A Wild Light - Book Review

Guest Book Review by Mel, a co-worker of mine from the World's Biggest Bookstore. In her own words: There’s not much to say about myself except that I love lurking around bookstores looking for that next great read. I’m still looking for one for 2010, so if you have a suggestion, I’d gladly take it.

A Wild Light, by Marjorie M. Liu

Synopsis:

The morning after her birthday celebration, Maxine Kiss wakes up lying on the floor and covered in blood. A few feet away from her is her grandfather, Jack Meddle—dead—with one of her knives lying beside his body. Maxine does not remember attacking her grandfather or the events leading up to the act. She does not even remember the man who discovers her leaning over the body, a man who looks at her with intimate knowledge, a man whom she loved—just not anymore.

Maxine embarks on a journey to reclaim her lost memories, a journey that will reveal more about the powerful ancestor she takes after and the demons that are bound to her body and to her bloodline. A journey that will include going beyond the walls of the dimensional prison she is charged to guard and into the realm where demons dwell…

Pros/Cons:

This newest installment in the Hunter Kiss series takes a major departure from the other two books, in that Maxine Kiss has no memories of the man she loves. Some may like this new development; others may not and that is why I cannot firmly put this in the pro category or the con. However, not to worry: Liu does not leave this situation unresolved.

This leads me to my first con. Although Liu restores all of Maxine’s memories of Grant, I felt that not much focus was put on how she did so in the story. It was slightly disappointing for me because I would have liked more than what I got.

In the pro column for this book is the background information Liu reveals about major characters. We find out more about Grant—about his people and his powers, about Jack Meddle, about Maxine’s ancestor that she takes after, and about the demons that have been bound to her bloodline. Let’s face it: I love those five demons and having them appear more in the book makes me happy.

Overall assessment:

A Wild Light is as smart and engaging as the other books in Marjorie Liu’s Hunter Kiss series. Her writing is such that I am actually able to read every word in the book without having to skip to the end so I can finish it for the sake of finishing it. However, at the end of the novel, I was not left with that particular excitement I sometimes get after reading a really good story and I was not left with a desire of wanting more. I blame this on the fact that I love Maxine’s little demons more than I actually like Maxine herself. So, take what you will of this review. A Wild Light and the Hunter Kiss series is a good read, but for me, it is not a book that will live on my bookshelf.