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    Hellbent
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    Hellbent
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    Hellbent
    Ebook376 pages6 hours

    Hellbent

    By Cherie Priest

    4/5

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    Currently unavailable

    Currently unavailable

    About this ebook

    BAD TO THE BONE
     
    Vampire thief Raylene Pendle doesn’t need more complications in her life. Her Seattle home is already overrun by a band of misfits, including Ian Stott, a blind vampire, and Adrian deJesus, an ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen. But Raylene still can’t resist an old pal’s request: seek out and steal a bizarre set of artifacts. Also on the hunt is a brilliant but certifiably crazy sorceress determined to stomp anyone who gets in her way. But Raylene’s biggest problem is that the death of Ian’s vaunted patriarch appears to have made him the next target of some blood-sucking sociopaths.  Now Raylene must snatch up the potent relics, solve a murder, and keep Ian safe—all while fending off a psychotic sorceress. But at least she won’t be alone. A girl could do a lot worse for a partner than an ass-kicking drag queen—right?
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherRandom House Publishing Group
    Release dateSep 6, 2011
    ISBN9780345520630
    Unavailable
    Hellbent
    Author

    Cherie Priest

    Cherie Priest debuted to great acclaim with Four and Twenty Blackbirds, Wings to the Kingdom, and Not Flesh Nor Feathers, a trilogy of Southern Gothic ghost stories featuring heroine Eden Moore. She is also the author of Fathom, Dreadnought, and Boneshaker, which was nominated for a Nebula and Hugo Award and won the PNBA Award and the Locus Award for best science-fiction novel. She is an associate editor at Subterranean Press. Born in Tampa, Florida, Priest went to college at Southern Adventist University and earned her master’s in rhetoric at the University of Tennessee. After spending most of her life in the southern United States, she recently moved to Seattle, Washington, with her husband, Aric, and a fat black cat named Spain.

