Review: Make Me by Parker Blue

Title: Make Me

Author: Parker Blue

Genre: young-adult, supernatural fiction

Series: The Demon Underground #4

Pages: 224 (Nook ARC edition)

Published: April 2012

Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 1.5/5

Shapiro has a secret she’s desperate to keep—she’s lost her slayer powers. As the new guardian of the Encyclopedia Magicka, Val expected the books to give her powers to replace those that disappeared after she lost her “V card” to Shade. But the encyclopedia exacts a price for every spell, making the job of guardian a tricky proposition.

When a rogue demon kidnaps Val’s roommate Gwen and Micah, leader of the San Antonio Demon Underground, Val is plunged into the middle of a Solomon’s Choice. The rogue wants the dangerously potent Encyclopedia Magicka in exchange for her friends’ lives; the succubus leader of the Demon Underground in Austin is demanding the books be destroyed rather than let them fall into the wrong hands and wants Shade for herself, swearing to do everything she can to prevent Val’s turning over the books.

The kidnapping isn’t the only crisis Val faces. She’s been betrayed by Fang. Demons and vampires are disappearing. The vamps of the New Blood Movement are forcing Val to keep the terms of her agreement to work for them to combat this new threat.

The Demon Underground is challenging Micah's leadership, and everyone is depending on a now-powerless Val to set things right. Val needs all the help she can get. Even if it means forgiving Fang and spending time with a dangerously sexy cowboy-vampire.

My overall enjoyment with this series has severely decreased with each subsequent volume, and Make Me is no exception.  Many of the previously mostly enjoyable characters change drastically for no (or a supremely stupid) reason (Val, Shade, especially, come to mind), the pacing is off (very noticeable and distracting in the first and last segments), the uneven POV shifts from first person to third person omniscient, certain elements feel shoe-horned in and pretty deux-ex-machina-y (the Super Succubus thing), and... I was bored. A lot. Initially a charming if somewhat formulaic series about a teenage vampire Slayer, the Demon Underground series has grown bloated and boring. This is one of the novels I've gone back and forth on rating - from a 2 to a 1, finally meeting in the middle at 1.5 stars. There was literally nothing about this fourth foray into Val Shapiro's life that I enjoyed.

I hate not loving books I expect to enjoy. The first three (Bite Me, Try Me, Fang Me) were never the most original or innovative of the young-adult paranormal genre, but they were snarky and often funny, with a strong and decisive protagonist. The reads of the the first three sped be on the strength of Val, her inner monologue and Fang, the talking mind-reading hellhound. Now, that previously strong girl has morphed into a whiny, annoying and often harebrained version of the girl who used to be Val Shapiro. A love triangle and stupid assumptions mar a lot of what good Val does bring to the table; I won't deny I still like reading about can-do girls who can defend themselves, but I wish so much time hadn't been spent on melodrama and boy troubles. 

I had issues with the style and presentation of the novel and its plot from the beginning. Ones I don't recall having with the previous three, which either means this seriees is somewhat forgettable (true) or that something has changed, or I've just outgrown these particular books (entirely possible). For one thing, I hate hate hate when authors jump between first and third POVs for character narration. It's weird to be in the head of Val and then in the next chapter, be jerked to distantly viewing Micah and his subplot. It just doesn't work; it causes a problem in my reading and in also how I relate to and invest in the characters involved. I don't care what one the author chooses, but it should be one and it should be used for the entirety of the novel. Sure there are some authors and characters that could pull off the dichotomy, but Val and Parker Blue are not among them. 

I'm not even going to go into the myriad other problems I had with this book because I'm underwhelmed, disappointed and frustrated. I'm done. All I can really say is that I won't be reading the inevitable fifth addition to this series.

Review: Fang Me by Parker Blue

Title: Fang Me

Author: Parker Blue

Genre: supernatural/paranormal, young-adult

Series: The Demon Underground #3

Pages: 200 (Nook NetGalley uncorrected ARC)

Published: March 2011
Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 3/5

The vampires want it. The demons want it, too. And someone is willing to kill Val for it.Val and Fang have to find the powerful Encyclopedia Magicka before either of San Antonio's warring underworld factions locate it or the consequences will be deadly for the entire city. As usual, Val's vampire enemies (they still call her The Slayer) want her dead. Even some of her fellow demons may be less than trustworthy, since they'd like to grab the legendary book of spells before she does. Val has a personal claim to the Encyclopedia--her demon father left it to her when he died--but someone stole it recently. And that can't be good.Battling vamps and dodging demons, Val struggles to unravel the mystery and find the thief. At the same time, she's fighting her attraction to sweet, sexy Shade--her favorite shadow demon. Rumor has it that Val will lose her part-demon, vampire-fighting powers if she gives herself to him.With a crowd of vamps and demons out to trick her or kill her, it's not a good time for her to risk her job as the city's best vampire hunter by falling in love. The stakes are high and aimed right at her heart. But Lola, Val's hungry little lust demon, doesn't like being denied. Will Lola finally get her way? What's a part-lust-demon-teen supposed to do? Whatever it takes.

