Review: RED-HEADED STEPCHILD by Jaye Wells

Oh, I needed this book today.  It was a perfect fit for my mood.  Red-Headed Stepchild has the perfect blend of kick-ass and snarky humor to keep a reader entertained on a lazy holiday weekend.  Sabina Kane is half-vampire, half mage, but has been raised under her powerful, but cold vampire grandmother.  Since mating between the races is forbidden, Sabina is an outcast, even among the vamp community.  She can trust no one.  For this reason, she has become an assassin for her grandmother. 

When her grandmother sends her on an assignment (more like a suicide mission), Sabina makes friends with an unlikely group; a demon cat, a nymph and a mysterious and sexy male mage.  Through the course of the story, truths are revealed to her which make her question her loyalties and who exactly are the good guys. 

One of the things that I enjoyed most about this book was the humor.  Several times I found myself laughing out loud.  The scene where Sabina has to put the demon cat into the kitty carrier was the best!  If they ever make a movie of this, I want to nominate my kitty, Cady, to play the role.  Anyway, I can’t say strongly enough how enjoyable I found this book.  Lucky for me, I have the sequel upstairs waiting for me right now!

Overall, I give Red-Headed Stepchild…

Plot – 3 ½  bookmarks

Characters – 4 bookmarks (Original enough.  Sabina was bitchy and snarky without being unlikable.  Adam the “sexy hexy” was a perfect balance for her, and Giguhl the demon cat can come hang out at my house anytime he wants.)

Fight Scenes – 4 bookmarks.  (There is plenty of action.)

Interpretation of Vampire Lore – 4 ½ bookmarks.  (I love the history of where the supernatural races come from.  Wells put a lot of thought into it.  Her use of apples was interesting and made for an inventive twist.)

Dream Cast (otherwise known as who I pictured in my head while reading) – Emma Watson (Sabina Kane.  This might seem like a weird choice, but Watson has really grown up.  She’s beautiful and can drill a person with her eyes when she flashes a dirty look.  Give her some fight training and a wig and she’d be perfect.), Charlie Bewly (Adam), Ashley Green (Vinca), Cady the Kitty (Giguhl the Demon Cat).