Hellbent by Cherie Priest EARLY REVIEW

Hellbent by Cherie Priest (Cheshire Red Reports #2)

Egalley thanks to Random House Publishing Group


Synopsis from Goodreads
Vampire thief Raylene Pendle doesn’t need more complications in her life. Her Seattle home is already overrun by a band of misfits, including Ian Stott, a blind vampire, and Adrian deJesus, an ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen. But Raylene still can’t resist an old pal’s request: seek out and steal a bizarre set of artifacts. Also on the hunt is a brilliant but certifiably crazy sorceress determined to stomp anyone who gets in her way. But Raylene’s biggest problem is that the death of Ian’s vaunted patriarch appears to have made him the next target of some blood-sucking sociopaths.  Now Raylene must snatch up the potent relics, solve a murder, and keep Ian safe—all while fending off a psychotic sorceress. But at least she won’t be alone. A girl could do a lot worse for a partner than an ass-kicking drag queen—right?
Publication date: 06/09/2011

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I love, love, love Cherie Priest. Hellbent was just as awesome as Bloodshot.


Raylene continues to sparkle with her wit, severe OCD, dubious morality and tendency to pick up stray pets and pet people.

This time she is offered a contract to steal a bunch of artifacts from a redneck (and, boy does she have a blast joking about the nature of the artifacts!), easy-peasy right? Wrong, if they are stolen by a schizophrenic witch first. Here comes flight for her life in severe weather conditions, and I mean, lightning strikes, tornadoes and small earthquakes.


My favorite drag queen Sister Rose who is also an ex-Navy Seal Adrian becomes her partner on this journey, because A) Raylene tries to kill three birds in one go - get the artifacts, help Ian with his ex-House trouble and hopefully find Adrian's sister B) she doesn't have a coherent reason apart from that she likes Adrian and will be less bored with him as a company.


Therein lie absolutely brilliant dialogues between these two.

"And when you forget things,  it's up to me to pick up the slack."
I said "You're full of shit." Because we both know that I am the most ludicrously overprepared woman in the world. I have a stack of neuroses that a toddler could use for a booster seat and those neuroses keep me braced for every possible contingency.
He asked, "Did you remember the duct tape?"
"In three colors."
"How about the handcuff master key?"
"Two different kinds," I said.
"And an extra shooter? With ammo?"
"I brought four and if you want something small enough to stash, you can take your pick."

"Do you have any kohl? I don't usually wear any eye makeup, myself, but I think I could use some tonight."
"Do I have any? Woman, I could write a book with it.
.....
You'd better let me put it on you."
"What? No. I may not be Rembrandt with a stick of liner, but I'm not a monkey at the obelisk, either."
"My makeup, my rules."
"I can't believe you even brought makeup."
"I'm sorry, have we met? Of course I brought makeup."
"To a reconnaissance operation?"
He shut me up with, "In San Francisco? Hell yes, I brought makeup. And oh, look - it's an emergency supply that you failed to pack."

"Your job as a ghoul is to serve and assist.  Ostensibly, you are kissing ass because you want to be a vampire someday. Got it?"
"Got it." He said it like he was already plotting my death. I was in for a humiliating demise, I could tell. Probably something involving autoerotic asphyxiation and small rodents."

The book is full of Ray's snark and her amusing observations; she wraps everything up quickly and efficiently which makes the end again somewhat anticlimactic. But it also leaves you very curious as to what will happen next because as far I'm concerned, everyone is safe, free of any obligations and left with lots of choices now. I would love to see more of Ray soon!

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Обожаю Рэйлин с её сумасшедшей командой! Она опять на задании украсть артифакты (с которых она прикалывается всю дорогу, потому как это кости пенисов паранормальных существ. Зная Рэй, она просто не может удержаться от шуточек) и путь её скрещивается с шизофреничкой-ведьмой, которая украла кости первой.


В дорогу с собой Рэй берёт трансвестита и бывшего военного Эдриана, потому как во-первых, ей скучно, во-вторых, она ему поможет найти его сестру там, куда они направляюся. Возможно.


Из партнёрства вырастают прекраснейшие диалоги (см.выше) и крепчает дружба.


Учитывая насколько параноидальна и эффективна Рэй, у неё все получается блестяще. Сестра найдена, артифакты захвачены и даже спасён слепой вампир, к которому она неравнодушна - Иан Стотт. Поэтому концовка оказывается опять тихой, но так как большинство проблем решено, я теперь умираю от любопытства, желая узнать, что случится с героями дальше.


Как обычно, блестящее городское фэнтэзи с аморальной героиней, так и сыпящей саркастичными шуточками. Читайте!

9/10