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    • 4/5
      Raylene Pendle is back, trying to protect her vampire boyfriend Ian from his SF family who want to kill him, by investigating an Atlanta vampire House on behalf of SF. Also, she’s trying to get some mystical penis bones from a schizophrenic genius who is trying to use them to erase her past mistakes (including the people and places involved). If that seems scattered, it fits the narrator’s internal monologue, which has a lot of tangents. I enjoyed it but lots of plot-related things happened really fast.
    • 3/5
      I really enjoyed Hellbent--possibly more than Bloodshot? Not sure, but I'm really bummed there aren't more. Adrian/Sister Rose is the best, and their relationship with Ray is A . Also, Ray is open about her mental illness, and sympathizes with a woman with schizophrenia. She doesn't really know what to do with the woman once she finishes her revenge spree, but Ray's willing to try, at least. So much of this book was just wonderful, and I would read boatloads more of the Cheshire Red books.
    • 4/5
      The premise: ganked from BN.com: Vampire thief Raylene Pendle doesn’t need more complications in her life. Her Seattle home is already overrun by a band of misfits, including Ian Stott, a blind vampire, and Adrian deJesus, an ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen. But Raylene still can’t resist an old pal’s request: seek out and steal a bizarre set of artifacts. Also on the hunt is a brilliant but certifiably crazy sorceress determined to stomp anyone who gets in her way. But Raylene’s biggest problem is that the death of Ian’s vaunted patriarch appears to have made him the next target of some blood-sucking sociopaths. Now Raylene must snatch up the potent relics, solve a murder, and keep Ian safe -- all while fending off a psychotic sorceress. But at least she won’t be alone. A girl could do a lot worse for a partner than an ass-kicking drag queen -- right?My Rating: Good ReadConsidering that I consider Cherie Priest to be a favorite author of mine, it's a relief that I liked this, since I had a lot of reservations about the first book in the series. However, a few things happen in this book that help me understand the heroine from a new and different angle, and in this book, she's not acting out of self-interest, but for the benefit of others, and that in and of itself makes a world of difference. In Hellbent, Raylene actually has something to lose, which makes for a much more interesting read. The world-building is also expanded to the point that we really get to see how Raylene fits into the overall world of vampires, and all of it leads to some interesting and tenuous alliances. Hellbent officially has me hooked on the series, so I'm looking forward to seeing where Priest goes next.Spoilers, yay or nay?: Nay. The book is too new to be spoiled, so I won't. The full review may be found in my blog for those of you interested, and as always, comments and discussion are most welcome.REVIEW: Cherie Priest's HELLBENTHappy Reading!
    • 4/5
      While Hellbent is a sequel to Bloodshot, I don’t think it’s strictly necessary to read them in order, although I’d suggest it if you can. The plots are largely independent, and Hellbent has a recap type thing to fill you in on what you need to know. Namely, that Raylene is a vampire thief living in Seattle. For most of her existence she’s been solitary, but within the last six months she’s moved in with a blind vampire (Ian) and two homeless kids and gained an ex-navy SEAL drag queen (Adrian) as a best friend.The renovations to her building have cut into her supply of cash, so Raylene accepts a job that’s supposed to be totally easy – steal a box of bones out of an everyday home. Only, turns out a schizophrenic sorceress is also after them. And if Raylene didn’t have enough going on, the patriarch of Ian’s old vampire House has died, and the new regime needs to make sure that Ian can’t be in the running for succession.The plot was faced paced, but it felt very episodic. Maybe it was the result of all these interlocking plot threads? It felt like the book was moving very clearly from one scene to another, and it sort of cut into the tension.One thing I did like was how Raylene relates to Elizabeth, the aforementioned schizophrenic sorceress. Raylene’s neurotic and possibly got OCD, which back when she was alive in the 1920s got her a diagnosis of hysteria for which she was lucky not to wind up in an institution. Elizabeth hasn’t had any such luck, and Raylene sees some sort of commonality between them.Hellbent doesn’t pick up any of the plot threads from Bloodshot. It almost feels like a detour, only it’s unclear whether there’ll ever be more books for the series. Priest only had a contract for two books, and there’s currently no plans for a third.I’ve enjoyed both Bloodshot and Hellbent, and I’d recommend them to anyone looking for a couple of fun urban fantasy stories.Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
    • 5/5
      Note: While this is Book 2 in the series, it works just fine as a stand alone novel.Raylene is an expert thief and a wayward vampire. Her fixer Horace has an unusual job for her. He needs these rare yet odd relics stolen and he offers her a big financial incentive to take on the job. However, someone else is also after the relics – Elizabeth Creed. She’s a warlock and one who isn’t all there. Tossing in some trouble on the homefront, Ian (a blind vampire) has been summoned home by his House. It’s a death sentence to go and a death sentence to not go. Ray may not be able to help Ian with this one.First, there was lots of humor and banter in this book, and plenty of it is a bit dark. The odd relics that Ray is hunting for are actually baculum, which are penis bones. Yep. Many placental mammals have penis bones. Alas, humans do not. Anyway, these particular baculum are from things like werewolves and such, making them perfect for magical spells. I’m sure you can see how this particular job was rife with humor.The quest takes Ray out of Seattle and to Houston and Atlanta. She’s also trying to give her support to Ian as he tries to reconnect with this son Brandon. So we get to see a chunk of the country in this book. Adrian, an ex-military drag queen, is also along for the ride. Hooray! I really enjoyed his character in Book 1, Bloodshot. When he’s in drag, she’s Sister Rose. In the previous book, he was searching for his younger sister Isabel. That search comes up again in this novel and I was glad to see that Adrian had not given up his hunt.There’s a touch of romance in this novel. There’s a low simmering heat between Ray and Ian, but since they live in the same big house, they have been keeping things casual. They also share space with two orphaned kids, Domino and his little sister Pepper. Domino is going through his angry teen years and I really was worried he was going to get dead in this book! Pepper is the brains of the two even if she’s only 7 or so.There’s plenty of action as Ray tries again and again to doge the crazy warlock, the military group that once held Ian captive, and also Ian’s House. There are so many ways that things could go very, very wrong for Ray! Eeeeep! This was a real page, or, rather, disc, turner for me. I didn’t want to put this book down. Between the humor and the high-stakes action, I was hooked and enjoyed the entire book.Narration: Natalie Ross did another great job with this book. I continue to be amazed at her performance with Adrian/Sister Rose. I also enjoy her various accents as needed here and there. Her rough, kind of seedy voice for Horace was perfect – just like how I picture him.
    • 3/5
      Another fluffy, easy read. As in the first book, I liked Raylene's OCDness and the way she was just so matter of fact about it. I liked her side kick. I liked her family-building, as well as the fact that romance is hinted at but never becomes part of the story. I also liked the writing and narrative style, which is surprising as it's first person and I generally don't like first person. I did think this one came across as a little juvenile. Mostly because Raylene was tasked with hunting down baculum, which requires 14 thousand references to penis bones and the likes. It because apparent that this was there for comic effect, but it also made me feel like a 15 year old would have appreciated it more. Despite that, if there were a 3rd book I'd pick it up.
    • 5/5
      This is the second in this series and I look forward to the next one eagerly. The plot is fast paced and makes for an quick and fun read. Priest manages character conversations with such natural rhythm that you are are part of them. The characters banter like you do with friends in a bar or coffee shop. They are people who you want to be with.

