The Deadliest Bite (Early Review)
The Deadliest Bite by Jennifer Rardin
Jaz Parks #8
I have two choices. Carve Brude's name into Hell's bile-encrusted gates. Or lose my soul.
After an assassination attempt on Vayl, I find myself pulled into a tangled web that takes the gang to Romania. So how will I save a ghost, rescue a demon, and cheat the Great Taker out of a soul he's slavering for while defeating my nastiest foe yet so that Vayl can, at last, cherish a few precious years with his sons? With careful planning, major violence, and one (hopefully) final trip to Hell.
Jaz is determined to get Brude out of her head once and for all. She has very little time left as he is slowly killing her from the inside. If he can't have then no one will. She has the means and the tool she needs, but not the location to use it yet. Things are further complicated when an almost successful assassination attempt is made against Vayl. Even worse yet is that Jaz isn't even allowed to hurt, let alone kill the culprit. Everything has been leading up to this point, and Jaz's final showdown, for this is her last hope at a happy life.
So many questions have been building over the course of the series. Will Jaz and Vayl get their happily ever after, or at least as happy as it can get for two assassins? Will they take Bergman up on his offer, and will Vayl finally find his sons? What about Cole, will he be able to overcome what happened to him in the last book? All these questions and many more will be answered in The Deadliest Bite. It has been a very long time since I have read a last book in a series and felt such as sense of completion as I did with this one. Many other ending books still seem to leave so much unanswered, and make you desperately want more. Of course I would have loved to have been able to have read more Jaz book, but due to Ms Rardin's passing, that just wouldn't be possible. So with that in mind, I just have to say that I am so glad that this book left me with a sense of fulfillment.
One of my favorite things about this series is that while the danger is very real, and downright palpable at times, the books also have more than their share of hilarious moments. I've read countless books, and very few, if any have been such a perfect blend. Several times while reading The Deadliest Bite I burst out laughing. At one point I was laughing so hard I was crying and of course my hubby looked at me like I was a nutter. Between Jaz arguing with the women in her head, and of course the constant quips she makes both to herself and others, Jaz is one funny gal. Add in the hilarity that is Cole, and it's a wonder they can ever get anything done for all the laughing they do. Of course, the stakes are high enough that the comedy simply provides the levity that is needed to go on.
The Deadliest Bite is a fast paced book full of high stakes and incredible danger. This final installment in the Jaz Park series really doesn't hold any punches. However, I really wouldn't have expected any less. Everything has been leading to this point, and we finally get to see the resolution Jaz and Vayl deserve. Of course the other characters get their own resolutions as well. This book is sure to please fans of the series, and if you haven't read the rest of the books yet, make sure you check them out first, as this definitely is not the place to start. All in all an excellent book, with a very satisfying ending that will make it a little easier to say goodbye to these fantastic characters.
(Received from Netgalley)
Rating:
Pre-order at Amazon:
The Deadliest Bite (Jaz Parks)
Challenge Categories:
Outdo Yourself
Horror and Urban Fantasy
Vampire