Unlike book #2 which launched a completely new, different story from the first book,  Fang Me continues with the same events of Try Me. Now established in roles and relationships, the characters of the Demon Underground novels have a continuing mystery to solve, in addition to a new unknown, unaffiliated demon in San Antonio. Pretty much on par stylistically with the first two, Fang Me continues Parker Blue's three-book-long streak of fun, easy and amusing vampire novels with a likeable, kickass heroine. Not content with the plethora of demons, magic and abilities shown before, Ms. Blue has more creativity to throw at her readers in this action-packed, fast-paced snarky adventure. Armed with a sword, a motorcycle, some vampire stakes and her trusty hellhound/terrier Fang, Val Shapiro is a character that I like more and more with each novel she stars within.

Val herself remains one of my favorite characters of the series - a situation I don't usually have with teenage young-adult (typically female) protagonists. She doesn't fall prey to the "poor poor pitiful me" routine so many "heroines" epouse, but (finally) nor does she believe only she can do everything. Val's relationship with Shade (more on him later) is another boon for the Slayer: both part-demons need the other to keep them "human" (Val in control of Lola and Shade grounded in this reality) without veering into codependency. They're good to each other, good for each other without being cloying or changing Val's harder edges. I did find the whole "lust demon loses virginity thus loses powers" to be a rather arbitrary "law" and also just kind of dumb: wouldn't a lust demon be fueled by sex, rather than depleted/lose powers and abilities by the act? It seems like - and comes across - as an obvious plot point thrown in just to cause a wrench between Shade and Val - and also to keep Val unsure of what she really wants. It's a very unfair situation for the teenager: the normal life she said she wanted, or the interesting, action-packed life she has lead so far.

Shade. Ahhh, Shade. One of the most likeable characters from all three of the novels, Shade is rapidly becoming one of my favorites for the series. Besides his innate kindness and goodness he displays towards Val, he comes across as the only genuinely nice guy Val knows, outside of Micah. Juxtaposing Shade's accepting attitude with Dan's complete and total rejection of Val and her demon, Shade urges Val to recognize that "Lola" is just another facet of herself, and not a reason to be ashamed. A healthy teen relationship, with the guy clearly intent on doing what's right? Wowza - another reason I enjoy these novels like I do. I do think that Shade and Val's relationship got a little too intense way too fast: saying "I love you" before dating even a full month tends to make me disbelieve/judge a little bit. For Val, someone who felt rejected and ashamed all her life, to go from "I'm not good enough for a guy" to "I love you" in a matter of weeks does not feel in line with her character.

The other elements of the novel (the mystery of who Trevor Jackson is, what happened to the Encyclopedia Magicka, Dan/Nic, etc.) were mostly decently done. I wished for more feel of tension/atmosphere for this third one: it was surprisingly lacking in departments its predecessors each have had in abundance. Val is still caught between two powerful groups (the vampires and the demons) but the tone is much more relaxed than when she was in the same situation during Try Me.  I will also say I continually find the mystery elements of these novels to be way underdone, and underplayed. There is never a build-up of tension before a big reveal and I feel somewhat let down by this ending in particular. Trevor seemed a bit obvious and not very subtle when he arrived (and how he acted around Shade had my sketch-o-meter going off the charts all the time) but I liked the additional knowledge he provided. I only have one other nitpick: I really, really hate it when authors add a 'k' to the end of the word "magic" in an attempt to make individualistic/unique/whatever. It doesn't work - all it does is annoy me! 

However, Parker Blue is definitely not an author content to sit back, lazy, and using what she has created so far; each new novel has something unique and creative inside, new revelations about Val or her world of San Antonio. More details about the still-largely-mysterious Demon Underground emerge as well, and lend hope for a further novel in this series. Fun, not perfect but definitely worth a read if you're in the mood for Texan teenager with attitude, stakes, a hot shadow demon boyfriend and a lot of snark.