      There is no sense of drippy morality about the horror of being a monster, or about heroic, self sacrificing, world saving efforts. Its endearing quality is the fact that Raylene is out to save her friends and make money. She has no ethical qualms about what she has to do to achieve it. She doesn't apologize for being a vampire and she doesn't have any hint of moral rectitude. No where does she try to explain away her actions either. Its who she is. For all of that, she is a decent person, doing her level best to protect her own. And you love her for it.

      Priest was gutsy to ignore the incessant morality that tends to clog these types of supernatural tales. For example, Raylene rescues and befriends someone who most authors would have relegated to psycho villain and felt perfectly safe doing so. Instead we are left with someone who has done terrible things and is now sitting in the chair as a friend and possible powder keg. It creates complexity and tension and nagging sense that there might be more to this novel than just a fun, 'don't think too hard' romp.
    • 4/5
      Hellbent is an awful lot of fun. The pace picks up rather during the last half, which left me wanting more, really, and I hope to god there will be more. Soon.Basically, what I want is for Raylene to get up to more hijinks with the help and connivance of Elizabeth, Isabelle, Adrian, Ian, Domino, Pepper, Pita and possibly Horace. I'm not sure I want her to succeed in the goal of avenging/fixing Ian et al: disability erasure is no fun. I don't really look forward to this arc developing further because it'll probably mean danger to the status quo, and like Raylene, I can be all about the status quo.(I can also complain loudly about nothing happening. I know. Shut up.)I still love Adrian so much. He's kickass, sexually attractive both in drag and out of it, he's good for Raylene, he's just... Thoroughly capable. I want him and Ian and Raylene to mother-and-father their whole weird household, and preferably get together as a threesome (since Cherie Priest doesn't shy away from having a drag queen as a hero and lesbian relationships in the background, this looks more hopeful than I'd thought).I'm not feeling Ian, still. Not as a romantic partner for Raylene, anyway. But I could be convinced.My only problem with the two books is Raylene's narrative voice. Why is she telling this story, and to whom? I don't think there's ever an indication of that, a thing that has bugged me about first person narration ever since Lynn O'Connacht mentioned her pet peeves about it. And while her voice feels realistic with all her digressions and so on, sometimes it starts to feel like filler.Oh, and she never, ever, asks about what pronouns Adrian would like her to use and when. She seems generally well meaning, but not informed.
    • 4/5
      This book was a total riot. On Raylene Pendle's second outing, the vampire thief gets contracted to steal a collection of supernatural penis bones. And in case you are cringing at the idea of a completely unironic penis bone search, I assure you that this quest is completely milked for all the jokes you can think of and then some. The wonderfully batshit crazy tone sets this series completely apart from all the other paranormal fantasy series out there. When I read the first book in the series (that would be Bloodshot), I was rather pleased with the zany cast of characters. Hellbent ups the ante by introducing some more, and it occurred to me that Cherie Priest has done an awesome job of avoiding obvious stereotypes by treating her offbeat characters like normal people. She's got a drag queen, a schizophrenic rocket scientist, a trio of vampires with disabilities (one deaf, one blind, and one with OCD), and two homeless kids, and none of them are a punchline or caricature. In sum: Awesome fun here, and it's done without being at the expense of a rather diverse group of characters.
    • 4/5
      I was thrilled when HELLBENT came up on Netgalley because I read BLOODSHOT, the first book in the Cheshire Red series, and I enjoyed it, but I was on the fence about whether or not I wanted to continue with the series. I figured a free read of HELLBENT would answer all my questions but it didn't, really. HELLBENT has all the same pros and cons as BLOODSHOT, in almost exactly the same quantities.

      The pros: It's clever, entertaining and smart. The twist at the end, especially, let me shut HELLBENT with a big smile on my face. I like the motley cast of characters. And I like Raylene, a neurotic criminal with a surprisingly soft heart.

      The cons: It's wordy (Raylene's inner monologues go on and on and on) and while Priest sets up a lot of conflicts that have the potential to ratchet up into some really scary, heart-in-the-throat moments, they don't. I never feel like Raylene is really in peril; she's prudent and competent, and when she's caught off-guard the threat never turns out to be half as scary as she herself is.

