★★ #TBRPile
On my TBR pile for about a decade, I followed up with book 2 in this series. I read through my original review for book one...book two was even less enchanting for me. I didn't recall I had such hate on Tina in the first book. Let's just say that Hellforged didn't improve my impression of Tina. And my wish from book one did not come true. This book is also not about Tina, but about Vicky. Vicky is kind of a rocky character for me.
In book two, Vicky is still fighting demons and doing a decent job. She is booked with clients. She is trying to change the image of the paranormal but it can only go so far when politicians define all paranormals as nonhumans. Vicky's life is completely derailed as a demon she was sure she vanquished is now causing issues in the human realm again. This jump-starts the next level of learning she needs to progress in her demon-slaying. Her training is not going well. Vicky doesn't work well for me because she either has low self-esteem or she's just incompetent. I get that she is struggling to learn how to use a new dagger/knife. The way Ms. Holzner pens it, Vicky comes across as inadequate which doesn't jive with her character. Specifically, she is confident in handling the demon-killing. So I would expect her to be determined and pick herself up from each mistake and press on. Instead, she comes across as a bit whiny and defeatist. With that attitude, no wonder she is failing.
Then another scene happens and she's completely on point and handling what needs to be handled. This switching back and forth makes me wonder if the author even knows how Vicky's character should be. Maybe it's just me picking up on it and not liking it. Regardless, this story did very little for me and the characters even less. The concept is good. The world-building is interesting. The rest of it doesn't appeal to me. This book may be better for those who love zombies and a conflicted heroine trying to stay alive.
