The Last Angel

One thing is quite clear from the onset - Natasha Rhodes is here to stay. A "new" author in the paranormal / urban fantasy genre, she cut her teeth working on the movie novelisations and tie ins including Blade: Trinity, Nightmare on Elm Street: Perchance to Dream. This has clearly stood her in good stead. The girl knows how to spin a good yarn and she clearly loves Los Angeles, there is even mention of the Viper Room! In retrospect, I should have read Dante's Girl first, as initially not a lot of the story made sense to me as I started off. But then, gradually on my part (erm, meh?) the light dawned on a few things and I got into the swing of the story as matters were explained (by a very patient author) for nitwits like me. And I loved every jot of it. Some of the storyline and references are still obscure, but that will be remedied once I've read Dante, so to be honest, that is my only gripe. Natasha has a definite writer's skill - she writes at a tremendous pace and does expect you to keep up. The brutality is real, the characters are strong and punchy and Kayla is quite real in her "innocence" (for a lack of a better word). We get pulled deeper into the world of the Hunters as their animosities, loyalties etc. get played out against a background of a Constantine-like Los Angeles. When the book came to an end I frantically paged right to the back thinking, waitaminute! where's the rest? Sadly, we have to wait a little more for the next instalment. This however, is no hardship because, like all good books, this one can do with a re-reading. And trust me, it will go onto the TBRA pile! Especially once I've got Dante under the belt. Who, by the way, does sound...scrummy! If you love Blade, Constantine, Van Helsing, Kim Harris, Kat Richardson and Mike Carey, you will like Natasha Rhodes. She writes vividly and the storyline is just that different to keep your attention, as is Kayla as a main character. There is tremendous scope to grow the character and the general storyline and I really do look forward to seeing what else Natasha has up her sleeve. She is definitely an author to watch out for!

This is the second novel in the Kayla Steele series after Dante's Girl (2007). Like its' predecessor, it contains lot's of non-stop action and twisting plot points. In fact you almost need to keep a scorecard because of the constantly shifting points of view and diverse storylines from chapter to chapter. Ms. Rhodes packs a lot into the 400 plus pages - all of it entertaining. But also like the previous book it fails to resolve previous story arcs or the new ones introduced including that of the `Angel' in the title. One of the things I like about Rhodes writing is the sly sense of humour. Of the evil vampire Harlequin - "Harlequin sat in the darkness, brooding. He liked to brood. It was one of his favorite pastimes, next to killing people and enslaving the odd civilization." And Cyan, also one of the vampires and Karrel's ex-lover thinks about Harlequin - "It was just a pity that he couldn't stand her. Other then that, they were perfect for each other." Kayla is also refreshing as a flawed, normal working-class girl who as the heroine has stumbled into the supernatural world and must survive without any powers or special abilities. She grudgingly accepts this world, but retains a healthy dose of skepticism even knowing what she does. Her pursuit of the truth about Karrel's death and the possibility of his resurrection remains her personal mission. Karrel and Kayla converge but only in the Epilogue which is perhaps the most evocative chapter in the book. As stated earlier, everything is left hanging at the end with tons of unanswered questions. I am OK with that in a series if I believe there will be a big payoff in a future installment. Please Ms. Rhodes don't disappoint. If you are the type of reader that needs things to be resolved this book is not for you. Definitely read Dante's Girl before tackling this and perhaps even wait for the next volume in the series and read them altogether. Normally I don't comment on proofing and editing but Ms. Rhodes should definitely take her publisher to task for the sloppy proofing of her novel. A couple of typos you can let slide but it becomes aggravating when you notice problems even when you aren't looking for them (see if you can spot them on Pgs 50, 202, 318, 370 to mention just a few). Reviewed by Doug Knipe of [...]

Kayla Steele is the newest member of the Hunters, an underground monster-fighting hit-squad. Her boyfriend, Karrel Dante with the LAPD, had been murdered last month by werewolves. The same gang who murdered Karrel (now undead) is after her, convinced that she knew some vital information that Karrel had died in order to keep secret. An angel is found murdered on the streets of Sunset Boulevard. Harlequin, a vampire with a half million dollar bounty on his head, intends to obtain the angel's body. According to the Bateaux Prophecy, just one drop of angelic blood would restore Harlequin's soul to him. Then he would begin experiments in genetic manipulation. Harlequin plans to create a new superior race, a combination of vampire and angel. It is up to the Hunters to stop the onset of Armageddon. Yet to do so, they must team up with werewolves. **** If you did not read the first book (Dante's Girl) you will still understand what is going on; however, you may find yourself lost once or twice. The action alternates between fast and slow. Even though there is little in the way of smooth transitions of scenes, it all comes together for a very entertaining story. The Kayla Steele novels are on their way to becoming one terrific dark fantasy series. **** Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

When a dead angel is found by local authorities, beliefs are threatened and everyone wants to catch a glimpse of it. But the undead have a plan to use the angel to create an even greater threat. And it's up to the Hunters to stop them. As a Hunter-in-training, Kayla isn't doing too well. And after a tragedy occurs, she may have to turn to the enemy for help. The werewolves are dangerous and deadly, but Kayla needs them to find the person responsible for her boyfriend's death. This installment is even more fast-paced than the first. With plenty of edge-of-your-seat suspense, this was an action-packed fantasy I didn't want to end. The vampires are conniving and ruthless. The werewolves are just as violent, but some are conflicted. And the Hunters aren't exactly what they seem. Kayla is forced to make some difficult decisions. And her struggles are valid and may place more than just her life at stake. (No pun intended.) This is a thrilling dark fantasy series about a woman thrust into a world she never knew existed. Danger and horror are now a part of her every day life. And all because a boyfriend hid this secret life from her.