      Here's an example of the wordy inner monologue: "Adrian had called a cab and it was waiting for us downstairs. We could've driven and left the car at the airport -- but if he wanted a cab, that was fine with me. Besides, parking at SeaTac is nothing short of extortion. So in retrospect, good on Adrian for thinking of it, especially since we expected to be gone for several days at the very least." - it's not that I mind the running patter, I find Raylene to be an interesting and intelligent narrator, and her chattiness gives us constant proof of her OCD nature, but that example is typical. It takes a paragraph to call a cab. And it takes many, many paragraphs to get anything significant done.

      So the pacing is pretty slow, but, and to give Priest credit, sometimes the attention to detail results in brilliant little gems, like her description of solar-powered lawn lights at a vampire's house, "one every few yards, on both sides. That had to count as irony in some universe, right?" It's exactly the kind of detail that a less obsessive compulsive vampire narrator would miss, and that would be a shame.

      So I'm finishing HELLBENT on the fence. I was pretty frustrated with the wordiness and also with the low tension level, but I was also happy to spend time with Raylene and her crew, and the writing is smarter than the average. I'd say this is a 3.5 star book and usually I round based on whether or not I think I'll read another book by the author. I'm not sure the answer is yes, but I wouldn't avoid one, so...four stars it is.
    • 5/5
      Vampires and drag queens? Yes please! Cherie Priest has a great way of writing that I enjoy. Yes, it is fluff, but it is good fluff.
    • 5/5
      I am not going to try to claim that this is a Serious Novel, but for urban fantasy it's just fantastic.

      I have a serious weakness for brilliant, neurotic women, and Cheshire Red fits that description perfectly. The writing style is extremely chatty - it may as well be a series of Cherie Priest's blog posts. (I love Cherie Priest's blog possibly more than her books, so that works perfectly for me.) Direct asides to the reader, fashion digressions, defensive explanations of Red's OCD, etc - I love it all.

      And that's before we get to the actual story, which is entertaining and moves the worldbuilding along nicely, but mostly serves to showcase the various awesome secondary characters - most notably the ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen, who is the best sidekick EVER, but also the schizophrenic rocket scientist/magician, various vampires, precocious and adorable waifs, and the kitten. I love the kitten.

