[Archive] LITERAL ADDICTION's Review of Blood Oranges

 

Kathleen Tierney was born near Dublin, Ireland, but has spent most of her life in the southeastern United States. In college, she studied zoology, geology, and palaeontology, and has been employed as a vertebrate palaeontologist and college-level biology instructor. The results of her scientific research have been published in the JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALAEONTOLOGY, THE JOURNAL OF PALAEONTOLOGY and elsewhere. In 1992, she began writing her first novel, THE FIVE OF CUPS (it remained unpublished until 2003). Her first published novel, SILK (1998), earned her two awards and praise from critics and such luminaries as Neil Gaiman, Clive Barker, Peter Straub, and Poppy Z. Brite. Her next novel, THRESHOLD (2001), was also an award-winner, and since then she has written LOW RED MOON (2003), MURDER OF ANGELS (2004), DAUGHTER OF HOUNDS (2007), and, forthcoming, THE RED TREE. She is a prolific short fiction author, and her award-winning short stories have been collected in TALES OF PAIN AND WONDER (2000), WRONG THINGS (with Poppy Z. Brite; 2001), FROM WEIRD AND DISTANT SHORES (2002), and TO CHARLES FORT, WITH LOVE (2005), ALABASTER (2006), FROG TOES AND TENTACLES (2005), TALES FROM THE WOEFUL PLATYPUS (2007), and, most recently, the sf collection, A IS FOR ALIEN (2009). She has also scripted comics for DC/Vertigo, including THE DREAMING ('97-'01), THE GIRL WHO WOULD BE DEATH ('98), and BAST: ETERNITY GAME ('03). Her short sf novel THE DRY SALVAGES was published in 2004, and has published numerous chapbooks since 2000. Caitlin also fronted the goth-rock band Death's Little Sister in 1996-1997, once skinned a lion, and likes sushi. She lives in Providence, RI with her partner, Kathryn, and her two cats, Hubero and Smeagol. She also writes as "Caitlin R. Kiernan".

Blood Oranges
Author:  Kathleen Tierney

Synopsis:
My name’s Quinn.

If you buy into my reputation, I’m the most notorious demon hunter in New England. But rumors of my badassery have been slightly exaggerated. Instead of having kung-fu skills and a closet full of medieval weapons, I’m an ex-junkie with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time. Or the right place at the wrong time. Or…whatever.

Wanted for crimes against inhumanity I (mostly) didn’t commit, I was nearly a midnight snack for a werewolf until I was “saved” by a vampire calling itself the Bride of Quiet. Already cursed by a werewolf bite, the vamp took a pint out of me too.

So now…now, well, you wouldn’t think it could get worse, but you’d be dead wrong.

Our Review, by LITERAL ADDICTION's Pack Alpha - Michelle L. Olson:
*ARC Received from the Publisher in exchange for an honest Review

When I opened the package from the Publisher containing this book I was immediately intrigued, but wasn't sure that I'd get to it any time soon and simply added it to the pile of 'read when/if time allows'. After looking the book up on GoodReads and finding that I had other titles by the author and her pseudonym in my TBR list, I decided to bump it up a bit in the queue. I am SO happy that I did.

Blood Oranges wasn't at all what I was expecting, but it was wonderful. Truly, uniquely, & darkly "real" - only in a fantastical way - and the 1st person narrative was compelling, gripping, & profound. Add all of that together with the tale itself and the setting, and it was a dark urban fantasy meant to ensnare.

I'm not entirely sure that this book is for everyone, but I loved it! I think maybe I loved it BECAUSE of all of the things others might not like... It's blatantly honest in it's delivery. It purposefully makes the reader feel awkward at times. It doesn't adhere to (and in reality, entirely disregards!) any and all preconceived notions regarding the genre - the vampires in this book have piranha teeth and shark eyes, the werewolves are as far from sexy as you can get, the heroine doesn't want to be a monster hunter and is admittedly a junkie and a liar, etc), and the first person narrative is slang filled, non-linear, and very obviously written by someone who is not a writer (something Quinn, our heroine, makes sure to remind us about). :)

Bottom line, if you want to try something different within Urban Fantasy, I highly suggest giving Blood Oranges a shot. I think that this is the first book of a series, and I really hope that it is, because I find myself wanting to fall into Quinn's dysfunctional world again some day. :)

LITERAL ADDICTION gives Blood Oranges 4 Skulls.

Blood Oranges