Tainted (Blood Lily Chronicles, Book 1)

This was a great book! I had previously read a number of Julie Kenner's humorous paranormals about a demon-hunting soccer mom, and loved them. This is something completely different: much darker, and the heroine is not a heroine, exactly. But the book is extremely well written, and keeps you hooked from the first page. And without giving anything away, all I can say is...expect the unexpected!

Lily Carlyle died while trying to exact revenge against her teenage sister's stalker and rapist. Unfortunately for Lily, regardless of how noble her cause for retribution, her intent does not dismiss the fact that she had murder in her heart. While Lily was alive, she was a small time hustler and thief. She did whatever it took to put food on the table for her family. Luckily for Lily, shortly after her death, she was given an opportunity for redemption against her past sins. Her choice, become a demon hunter and fight for the side of good or have a nice trip back to your descent into hell. Nothing is as it seems in this story. I was so intrigue by the thought of demons having the capability of repelling their true nature and gravitating towards light, and in reverse, humans who are not naturally evil (well most of us), rebelling against their nature towards good and being easily led astray by evil. The twists and turns in this book kept my interest thoroughly peaked. There were plenty of fierce action scenes and shocking revelations. By the end of the book I was so completely blown away, I couldn't put it down. I've never read anything from this author before and while I was aware of the context of the story before I read it, I still didn't particularly care for this books affirmation of the Christianity version of god. I don't usually read books that affirm any one particular religion; however, regardless of the religious aspect of this book I enjoyed it immensely. I highly recommend this book to fellow dark urban fantasy readers and look forward to the next book Torn. I also recommend: Soul Catcher (The Outsider Series) Dark Time: Mortal Path Book 1 Three Days to Dead Ravenous: The Dark Forgotten Servant: The Awakening

Tainted is the debut novel for Julie Kenner's new series The Blood Lily Chronicles. Summing up my thought in few words; I am in love with this new series, and it is definitely a new addition to my favorites. The main character Lily Carlyle is one of my new favorite characters. She has such a diverse personality that carries love larger than herself, but she also has the kick a** character that action junky's, like myself, crave. Seldom do you find a character that has personality so grand, and when you do it promise to be an awesome read. As if Lily was not enough, Tainted was also carried by Deacon the bad a** gorgeous demon that finds himself in league with our leading lady. Between these two characters satisfaction is guaranteed. Kenner's storyline was that of the typical good versus evil, but she successfully created a very original story that keeps the reader guessing. Kenner is not afraid of change, and the twists of this story are large and unexpected creating a very cutting edge story that I look forward to continuing in Torn.

When Lily Carlyle's mother died, Lily promised her little half-sister Rose that she would protect her, no matter what. However, at the time, Lily was only fourteen. Their father, devastated by his wife's death, turned to the bottle. Not exactly a good girl, Lily lied, stole and cheated, but it was all to take care of her little sister. Now Lily is twenty-six and though she tried her best to protect little Rose, she never counted on monsters like Lucas Johnson, who took away Rose's safe life, attacking and destroying her. Though she is still alive, Rose seems to have lost interest in living. So Lily goes in search of Lucas, intent on killing him. She succeeds, but in the process, she dies also. When she awakens at death's door, she is given a second chance. Despite all the evil she has done, she can redeem herself and find a way into Heaven by fighting on God's side. While killing any demons that get in her way, it is up to her to ensure that the ninth gate to Hell stays locked so the underworld cannot get out. The other eight gates are already sealed. The next full moon is supposed to coincide with the end of the world. Lily is to find the ones who seek to open the ninth gate. Then turn their plans around by killing the demon priest and using the key to lock the gate instead of giving them the chance to perform the ceremony to open it. Given the chance to redeem herself and return to life, she grabs it. The next thing she knows she is waking up again, but she is in someone else's body. She is in the body of Alice Purdue, a waitress at Alice's uncle's bar. Called the Bloody Tongue, the bar was founded in the 1600's and it is part of the Boston haunted tour. There is also some dark activity going on in the bar. As Lily settles in, she never knows when a demon will be lying in wait for her. Will she be able to handle her position as an assassin for the good side, especially since she is having a hard time keeping her mind...and her hands off a demon named Deacon? TAINTED, the first book in Julie Kenner's BLOOD LILY CHRONICLES, is a fast-paced, action-packed urban fantasy. The heroine Lily conveys this awesome first-person series that is original and inventive. Brimming with sizzling chemistry, a feisty heroine, a smoldering, handsome demon, suspense-filled action, well-drawn characters and some surprising plot twists, TAINTED is a winner! Readers will find themselves staying up all night to see what happens next. I did! Do you know how you read a book that you enjoy so much that you want to hold onto it to read repeatedly? Well, this is it for me! TAINTED leads up to the next two books in this series, TORN and TURNED. I can't wait for their release. Run out and grab your own copy of TAINTED! You may lose a little sleep, but it's worth it! [...]

Lily Carlyle died when she tried to avenge her sister's attacker. But she is given a second chance at redemption when she's brought back to life in another woman's body. Lily must start life over as a demon hunter and stop evil forces from opening a door to hell on earth. Kenner is the author of one of my favorite series - the Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom. So, I had high expectations for her new fantasy series. This is a decidedly different feel from Kenner's other light-hearted books. Lily is a tortured soul, still wanting to look out for her little sister, despite having to leave her old life behind. And even though she had a shady past, Lily is determined to do the right thing this time around. And that means helping the forces of good fighting evil. Lily is a kick-butt heroine in true urban fantasy fashion. This series debut has one of the most twisted plots I've ever read. The story kept me on the edge of my seat with suspense. When demons seek redemption from their past, it's hard to determine who the truly bad guy is. But one thing is for sure, readers are in for a big surprise. Tainted is fast-paced, dark, and action-packed. Urban fantasy fans won't want to miss this new series.