blackout.

I was alone, and I was lost. I didn’t know where I was; I didn’t know who I was. It doesn’t get more lost than that. Knowing what I knew and not knowing anything else at all, why would I want to be in the darkness where monsters hide?

Because killers hide there, too…

Half-human Cal Leandros has always walked a bloody line between keeping his mortal soul free and clear (sort of) and unleashing the horror of his otherworldly heritage. The one thing that’s always saved him is the memory of his brother, Niko, his friends, and those he loves.

Until now.

Cal wakes up on a beach littered with the recently slaughtered remains of a variety of hideous creatures that were obviously looking for trouble. The fact that he was the one doing the slaughtering doesn’t bother him. The fact that he feels like a natural-born killer doesn’t either. What bothers him is that Cal doesn’t remember Cal anymore…

And he’s not sure he cares.

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I'm happy to report that Blackout is a vast improvement from Roadkill, though still missing something from the first four. What I loved here is that Thurman gets to step out of her box as far as characters go. With Cal's memory loss, he becomes a completely different person. New Cal, if you will. New Cal thinks about things and possesses a far more sympathetic nature than regular Cal. As he is without his memory for the majority of the book, Thurman basically has the opportunity to create a new person. Some of the essential Cal things are still there - his love of guns, laziness and sloppiness, constant boredom stemming from Niko's lectures - but his view on monsters and killing them are different. The book is more about New Cal than any fighting or case. It was very much a character story, if that makes sense. I found it to be pleasant, which isn't a word I'd use for any of the other installments. It seemed to pause the progression into darkness that the previous books include.

For me, the biggest thing I realized was that I'm in love with Niko. I've always liked his character, but with the things he does in this book, I feel head over heels. He is amazing and just about makes up from the fact that George hasn't shown up in forever. By forever, I mean the last 3 books. (Seriously, will she EVER come back? I miss her dearly.)

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Note: Thanks to a comment on GoodReads, I found out the author has stated that she will not bring Georgina back, as she doesn't fit into Cal's life. With that information and the direction it implies, I doubt I'll continue reading this series for much longer.

roadkill.

It's time to lock, load, and hit the road...

Once, while half-human Cal Leandros and his brother Niko were working on a case, an ancient gypsy queen gave them a good old-fashioned backstabbing. Now, just as their P.I. business hits a slow patch, the old crone shows up with a job.

She wants them to find a stolen coffin that contains a blight that makes the Black Death seem like a fond memory. But the thief has already left town, so the Leandros brothers are going on the road. And if they're very, very lucky, there might even be a return trip...

This review contains spoilers.

I can not say, in good conscience, that this was a good book. It was without a doubt the worst of the series so far. As I regard Deathwish (the book immediately preceeding this one) as the best of the series, I felt completely let down and disappointed.

Very quickly, I will run down the problems I had with Roadkill. First, it was a long, drawn out story with no boom at the end. Cal, Niko, Robin, Delilah, Rafferty, and Catcher (Rafferty's cousin) are hunting down Suyolak, the Plague of the World. When they finally get to him with all of 1 page left (I'm exaggerating, but really it might've been 20-30), the battle is short and, at the risk of being redundant, boring. Not your typical Cal + Nik type of showdown.

Another problem I had is directly related to the first. This installment seemed to serve no purpose other than informing us of the progression of relationships. We learn about Cal + Delilah, Robin + Ishiah, and Rafferty + Catcher. And Cal's flirtation with his Auphe side. Otherwise, the book seemed pointless.

Next up - Delilah. I've been passive, indifferent even about this particular character. I should have hated her, because of her part in the continued absence of Georgina (where is Georgina?!), but I decided to let it go. Well, no more. I don't like her and I wish one of the characters would put her out of my misery already. Seriously.

The ending was just... there. My expectations for Roadkill were high, I can admit that. Very, very high. Partly because I loved Deathwish so much and partly because readers seemed really into this book (or so I gleaned from Twitter). Apparently, Thurman's goal was to make people cry. Me? I rolled my eyes at the end. I have waited almost a year to read this book. Because I feared character death or some tragic situation (neither occurred) , I waited until I got my hands on Blackout before reading Roadkill. Well, guess what? I need not have spent that time waiting. There was absolutely no need for me to do so.

[insert sigh here] Since I have a TBR pile a mile high, I'm sliding Blackout down a few spots. The only thing that might have made me rush to read the next book is the fact that Cal frighteningly becomes more Auphe in this book. I mean, he's turning into a true killer. But even that is just not enough. As I write this, I am starting a book I am almost certain I won't like. [insert second sigh here] If you have a book suggestion for me, please share. I've been reading nothing but duds here! Save me!