Review: Try Me by Parker Blue

Title: Try Me

Author: Parker Blue

Genre: supernatural/paranormal fiction, young adult, mystery

Series: The Demon Underground #2

Pages: 225 (Nook edition NetGalley ARC)

Published: February 2010
Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 3.5/5

This part-demon teen vampire fighter and her faithful terrier hellhound are once again patrolling the dark city streets of San Antonio, Texas. Val's hunky human partner, Detective Dan Sullivan, is giving her the cold shoulder since she beheaded his vampire ex-fiancée. Vamp leader Alejandro is struggling to keep the peace between vamps, demons and humans. The mucho powerful Encyclopedia Magicka has been stolen, someone in the Demon Underground is poisoning vamps, and Val's inner lust demon, Lola, is getting very restless since Val's now partnered with sexy Shade, the shadow demon with the blond good looks of an angel.The second book in Parker Blue's Demon Underground urban fantasy series plunges readers deeper into a heady world of passion, friendship, intrigue and mystery.

Back again with 1/8 succubus and badass vampire hunter Val Shapiro, Parker Blue's Try Me doesn't ignore the events of the just-ended Bite Me, but nor does it continue along on the same plotline. Instead of focusing on Val/Dan/Fang vampire hunting for the supernatural police force of the Supernatural Crimes Unit, Val is much more involved with the titular Demon Underground in the second outing of the series. I liked the shift of focus from the policelike SCU to the looser organization of the Demon Underground - after all the demon underground is what the series is about, supposedly, and hadn't really been a focus in the first novel. Set at a funeral just three days after the whirlwind ending events of Bite Me, the tone for Try Me is set in the first three pages: an action-packed, sarcastic vampire novel read just before the Halloween holiday.

In addition to the prominence of the underground, Parker Blue shakes up the formula - or rather doesn't establish one. Rather than focus on vampire hunting and supernatural crime-solving, Try Me adds a new plot/problem for Val's life in San Antonio: the vampires want to "come out" nationally, and the demons do not want either the vampires nor themselves to become public knowledge. As the only real intermediary between the two hostile camps, Val is thrust into a position of power, danger and a lot of stress. Not content with just that diversion of opinions on public relations, the vampires and demons also both blame each other for the loss of the super-important but dumbly-named Encyclopedia Magicka - which Val had for her life but lost upon returning to Micah, the leader of the Underground. Once again, I liked the changeup from the first novel: Parker Blue is a completely fun storyteller with an apparently diverse range of plotlines percolating in her brain. It never felt like a retread of the first, and the characters changed, grew, matured (or didn't).

Speaking of: the characters. Val remained her mostly amusing sarcastic self (When Micah tells her, "You should come [to the DU party]. Eat, drink, get to know other-part demons like yourself." Val snarks back at him: "Why don't you guys start a chat room of friend each other on Facebook?") Echoing the demon-focus of the main storyline, Val's relationship with Dan has ended, because of his stupid inability to deal with Lola. All this does is serve to reinforce Val's insecurities and self-hated; she continues her inner power struggle with Lola long after she realizes "Lola" is nothing but a label used to distance herself from her succubus heritage. She continues to fear the "love slaves" that Lola will create out of boyfriends she has, and her extreme desire is to be loved and valued for who she is, not what she can do or force another to do. She's a very compartmentalized girl, hurt girl.

• The Slayer: the vengeful, strong and murderous side she uses to deal with life
• "Lola"" the sensual, unpredictable, controlling and powerful side she doesn't know how to control
• "Human-Val": the idealized dream of who she thinks she wants to be - common girl with mundane issues

Val does grow quite a bit in this novel, however, realizing that if a demon such as herself can choose to be good and not abuse her power, so might too the vampires. This is one of the things I like best about Val and this series: an actual teen YA protagonist that can be honest with herself and admit the obvious without actually liking the subject [the vampires in this case].

Dan, understandably, disappointed me. Any previous merits awarded this character and his he-man hero complex were lost: his extreme about face is kind of random and off-putting. A very background character from the first, a shadow-demon named Shade, quickly became a favorite of mine. Not only is the lore of his kind of demon particularly creative (he can heal, transfer energies, appears as an outline of whorls and whisps of smoke unless touched to "ground him in this reality") but he's the most well-rounded male character so far. He's strange, kind but most importantly: entirely accepting/understanding of Lola - which Dan never could - or wanted - to be. Fang continued his laugh-track antics and kept the inner amusement rolling, even when the fights were breaking out - and they were, often. This is certainly not a dry book with nothing happening for chapters: fights, fires, drama all flesh out the narrative often and well.

I found the mystery elements of the novel to be a bit flat compared to action, love, humor present in the rest of the book. Like the mystery of the mysterious traitor in Alejandro's New Blood Movement from the first Bite Me, I was never as curious to solve the question as I was to continue reading about Val's day-to-day life and interactions with people, vampires and part-demons. I just don't geet excited or feel anticipation really grow before it's the Big Reveal and the end. There's definitely less face-time/angst over Val's 100% human family and their rejection - see earlier: Val grows up a bit. These novels are at their snarky, violent best when it is Val and Fang dealing with demons and vampires. I finished this one with the familiar feeling of wanting another outing and some more time with Valentine Shapiro and Fang - next up is the third in the series Fang Me.