      I would cheerfully recommend this to anyone who enjoys urban fantasy/vampires, and really anyone who's interested in some funny, light reading.
    • 5/5
      I just finished this. It is book 2 in her Cheshire Red Reports series. Before this I had only known her steampunk books. I really enjoyed this one. There are vampires, but don’t hold that against it. Fun, fast read with a lot of humor and quirky characters.
    • 4/5
      The second in a series, Hellbent follows Bloodshot in the story of Raylene, our lovable OCD-thief-vampire narrator. The story picks up an acceptable amount of time after the last book, and brings us on to further adventures - some completely new to this story (magical penis-bones!) and some predicted by the last book (working to find Adrian's sister and work on keeping Ian safe) - while there are of course delightful cameos by Pepper and Domino, everyone's favorite street urchins. I really enjoy these books. The mysteries are fun, the action is enjoyable but not hard to follow, and the characters are people I like. The book is a quick read, which is what I wanted from it, and I was quite gratified to see a character with schizophrenia treated as someone who could function normally in a given society. I am still intrigued by Raylene's backstory and hope to have the opportunity to read more, especially since I live in Chicago.The one thing I didn't like about this book is the same thing I had a problem with in Bloodshot: namely, a lot of the big events, especially at the end, were easily predicted. I had already guessed Raylene's big reveal in the end and that kind of drives me nuts. I like being surprised or at least being a little tense, wondering what is going to happen. (The scene in Houston, for example, when [possible spoiler?] Raylene confronts Elizabeth - I didn't know how Raylene was going to approach her, and I appreciated that.)My other nitpick is that there [another possible spoiler] is, from what I can recall, absolutely no follow-up mention of what damage was done by the earthquake. I imagine there must have been some human cost, and I don't think it's out of the realm of Raylene's character to not notice or care (although it did surprise me that she was so cavalier about the deaths in Houston), but I would have thought Adrian or Horace would have at least mentioned the outcome of the earthquake. Plus, I want to know.These two things aren't enough to make me not want to read the next, if there is one - in fact, I'll be excited to do so - but I would love it if they became a little less predictable.
    • 5/5
      Raylene Pendle, accomplished thief and vampire, has a pretty complicated life. Her collection of strays has grown to include orphan siblings Domino and Pepper and blind vampire Ian Stott living in her apartment plus drag queen and ex-Navy SEAL Adrian deJesus, even though he lives elsewhere. Supporting so many people plus the huge move when she was forced from her previous building proves to be expensive. When Horace Bishop contacts her with a very lucrative job, she accepts despite the weirdness factor. The items of great value are actually penis bones, or bacula, of fantastical creatures, such as werewolves and unicorns and they are worth millions. She knows the job is more complicated than it seems, but is still surprised when someone steals them first and then destroys the house with lightning. To further complicate matters, the leader of Ian's House is killed, leaving him in charge. He can't risk returning because of his disability, but can't ignore his responsibilities to his family. Raylene resolves to solve his problem by finding out what really happened to his father and takes Adrian with her to pose as her ghoul. Can she wrestle the bacula from a powerful, crazy woman AND save Ian from certain death also known as vampire politics?Hellbent is the second installment of Cherie Priest's Cheshire Red series and proves to be just as good as the first one. Raylene is a unique protagonist. Her narrative is colored by her humor and her interesting view of the world. Underneath her veneer of being a perfect, hard as nails thief, she's actually quite human. Her collection of strays betrays her loneliness and need for other people. She really cares about her makeshift family and, although they sometimes drive her crazy, she will do anything in her power to keep them safe. One of the cutest scenes in the book was when Raylene found a kitten at a murder scene and couldn't just leave it there where it would probably die. I found the scene endearing and cute. She is painfully OCD at times, obsessively overpreparing for every conceivable situation and loading up on extra equipment just in case. Although she goes overboard, her OCD is one of the reasons why she's still alive. Her vampiric powers aren't unrealistic or godlike. They just make her tougher and faster than a human with weak psychic powers. More of her regenerative powers and psychic connection to those who drink her blood are explored.The other characters are just as engaging. What's not to like about a drag queen who was also a Navy SEAL? Hellbent gives Raylene and her friends added depth and more background. Raylene's past involvement with a House is discovered as well as Ian's vampire family and more details about Adrian. Their three story lines come together in unexpected ways that kept me guessing. The plot is very twisty and it would go in completely different directions than I predicted, which is refreshing. The story is funny, fast paced, suspenseful, and fun. Romance is only hinted and doesn't overpower or interrupt the action as it does in fantasy so often. I hope Raylene eventually has a relationship with someone, but the issues at hand are a little bit more important.Hellbent is a really fun paranormal read that combines mystery, humor, action, and fantasy. I can't wait for the next book in the Chesire Red series!
    • 4/5
      A great sequel. I thought Priest really found Raylene's "voice" in this installment. A theme going through the book is that Raylene, once a lone wolf, has assembled a family of sorts. These are the folks she rescued her helped in the first book. And she just might so unexpectedly collect more!There are a few great adventures here, but mostly I enjoyed how Raylene's relationships are developing. Highly recommend and can't wait for the next one. (No pressure, Cherie!)
