Review: As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding

As Lie the Dead by Kelly Meding

Dreg City #2

Evangeline Stone, a rogue bounty hunter, never asked for a world divided between darkness and light . . .

. . . or the power to die and live again in someone else’s borrowed body. After a murder plot meant to take her out leaves an entire race of shapeshifters nearly extinct, Evy is gnawed by guilt. So when one of the few survivors of the slaughter enlists her aid, she feels duty-bound to help—even though protecting a frail, pregnant shifter is the last thing Evy needs, especially with the world going to hell around her.

Amid weres, Halfies, gremlins, vamps—and increasingly outgunned humans—a war for supremacy is brewing. With shifters demanding justice, her superiors desperate to control her, and an assassin on her trail, Evy discovers a horrifying conspiracy. And she may be the only person in the world who can stop it—unless, of course, her own side gets her first.

This book picks up right where the last book ended. Poor Evy doesn't even get a second to breathe before she is pitted into another race against the clock. The shape shifting clans want retribution for the Olkins massicure, and they have chosen the handler that led the raid as the head they want on a stick. That handler was one of the very few people that tried to help Evy out in the last book, so she can't just sit by and allow them to murder him. She vows to find the Brass who is ultimately responsible since they gave the order. The only problem is that no one knows who they are. Meanwhile she also has to protect the last three remaining Olkins, one of which being very very pregnant.

Evy is still struggling to come to terms with her new identity. She is afraid to fully embrace her new self as she knows that is truly shutting the door on her old one forever. She knows she can never get who she was back, but it doesn't make it any easier to let go. This made the relationship between Evy and Wyatt really strained. Her new feelings for him terrify her and she just cannot seem to bring herself to express them. I really look forward to the two of them being able to work through the difficulties that will face them, and make a great couple. How could she possibly find anyone better than the man that literally gave up everything for her.

Phineas made for an interesting character addition. There is a lot of depth to him, and it seems we have only scratched the surface. I loved how he was so manipulative yet loyal and trustworthy at the same time. Those attributes usually cannot go together, but somehow he pulls it off perfectly. I hope he is in the future books as he added to the already great cast of characters and made the book even better.

I really enjoyed this book, however, I hope the next book slows down just a little, or at least has a little more downtime between the two books. This book winds up an insane time line of about a week, and pretty soon Evy won't be able to function at all if this pace keeps up. Hopefully, she will get some rest and be ready to kick butt and take names for the next book.

Rating:

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As Lie the Dead (Dreg City, Book 2)