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Book Review of Wicked Game (WVMP Radio, Bk 1)

Wicked Game (WVMP Radio, Bk 1)
skywriter319 avatar reviewed on + 784 more book reviews


Calling all fans of smoldering romance, sassy heroines, and badass vampires: this brilliant series by Jeri Smith-Ready is sure to make your year! Not since Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy series have I read a vampire book that's so hot, funny, intelligent, and well written.

If you like your protagonists bold and witty, look no further than Ciara Griffin. Her irreverent narration makes WICKED GAME a nonstop entertaining and mindblowing read. Ciara is a remarkably well-developed heroine: not only is she an original thinker who exudes appeal in the here and now, she also has a tender family history that is almost always subconsciously at odds with the woman she has turned herself into after her complicated childhood. This balance of present-day confidence and psychoanalytical complexities ensures that readers will never tire of learning about Ciara and following her around.

Fans of the HBO hit show True Blood will LOVE Jeri Smith-Ready's vampires. No more are they impeccably perfect and sparkly. These vampires are dangerous: the risks that Ciara takes on with her job and romantic pursuits are almost deliciously tangible. At the same time, the vampires are also flawed, neurotic in their compulsions and need of staying connected with their era. It is this weakness, this humanity in these vampires that make them appealing and all the more "realistic" to paranormal fans. I don't think I speak only for myself when I say that I'm bored by perfect paranormal creatures and naively "innocent" romances between humans and supernaturals. Toss in a hint of danger--that lethal combination of supernatural superstrength and human vulnerabilities--and you really crank the heat up in the romance and action departments.

I could say more about the sexy but not offensively purely erotic romance, or the complex vampire bad guys, or the phenomenally brilliant writing, or the number of times I cracked up reading the dialogue or evidence of Ciara's con artist background--but I think I'll leave off here. Suffice it to say that it is highly unlikely that a more well researched, smart, and supremely enjoyable paranormal read is currently out there. Jeri Smith-Ready has sated my demands for excellence in this genre, and has left me wanting much more from Ciara and her unforgettable vampires.