    • 4/5
      Received from NetGalleyOverall Rating 4.00Story Rating 3.75Character Rating 4.25NOTE: I read this out of order but will be going back to pick up Bloodshot. Cherie Priest did an excellent job of making me feel like I had not missed a thing but I loved her writing so I must pick up the first one!What I Loved: Quips, Action, Smart Leading Ladies, and a Motley Crew of misfits---this books was right up my alley! Seriously I was between giggling and cheering most of Hellbent. Plus the whole "P*nis Bones" side caper was just the right balance of action/lightness.What I Liked: The main story of tracking Adrian's sister and getting Ian out trouble was pretty good. I think this is probably where not reading the books in order probably had me a little disconnected. However, it was really well balanced and I was happy with how it all turned out.Complaints: NoneWhy I gave it a 4: I was really surprised at how much I really liked Hellbent. I will be continuing this series and can't wait to pick up book 1 to catch up!
    • 5/5
      Electronic copy provided for review by netGalleyRaylene is back and her home life is just a bit more complicated. The FBI, army, and Men in Black are off her back for the time being, but new trouble arises when Ian's old house wants him to come back (mostly to kill him) and a certifiably insane sorceress is determined to erase her past mistakes, no matter who gets in her way. And only Raylene is up to the task, but thankfully she isn't alone as Adrian, the ex-Navy SEAL/drag queen, is back for the adventure. Hopefully they'll manage to stop the sorceress before she completely destroys the world and that they'll be able to keep Ian safe as well. But hey, what's life without a bit of chaos?The first book dragged just a bit in some places, but this one? Wow...no pauses, nonstop go as soon as you set eyes on that very first page. You're hooked from the very first moment for a wild and crazy ride. Where the first one had some issues with flow of the story (mostly related to setting up the new universe) this one flows smooth as silk and then some. Since the first book created the universe and how the characters interacted with them, Priest is able to focus on the story and developing and revealing more about the characters instead of explaining the universe. We get to see how they grow and deal with change and we get a fantastic tale of intrigue, mystery, and magic all rolled into one.Priest should be congratulated and applauded for creating a series that has something for everyone. Even though the main character is female, she's easy to relate to and acts like the girl next door...provided that the girl next door kicks butt and is a master thief. No, but seriously she doesn't act like the prima dona's that you see on TV these days, but she's a real person with real issues. And Adrian comes across as a human being instead of being a stereotype of the macho man or the drag queen, he's a perfect combination of both. And the other characters are just as well developed.I can't wait to read the next volume and see what happens to Raylene and crew next.
    • 4/5
      This book continues the adventures of the OCD vampire thief, her ex-Navy SEAL friend, the blind vampire she "adopted" in the last book, and her two street kids. This time she's set on the trail of a set of supernatural bones used by a mentally ill magician at the same time as trying to find her friend's sister, and get the blind vampire safe from House politics. All the threads weave together well, and I'm looking forward to where they all go in the next installment. It's a fast paced book, I enjoyed it.
    • 5/5
      *WARNING SOME ADULT CONTENT*KIDDOS DON'T PRECEDE WITHOUT PARENT CONSENTWhat I LikedCharactersRaylene: She is a very fun character, witty, sarcastic and thoroughly entertaining throughout the entire book. Her OCD just adds to the amusement and enhanced the book. Some of the things she makes jokes about are the funniest ever like the running joke about the dick sticks (sorry can't explain more without spoiling the book) and my favorite "oh my did she really just say that" sentence. Context of the sentence, she is saving person from being shot at while person is creating a lot of magical power. "Holding her felt like holding a really high-powered sex toy cranked up to eleven." See what I mean this book is so entertaining because of Raylene's character, I love her.Sister Rose aka Adrian: What is not to love about him! We first met him in book 1 Bloodshot while he was a she and putting on an amazing performance with a fantastically curious tuck job. Raylene thinks he is straight, but he really hasn't shown interest in any male or female. He can go from talking about clothes and make up to being ready to fight and being stealthy and manly. He is a very fun and crazy combo of a personality. I want more of both Adrian and Sister Rose.No RomanceI always think of Urban Fantasy as having little romantic scenes and this series does hold very well to that though process. Raylene has some interest in Ian, but nothing is ever expanded about what they do except kiss/make out. The book is more centered around the characters, the trials they are facing, how well she can squeeze out of the current mess and accumulating more "pets" to get the "full set". All the entertainment more than makes up for the lack of romance.I Want MoreThere isn't anything I didn't enjoy about this book. I like having a break from romantic interludes so I don't mind the non existent romantic tension. I am hoping for more potential books in the series. I know Cherie said that there was only going to be 2 books in the series, but the ending is left open enough to continue on with another book or even 2. Hopefully demand for the series will be enough to ensure more books.RecommendationGreat urban fantasy series with great action and lots of fun ADULT humor. Vampire fans need to read this series as well.
    • 4/5
