Bookish Thoughts: Three Lilith Saintcrow Novels

I came across two of Lilith Saintcrow's novels on NetGalley which are being re-released. I had never read anything by the author before, but have been curious for awhile now. Let me just say, I look forward to reading more by her in the future.

The Society by Lilith Saintcrow

Imajinn Books, 2005

Romance (Paranormal); 228 pgs
Source: NetGalley

First Sentence: It was, as Rowan's best friend Hilary often said, a day of small mishaps turning into complete disasters.

Justin Delgado is a former government black ops Sigma operative who is now working for the Society, an organization trying to protect those with psychic abilities. Sigma's main goal is to control or wipe out anyone with psychic abilities. By chance, while on assignment, Justin comes across a very powerful untrained psychic. Rowan has no idea there is a name for her abilities, nor is she proud of them. She has hid them for most of her life.  Suddenly, she finds herself in serious danger; Sigma will stop at nothing to capture her, even if it means killing people who get in the way. And Justin is determined to keep her safe.

I was actually surprised by how much I liked this one. It was action packed, which I love, and I enjoyed seeing the romance between Justin and Rowan unfold. Justin is very worldly and tough while Rowan is on the naive side--more innocent really. Both Justin and Rowan are damaged in their own ways. I like it when an author is able to have her characters work through all that as they come together--it feels more realistic and adds depth to the story. The Society was intense, and I sped through it because I could not wait to see how everything would play out. The big downside is that the novel has a cliffhanger ending. Fortunately, the sequel was released previously too--and so I was able to buy it without having to wait too long to see how everything turned out.

Hunter, Healer by Lilith Saintcrow
Imajinn Books, 2005
Romance (Paranormal); 196 pgs
Source: Purchased by Myself

First Sentence: Kick.

The sequel to The Society picks up three months later. Sigma is still a major threat to those with psychic abilities and they are determined to get Rowan at all costs. It is impossible to say anything more about the plot and characters without risk of spoilers to the first book. In this installment we see a harder Rowan. She has been through a lot and isn't the mouse she once was. She's had to adjust to her new life, constantly on the run, constantly fighting to save the lives of others like her. Her team with the Society is her family. Justin is fighting his own demons as well as the enemy while trying to hold onto Rowan. Hunter, Healer is just as intense as The Society, and just as hard to put down. I am kind of sad there are no more books to come. I think it would be interesting to explore some of the other more minor characters like Yoshi and Cath.

The Demon's Librarian by Lilith Saintcrow

Imajinn Books, 2009

Romance (Paranormal); 218 pgs
Source: Net Galley

First Sentence: She ended up knee-deep in slick rotting garbage with one hell of a shiner and a stitch gripping her side, holding a glowing blue knife while something with tentacles thrashed toward her in the foul stinking water.

You can imagine why this book appealed to me from the title alone. In The Demon's Librarian, librarian, Francesca "Chess" Barnes, takes matters into her own hands when she notices children in the area going missing. Realizing the culprit isn't human, she studies magic books she's found in the library's basement, arms herself, and goes after the demon. No one is more surprised to discover just who took out the demon than Ryan, who is half-demon himself. It just isn't possible. 

As a Drakul, Ryan is assigned to assist and guide a wizard, and, in this case, his wizard has gone missing. He knows he cannot leave Chess alone or unprotected, especially now that she has proven herself to be a threat to some very powerful demons.

I loved Chess. I think other readers will too.  She's not exactly the kick butt heroine you might expect as she still is a bit unsure of herself and just beginning to realize what she's gotten herself into, but she can certainly hold her own. I was less impressed with Ryan, if I'm honest. I tend to like my heroes to be more than just brawn. Maybe it was Ryan's own insecurities that kept me from completely falling for him--but then, there have been other characters in other books with similar issues I fall for right away. Do not get me wrong, I liked Ryan. Throughout the book, I wanted him to see himself as Chess saw him--not as a servant, but as an equal. I certainly would want him on my side if I ever found myself surrounded by demons.

While I think I liked The Society more than I liked this one, The Demon's Librarian was an entertaining book to read. There is action and plenty of humor. The romance is more of a slow cooker one, but that never bothers me. I often prefer them that way as they tend to be more believable--even in a novel about demons and magic.

To learn more about Lilith Saintcrow and her books, please visit the author's website and Goodreads.

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