THE IRON HUNT - Marjorie M. Liu
Ace Books
ISBN: 978-0-441-01606-8
July 2008
Urban Fantasy

Seattle, Washington - Present Day

Demon Hunter Maxine Kiss has spent all of her life either learning how to battle demons, or fighting them. In the five years since her mother’s death, her only companions were the “boys”, demons who cover her body as tattoos during the day, but fight alongside her after the sun sets. They fight against the parasite demons that overtake human bodies, and they fight against any other demons that escape their prison and slip through the veil into the human world. Two months ago, Maxine met Grant Cooperon, a former priest with the ability to see auras and to sometimes heal souls through his musical gift. Maxine is still adjusting to living with another human, not to mention the zombies that assist Grant at the shelter, when suddenly her life is turned upside down again.

A private investigator is murdered in the streets, and in his pocket is a piece of paper with Maxine’s name on it. Secrecy is very important to a Hunter, so Maxine rarely uses her real name, and very few humans know it. Who could be so interested in her that they would hire a private investigator? To complicate matters further, Maxine finds out that something has slipped through the veil, and the walls of the prison holding the demons is weakening. For a woman who has spent most of her life alone, Maxine suddenly has quite a few people in her life and, with the exception of Grant, they are all speaking in riddles. The veil is lifting and the Hunt is on, but how is Maxine supposed to fight when she’s not even sure what all of this means?

THE IRON HUNT is a complex tale full of mystery. Though billed as the first book in the Hunter Kiss series, this book picks up where the novella, Hunter Kiss (from the anthology WILD THING), left off. For centuries, the Kiss women have served as Wardens, protecting humanity from the demons who manage to escape their prison. Maxine has never really stayed in one place too long, traveling first with her mother, then by herself after her mother died when Maxine was strong enough to take over the fight. There are a lot of things that Maxine doesn’t know, however, things that her mother tried to protect her from, and that she needs to know now in order to fulfill her destiny.

For the most part, the romance between Maxine and Grant is detailed in the novella, as is a lot of the background concerning each of their special gifts. THE IRON HUNT is focused on Maxine learning the truth of who she is and trying to figure out what is happening. I’d recommend reading them in order so it’s a little easier to understand everything, but either way, THE IRON HUNT is a fascinating story.

Jennifer Bishop