      (Book 2, Chesire Red Reports)Very enjoyable sophomore entry in Priest's urban fantasy foray. We get to see more of what makes Raylene tick and the world-building is fleshed out a bit more to support the growing secondary cast. Good urban fantasy!
    • 5/5
      Cherie Priest is proving to be quite the awesome voice not only in steampunk/alternate history but also in urban fantasy. I think I loved this one even more than the first – it was really that great! That, and I nearly peed myself laughing with some of the exchanges with Raylene and the rest of the gang. If you thought the last book was fun, “Hellbent” far exceeded expectations and is definitely on my top ten list for the year.Okay, the entire first half of the book with the baculi (cock rocks, dick sticks, etc – I can’t imagine what kind of time Priest had sitting thinking all of those euphemisms up!) was comedy gold. And Pita – I kind of want a Pita of my very own. The character change in Raylene in the interim between the first and now this second book is huge, in terms of how she’s associating with people – undead or not. She’s still the hilarious, semi-nuts, OCD-ridden vampire thief we all know and love, but it’s so nice to see her with what ends up becoming her family. Teaching us that in the end, family is not necessarily blood-only, but the ones we choose to be in our lives.The second half of the book sets up whatever’s coming for book three (whenever it’ll be announced, but I’m confident it will be because it’d be just plain cruel to leave us hanging). Samantha is less of a major player in this half of the book, but she’s still part of the team, and an important one at that. I love how Priest resolved Adrian’s search for his sister at the end of this book — she didn’t drag it out too long, but at the same time, the problem with both Ian and Isabelle isn’t solved yet, and it sets up for the ultimate boss fight against the big bad for book three. And the fact that Raylene sets up a House (for all)! That was great. I’m kind of hoping for a war with the Houses along with the boss fight with the big bad in book three, but we’ll see what happens.If I could give it more than five stars, I would.In short? I loved every second of this book and it was agonizing to get to the end of the last page. I didn’t want to leave this world, and I still kind of don’t. But I know I’ll return soon. If you want some urban fantasy that’s not necessarily drenched in sex every five seconds (and hey, I have nothing against that, except for the fact that it’s starting to define the entire genre), give both ‘Hellbent” and “Bloodshot” a try. Seriously. You won’t regret it.(posted to goodreads, librarything, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
    • 3/5
      Fun second installment of the Cheshire Red Reports. While I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first, Raylene is still as neurotic as ever. Much of the conflict is resolved rather conveniently however, and the relationship between her and her drag queen sidekick seemed strangely forced this time around. I was hoping for hilarious camaraderie and instead got a lot of self interest. I'm at a loss to explain Raylene's attachment to him when he doesn't seem to like her at all. Not much in the story goes the way you would think it would but somehow it still managed to be unsurprising. I like most of the secondary characters though and wonder what shenanigans Raylene will get up to next.
    • 3/5
      Hellbent is the second book in a series following vampire Raylene Pendle, who earns her living as a high-stakes thief and collects various odds and ends type people in her Seattle home. I wasn't aware when I requested this book that it was the second in a series - I just recognized Priest's name from the fabulous Boneshaker. The book quickly made it clear, though, in the same way it makes most things clear - agonizingly awkward and clunky exposition. Hellbent is written in first person, which means that we get a lot of Ray's voice. Unfortunately, Ray's voice is really, really annoying. Priest is going for a devil-may-care sort of attitude that starts to find itself challenged by the various people who come into Ray's life, but because she relies so very much on always-tell-rarely-show, it comes off as forced and unbelievable. It's bad writing and, unfortunately, because it's first person it leads to bad /character/. A book later, I have no firm grasp on who Ray is, and worse, I don't care. The same goes for all the misfits she's collected into her life, including the extremely tepid and boring pseudo-maybe-romance with a blind vampire named Ian. What rescues this book from a much lower rating is the fact that the plot moved and I was a little bit interested in it. There are some fun things with vampire houses and vampire politics, as well as lots of (poorly expository'd) call-backs to what I presume was the previous book's plot about government experiments on vampires. It feels like there is probably an interesting world under here somewhere. But the clutter on top is way too annoying for me to try to find it in any future installments.
    • 5/5
      I got an advanced reading copy of this book through Librarything's early Reviewer program. I was soo excited to read this. I love pretty much everything I have read by Cherie Priest (I've read all her Clockwork Century series and of course the first book in this series, Bloodshot). Well I loved this book too. It was so much fun to read; definitely not as serious as her Clockwork Century series but a very fun, fast paced urban fantasy series with a lot of humor.Our favorite OCD vampire thief, Raylene, is back with more hijinks. Raylene gets a call from one of her contacts asking her to steal some very valuble magical baculum (penis bones..uh yep that's what baculum are). It looks to be a simple snatch and grab, of course things aren't ever simple. Along with this snatch and grab gone wrong, Raylen's housemate Ian has problems of his own. The head of Ian's House has died and Ian would be next in line, except with his blindness he isn't suited for the position and is being hunted down instead. So Raylene and Adrian (the drag queen ex-Navy Seal) go over to Ian's House to try and fix things up for him; along the way they may even find out more about Adrian's