Daring You To Read...Hunted by the Others by Jess Haines

This week, I'm daring you to try HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, the first book in Jess Haines' fantastic urban fantasy series from Kensington. Tynga's reviewed the entire series so far but I wanted to share a bit of love for the books, too, so I'm using my dare this month to do so! =)

The series, H&W Investigations, follows Shiarra Waynest, a human detective who gets sucked the paranormal world in an alternate New York. In HUNTED BY THE OTHERS, Shiarra finds herself in the midst of a giant power struggle between vampires, werewolves, and more (those Others that keep getting mentioned), and she's terrified. It doesn't keep her from being resourceful, snarky, and brave. She also gets a bit of help from a sentient vampire hunting belt, some new friends, and some old ones.

In this series, the Others came out after 9/11, when they offered to help search the wreckage, stabilize the economy, and more. Shia doesn't hate the Others but she certainly doesn't want to have anything to do with them. Unfortunately for her, the books would be pretty boring if she didn't get pulled into their world, and so she ends up taking a job with a giant payday against her better judgment. Danger and hijinks ensue.

Jess Haines has created a great world for this series. I love the way she sets up the mythology of the series and she's populated her books with some truly interesting characters. Royce, the vampire in question, is one of those guys whose motives you'll constantly question but you can't get enough of. Chaz, Shiarra's werewolf ex-boyfriend, is also on the scene, giving Shia some romantic turmoil. (She broke up with him after he decided to tell her about his true nature by transforming right in front of her without warning. And some other less-than-great-boyfriend stuff.) Shia's best friend, Sara, is a real treat. Another human, she adds some balance to all of the supernatural stuff and she puts the "H" in H&W Investigations. There's also Arnold, a mage from The Circle, who Shiarra meets through the case.

I'm not caught up on the series but I really like the directions it's going in and I can't wait to see what happens next. And if that's not the hallmark of a good Daring You To Read... candidate, I don't know what is!

Want more? I bet you do! Here's the cover copy for HUNTED BY THE OTHERS:

They are the Others-the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they're stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again...

In A Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest's detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm-if it doesn't kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York's most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend-a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing-and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren't always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil-whether she likes it or not...

Tynga's thoughts

Read an excerpt

Purchase: Amazon | Book Depository

And here's the rest of the series. Click on the cover to see what Tynga thinks of each book!

The series (so far) is also available as an e-bundle and it's a great deal:

Daring You To Read is a weekly feature here on Tynga’s Reviews where we dare you to read some of our favorite older releases (at least 6 months old). All the books/series we choose to feature are titles we adored and think you should give them a shot! We think it’s a super awesome way to discover that special book who might have slipped off your radar!

What do you think? Have you read this series? Are you willing to accept my dare?

Posted by jenn at 06:23

 Daring You to Read, Jess Haines, Kensington, Vampire, werewolf  5 People left their mark

Born and raised in the Toronto area, Jenn moved to St. John's, Newfoundland, eight years ago for school. She's still in school (thankfully on another degree!), now trapped in her dissertation. When she's not dissertating, which happens more often than it should, Jenn spends her time reading, watching movies, playing volleyball, travelling, and enjoying the local music scene. Her latest addictions: yoga and Almond Crunch cereal.