Review: Bite Me by Parker Blue

Title: Bite Me

Author: Parker Blue

Genre: supernatural fiction, young-adult

Series: Demon Underground #1

Pages: 229 (uncorrected Nook NetGalley ARC)

Published: September 2008
Source: publishers via NetGalley

Rating: 3/5

An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between young-adult and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.

Straight off the top, I have to disagree with my little blurb copy and pasted above. I don't agree that this is a novel that "spans the gap between young-adult and adult fiction" - I think this is a solid but not spectacular series opener for a definitely young-adult series.  Bite Me more than delivers on the rest of the promise hinted at above: it is edgy, it is fun, and Val and Fang are a comedic duo with flair and timing. I can understand the appeal for older readers - at almost 24 I'm probably at the outset of the target demographic - but this is definitely a young-adult vampire/supernatural novel. Not the most original or ground-breaking, but full of enough verve and unique mythology/lore to keep me more than interested.

Set in San Antonio, Texas (hey, is there anywhere near Morganville, TX? Texas definitely has a bad infestation of vampires...) Bite Me is vampire-slayer Val(entine) Shapiro's starring show. Eighteen years old, part succubus lust demon and a vampire slayer, Val is far from normal but completely real and grounded. Echoing her split nature, Val is a half-Jewish and half-Catholic tumult of drama, danger and humor ("The name's Val, not Buffy. Do I look like a blonde cheerleader with questionable taste in men?") She might come across as trying too hard on occasion, but Val amused me by and large and I definitely bought her persona of tough, funny capable vampirehunter.The lust-demon/part succubus thing is a huge problem in Val's life (even though she's technically only 1/8 succubus): she doesn't feel human, that she belongs or is even loved by her family - common teen issues that make Val intensely relatable for younger audiences. While "Lola" (what Val calls her demon) doubtless gives Val boons (extra speed and strength, accelerated healing) she doesn't come without a hefty price. Val's personal issues with herself and her nature are another strong point for the novel: she consistently struggles to distinguish "demon-Val" and "human-Val" while almost resenting a key part of who she is. The truth about Val she refuses to acknowledge is that she is much more powerful of she works with the Lola part of herself instead of denying her nature and being ashamed by it. She can be either immature or mature (her handling of her mother's rejection was surprisingly mature for YA), but she always presents herself as a real person.

The supporting cast is not as rounded out as it would need to be for a higher rating - and one of the main ones this is only a three star review, instead of a four. Val's younger sister Jen is an important part of the events of Bite Me, so it's too bad she lacks any real characterization. Like her daughter Jen, Val's mom Sharon is also drawn in broad, undetailed strokes. Her substantial (and somewhat overwrought) issues with Val are left clouded and unexplained - making Sharon appear as a cookie-cutter villain rather than a conflicted woman with a uneasy relationship with her daughter. The only really fleshed out supporting characters were that of Val's snarky hellhound/terrier Fang and love-interest/partner Dan. Fang is practically human in personality and actions, but the hellhound with humor and heart nearly stole the show several times. The only one that unequivocally loves Val, Fang is one of the most likeable demons in the book. Dan, Val's partner in SCU, plays a good straight man to Val's loose cannon antics. He's stoic and reserved - almost the archetype for a detective but emerges as a sweet and kind companion to balance Val's more dangerous nature. Lieutenant Ramirez of the SCU also has potential for a character - I can see him easily as a father-figure for the vampire hunter - but he as mostly relegated to the background for much of the novel.

I liked the variety the reader experiences during Val's excursions. Not just vampire hunting, or demon powers, Val has to contend with more mundane issues as well. The style of the novel is definitely geared more towards action than dialog, but I thoroughly enjoyed the well-described fight/sparring scenes. Val believable holds her own, but definitely isn't impervious to a few punches herself. Parker Blue also went and created her own lore/mythology for demons and vampires - and I definitely like the individual flair she placed on the creatures, i.e. "vein of vampires", the shadow demons, etc. The New Blood Movement for vampires (people donate blood, these vamps don't attack and take blood) isn't the most revolutionary idea for supernatural fiction (hello Twilight, and Eat, Slay, Love) but it allows for some interesting power struggles amongst the nightwalkers. Slowly, deliberately parsing out information about Val's world and creatures as the novel prgresses provided an excellent way for me to slowly submerse myself in Parker Blue's Bite Me, and leave me clamoring for the next in the series Try Me.