sister.This book has three plot lines going on: the stealing of the baculum, Ian's problems with his house, and the search for Adrian's missing sister. These plots are neatly and efficiently woven together making for a fast-paced, action packed urban fantasy that is hard to put down and fun to read.The characters are part of what make this book wonderful. Raylene is quirky, hilarious, and very good at what she does. Adrian is another wonderful quirky character, that is a load of laughs, but also very bad-ass. There pretty much aren't any characters in this book that I don't like; they are all interesting, engaging, creative and...did I already mention fun?!The dialogue throughout is also witty. The banter between Raylene and Adrian is hilarious. I absolutely love Raylene's snarky attitude and enjoy her constant digressions to only slightly related topics. Just beware there are numerous sexual references (but no sex) throughout and a crapload of swearing. I enjoyed it, but it is not for younger readers.I love where this series is going, some big things happen right at the end of the book that make me excited to see where this series is headed to. The main plotlines are nicely wrapped up. You could probably read this book as a stand alone; good background is given in the beginning of the book. Why would you want to though when Bloodshot was such a fun read too? Overall I absolutely loved this book. The plot and action are well done, the characters quirky and funny, it is fast-paced and lots of fun. I love love Raylene and her snarkiness. I love where this series is going and am so excited to read the next installment. I pretty much loved everything about this book. Is this book for everyone? Probably not, the humor is a bit off-the-wall and dark, there's a lot of swearing, and pretty much no romance. But, if you love fast-paced action-packed urban fantasy with a biting sense of humor you should definitely check this series out.
    • 5/5
      Raylene Pendle may have gotten the government off her trail and secured a new bolthole, but her new found security wasn't cheap. When one of her long-term clients calls with a lead on some extremely valuable, extremely rare items that need to be "reclaimed" she's a bit suspicious of the "easy" label, but what the heck - a girl's got to pay the bills. But even Raylene's OCD-driven preparations aren't enough for this job. To make matters worse, Ian's past connections are coming back to haunt them all, and Adrian's still dead set on tracking down his sister... who knew having friends would be so complicated.Raylene's banter/commentary is hysterical, and for an ARC this has surprisingly few typos. Bloodshot was good, and the sequel's even better!
    • 5/5
      Loner vampire-thief Raylene has a job to do, some side business to attend to, and - surprisingly - friends to protect and help as well.Hellbent is a fantastic book, even better than Bloodshot. The characters, even minor characters who aren't on-page for long, are fully fleshed-out with their own personalities and obvious (or not-so-obvious) motivations. One thing I like most about this series is that they are not vampire stories; they are stories about people, some of whom happen to be vampires.Although Hellbent is a sequel, there is enough background included to make it easily read as a standalone without making it uninteresting to people who have read Bloodshot.Highly recommended.
    • 2/5
      Was a fan of Priest's from Boneshaker, which I thought was inventive and interesting. Hellbent was neither. I thought it was pedantic and completely lacking in any excitement. The plot never felt urgent or dangerous. And the first third read like it was a pitch for a CW series. Disappointed.
    • 4/5
      A totally unexpected book - I was expecting a typical Vampire Romance Novel - instead, I get a kick ass Heroine, also a vampire, and gang of friends that are neither lovers, nor dependents (as in human attendants or part of a pack, or whatever). They are friends and sometimes family. This isn't to say Raylene has no sexuality, she does, and it is described, but it doesn't happen at inappropriate times, and it isn't the majority part of the story.There are two plots running around this story - First, the search for the highly powerful Baculum, a funny little subplot that is quite fun. Then there's the story with Raylene's Friend Ian, who is called back to the Vampire House, a more serious story.I liked that Raylene didn't take the traditional vampire kicks ass story - they is death, and lots of it, but its usually not caused by Raylene. She is a morally ambiguous person, but is very faithful to her friends. Even the kitten she saved because he was "cute".Its a great series, I wished that I had read the first book, but this book stands on its own quite well. I'm quite glad to have been introduced to this series. I will be seeking out the first book.
    • 5/5
      What fun! This was a beautifully plotted and excellently-written romp.And i say "romp" with the highest praise; it's a great type of book to read, and it looks like a very hard style to write well.The protagonist here has a voice more similar to Priest's blog entries than most of her other novels, which I quite enjoyed.I am also enjoying the way she is embracing what is often a problem with on-going series: the way the protagonist tends to accumulate extra people in her/his sphere at a rate of 1-2/book. Priest is handling this beautifully and successfully; I can completely see how "Hellbent"'s acquisitions will probably be really important in the next book or 2 in the series; it's not accidental here. (The thing that makes this annoying is that in many cases it does seem accidental, and then subsequent novels are not so much about the plot as they are about ensuring that everyone's favorite peripheral character gets a look-in.)I liked this even better than "Bloodshot", which I loved. The snarkiness at times was a bit much... but the more action there was, the more that was in-context, and Priest writes GREAT action.I am very much looking forward to a hoped-for #3! While this didn't end on a cliff-hanger, Priest was careful to include several hooks for future volumes, which I will pounce on.