Review – Shotgun Sorceress (Spellbent, Book 2) by Lucy A. Snyder 5/5 stars

This is the second book in the Spellbent series by Snyder.  The third book, Switchblade Goddess, is due out sometime in 2011.  I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I think if you liked the first book, Spellbent, then you will also like this one.

The book is split into two parts.  The first part of the book starts right after Spellbent ends.  Jessie is under house arrest with Cooper, Pal, and friends.  She finds out that she can’t control her new fiery hand when her emotions get out of control and ends up going into Fairy with Cooper to strike a deal with the Fairy about his brothers and their renegade situation.  The second part of the book Jessie, Cooper, and the Warlock are stranded in a rural Texas town where a very bad devil has them trapped and is playing with them.  Well the devil finds out that picking on Jessie is a bad thing.

The book was non-stop action and I devoured it.  I also laughed out loud a number of times and made “ew, gross” faces a few times.  Like the first book, this one isn’t for the faint of heart.  There isn’t a ton of tenderness here and the descriptions are gory, grisly, and gritty.  Even the sex scenes (which there are more of in this book than the first) are pretty hard, fast, and furious.  The book is darkly funny though and I enjoyed actually getting to see more of Cooper in this book.  It was great to learn more about both Pal and Jessie’s new powers.  Some of the scenarios that Snyder comes up with are so strange that I have no idea how she thinks up this stuff; I am glad she does though because it always keeps me guessing.

This book reminds me a lot of the Sandman Slim books in tone, but with a female lead.  I really enjoyed it.  I enjoyed the situations, the awesome powers Jessie is wielding.  I really enjoyed all of the characters they are all tough and gritty and fun to read about.  The pacing was amazing and I was never ever bored.  The book is pretty darn funny at parts too, but in a dark way.

Overall an absolutely fabulous addition to this series.  If you loved the first one you will love this one.  If the first one was too gory and graphic for you…well this one will be too.  If you have read the Sandman Slim books by Richard Kadrey and enjoyed those, I think you would really enjoy this series too.  Loved it and I can’t wait for the third book to come out!