Her choice of weapons was as considered and unusual as her choice of martial arts training. Her weapon of choice being her sword, Nex, appropriately meaning Death in Latin. - A Cat's Chance in Hell (#1 Hellcat) by Sharon Hannaford
The brilliant Sharon Hannaford is our feature author today for our Paranormal Pumpkin Patch event. This wonderful author is a freakin' genius when it comes to the creation of original urban fantasy. Her Hellcat series keeps getting better and better. Be sure to get prepared for the release of book three next month.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Fairies
In book one of The Hellcat Series, we are thrown into Gabi’s world of danger and constant action. There’s certainly no rest for a Hellcat! Gabi, the protagonist, is not only a pretty amazing Demon Hunter, but she’s an unusual supe, one that’s set to cause a ripple if the Vamps, Demons and generally every other supe that you can think of, realise what she is.
Gabi is somewhat of an anomaly. She’s not an overly complex character, which is surprisingly refreshing. She works for the SMV which is the organisation whose mission is to protect humankind from the baddy supernaturals; she also daylights in an ordinary job using her extraordinary power that she has with animals. However, she isn’t portrayed as a woman with a desperate desire to fit in with the human world; she’s not desperately trying to be someone she isn’t. In fact, Gabi is refreshingly confident in her own skin, and knows who she is an individual, so there’s no internal battle, no monotonous internal dialogue.
Working alongside her best friend Kyle, who is also a bit of an anomaly himself, the two create a pretty kick-ass team, and have a reputation for being ruthless and successful in their missions. It is when they face a new threat, one that has potentially disastrous consequences on the world, that the danger steps up. It is here that we meet the delectable Julius, the Master vampire of the city.
Gabi and Julius immediately are faced with feelings and desires that neither were prepared for. And so begins their passionate journey. Again, what was refreshing was that their relationship didn’t involve painstaking (pun intended!) over analysis, one that drags on over numerous chapters in similar genre novels.
This novel was very enjoyable. The characters are well crafted and developed and the plot advances at a sound pace with lots of action, a good level of dialogue and a reasonable amount of back story. The novel ends a little frustratingly, as it feels as though it just stops; however, what Sharon Hannaford does is leave the story open for her next instalment, which I believe she is currently working on.
I have since read book 2, All Hell Breaks Loose and happily gave it a 4.5 Fairies!
If the Demon Master gets his way, the City is about to become Hell on Earth.
Gabi has some extraordinary talents. Some might call them supernatural, but for her they’re just part of everyday life. What she knows about the supernatural would give most humans nightmares forever. Ridding the streets of bad-ass creatures of the night is Gabi’s other job. Taking up the mantle of her father’s legacy, she is a Hunter for the Malus Venatori. If she had a choice it would be her only job, but a girl has to make a living, right?
Being ambushed and kidnapped by the sinfully sexy Master Vampire of the City should have been just another night on the job, except for the fact that Julius has other plans for her. When he reveals that his nemesis wants control of the City and has plans to fill it with Demons from the Etherworld, creating an army of Ghouls and turning humans into nothing more than cattle to feed his Clan, Gabi must choose her path. She must decide whether to join with Julius in a stand against the Demon Master or flee the City with her friends and family, leaving the Vampires to wage their own war and the rest of the residents to their fate.
But it’s not in Gabi’s nature to back down from a fight, no matter how impossible the odds. As the Malus Venatori prepare for war, Gabi finds herself pulled deeper into Julius’s world and makes some disturbing discoveries about her unusual supernatural abilities. Her existence might just be the answer to a mystery as old as the Vampire race. Even more unsettling than that is her undeniable attraction to Julius and the taste of his blood. But before she can come to terms with her conflicting desires they must all survive the Demon onslaught and find a way to safeguard the truth of her heritage.
While the supernatural bad guys know her as Angeli Morte, her friends call her Hellcat!
If you like your heroine smart, sassy and absolutely kick-ass and your Vampire hero sexy as sin and twice as dangerous you’re going to want to read the Hellcat series.
About the Author
I have been calling myself a writer since I was 8 yrs old. Born and raised in South Africa, I have been living in New Zealand for the past 4 yrs with my husband and young son.
I have had many jobs over the years, but have finally been able to fulfill my life-long ambition of being an almost full-time writer (housewife, mother and cat slave are my other job titles). As well as being a compulsive writer I am also an avid reader and gobble up around 100 titles a year, all in the fantasy, paranormal romance, urban fantasy genres.
I am a passionate animal person, and my life is always filled with animals of all shapes and sizes. I have owned cats, dogs, mice, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, horses, miniature horses, pigs, cows and sheep. I have worked on farms and petting zoos and have handled everything from porcupines and warthogs, to ferrets and hedgehogs. I have hand-raised kittens, lambs and an eagle owl. If I ever give up writing I think I’ll study animal behaviour or open my own menagerie.
I drink tea all day at home, but ALWAYS order a coffee when we go out (a caramel lattè being my favourite). I’m a red wine-ophile – a direct result of spending many years living in the Western Cape of South Africa, and I love a good whisky on the rocks on a hot, summer evening. If I’m forced to exercise I’ll cycle, rollerblade or swim but my true passion is horse-riding. The first book I ever published was a hand-guide to owning a horse or pony in South Africa.
I am IN LOVE with this series, when I say in love I mean I have been shamelessly stalking Sharon Hannaford for about 2 years now after reading her first book when it was submitted for a review. I was lucky enough to be able to read an arc of book three and I have to tell all of you if you have not read this series yet, please do! The Hellcat series is sexy, smart, and full of action... Not to mention it has one of my top Book BF's Julius in it... I could read about that man for years and want more. :)
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