Hellbent

I found this a far more rewarding experience that [b:Bloodshot 8140731 Bloodshot (The Cheshire Red Reports, #1) Cherie Priest http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320449931s/8140731.jpg 12937194] was, and I think part of that has to do with timing and expectation. Cherie Priest has a body of work that is quality, but the Cheshire Red Reports are not really sophisticated literature. But they're not really supposed to be. When I went into Bloodshot, I wasn't anticipating the loose plot and scatterbrained narrator. This time, I was looking for some lighthearted action, and this as it turns out was exactly what I needed.What sticks out about this book as opposed to its predecessor is that Raylene Pendle feels more like a vampire in this one. She's no impenetrable goddess, for sure, by a big chunk of the story has to do with vampire society, and there's a lot more time spent discussing Raylene's limitations, strengths, not to mention needs as an undead citizen. It gave the story the bit of mystery it needed.The rest was fast-moving action. There are multiple agendas Raylene has to juggle – her own efforts to help her friend and love interest Ian Stott, as well as make a pretty chunk of change by stealing a set of supernatural monster bacula. That is, penis bones, in case that one was not in your vocabulary (don't worry, it wasn't in mine either). The dick jokes were endless, let me tell ya. In the way is a schizophrenic witch bent on undoing the past using magic and quantum physics, and a whole of loony vampires and their precious red tape. It's a marvel of Cherie Priest's skill with pacing that this book didn't end up five hundred pages long. Even with Raylene's slightly ADD rambling (which there was considerably less of this time around), little time is wasted.Speaking of the author, if you've read her blog, you might've noticed that she rescues a lot of strays. She doesn't necessarily keep them all, but man the woman has a soft spot for lost creatures. I'm guessing this part of her leaked into her character, because even with her home filled with her blind lover, two runaways and a drag queen/former Navy SEAL, Raylene still can't stop adding to the roster. Perhaps she's like me and loves to have a little chaos in the house, makes it feel a little more like a home. Honestly I'm a sucker for stories that involve makeshift families, and all the strange pieces of Raylene's family puzzle seem to fit together quite well. There's even a kitten.Things also wrap up nicely, not a deus ex machine happy ending, but a smart, clever one that makes you feel good. So if you're looking for something not too emotionally draining, that doesn't require your soul per passage, but still you want something exciting and fun, this comes highly recommended.