Wicked Game
Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
Publisher: Pocket Books Fantasy
ISBN-13: 9781439101346
Rating: 8/10

Vampire novels are legion these days. There’s Elizabeth Bear’s Victorian nineteenth century books, the Anita Blake series (soon to be an animated series from HBO), and of course the “Twilight” series. With such a glut of vampire-themed novels, it’s easy to let them fade into the background, so to speak. This is not the case with “Wicked Game”. Jeri-Smith Ready’s sixth novel since “Requiem For The Devil”, is a musically themed romp featuring so many twists it will be hard for any mortal to put down. With a cast of three dimensional characters-and subplots galore-why try to resist being bitten by Smith-Ready’s sensual prose and almost lyrical narrative?

Set in the sleepy town of Sherwood near Baltimore, the story revolves around a radio station with an unearthly secret. When Ciara Griffin, a former foster child and daughter of con-man parents takes a job there as an intern, she sees it as a page turning experience. That turns out to be more prophetic than she thinks when she runs into Shane McAllister, a Gen Xer with an otherworldly past of his own. Just as she gets used to the idea that her new beau-and his fellow DJs at the station-have fangs, her gig (to say nothing of Shane’s life) is in danger of being upended with a thinly-disguised version of Clear Channel, led by an old enemy of Ciara’s. Faced with a life or death prospect, Ciara and the vamps must get together and combat the threat the only way they know how: letting the music play.

There are some drawbacks. For one, the relationship between Ciara and Shane seems too pat for a couple (I haven’t known anyone to fall in love after a one night stand). Yet that is more than made of for by the colorful cast and interplay between Ciara, Shane, and the rest of the citizens of Sherwood . Think of this as “FM” meets “True Blood”.

This is definitely worth a bite.

John Winn: Staff Writer
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Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready

By John Winn

Thursday, August 27th, 2009

Categories : Reviews: Books

Tags : dracula, paranormal romance, vampire fiction, vampire novels

Mike Kaiser

In defense of the add water and heat and presto you’ve got soup style of romance, there are scientific reasons for love at first glance. It appears that our genetics make it possible to recognize the qualities we are seeking in a prospective mate instantly.
Crimson

Being both a fan of rock’n'roll and vampries, Wicked Game (and it’s follow up Bad to the Bone) was right up my alley. Add to that, I’m a Gen X’er as well and felt that the character Shane was my long lost twin. lol Truly, though, the music makes the novel. Coupled with her unique take on vampires(that each vampire is stuck in his/her own “lifetime”), it’s a rockin’ fun read. The lead character, Ciara, is complex and interesting. The romance was a little “cookie cutter” but that fact is insignificant when taking the novel as a whole. All in all, I found both novels very enjoyable and am very much looking forward the third installment when and if it arrives.
Jack Winn

Mike,

Oh, there is no question the love at first bite thing is real. I read a book on the subject by a Cornell prof. a few years ago. But it doesn’t work well in literature for a variety of reasons-not least of which is the believability factor. I’m not knocking Mrs. Smith-Ready for this, I just think it’s unrealistic (at least from the point of view of a single guy in his late 20′s). Then again, when you have 300+ pages to kill, I guess you need to speed things up a bit.

What I really find fascinating is how men and women’s views on sex and relationships have really changed over the last generation. When I was reading The Man with the Golden Torc, I was struck by how the male and female lead’s relationship was almost entirely defined by courtship-they way they bantered with each other, the situations they found themselves in. That wasn’t the case with Ciara and Shane.

But that’s for another time and another essay. Speaking of the dead, did you hear that they’re Guitar Hero is going to feature a zombie Kurt Cobain? Talk about morbid.
Vanessa B

As a fan of the true blood television program, after reading this entry I feel very interested in reading this book. I like the modern appeal of the book that is described with the rock music scene. I do believe that the main characters falling for each other after a measly one night stand is rather hard to find in reality but something such as the rest of the story containing a well rounded character set more than makes up for that.
Arthur Delorenzo

As you said (in other words)there are tons of contemporary vampire and urban fantasy books out in the marketplace at the moment. To find one that stands out amongst the herd is in and of itself worthy of overlooking the love at first bite/sight thing. It is now on my “to read”list.
Nadine L

I love a good vampire read. Lately I have been finding them geared toward a “younger” crowd. This one sounds a little more up my alley, definitely on my “must read” list. Thanks for the review and restoring my faith that there are still good “adult” vampire series out there.