herself back to the world she knows...if she even can. The action, the new characters, and the mix-ups that transpire leave it nearly impossible to put the book down. And as much as I'd like to explain just how much takes place, and hint at what that could mean for the rest of the series, I wouldn’t dream of discussing the plot because I think it’s better experienced without any expectations.  I will say though, Urban Fantasy fans will love Saare’s alternate version of the future.  Its a mash-up between The Road and Mad Max, but original in its own right. And I’ll just say, I really really really hope our future doesn’t look like that.  

Rhiannon still manages to grow as a character even though the book picks up exactly where the last one left off.  She’s never needed to toughen up, she’s got that in spades, but this time around she knows exactly what she wants and she will fight tooth and nail to get it.  It brings her to a whole new level of bad-ass.  So when she makes comments like, “...my trip was about more than what I wanted: it was about facing the things that scared me, looking them in the eye, and telling them to back the fuck off” you feel her conviction.  She remains one of my the toughest UF heroines I’ve ever read. 

Bottom Line: I couldn't have asked for a better follow-up! I continue to classify this series as one of my favorite under-rated UF series out there. 


5 stars