Jeri Smith-Ready

Wicked Game

Jo H

#FUCKATHON 2020 (Noria Reads on Booktube). Prompt; Fuck Elitism. Specifically, Fuck Literary Elitism as Urban Fantasy (with it's inclusion of things like vampires and werewolves etc so often, and strong female MC's written mostly by women so often) is the much-derided real-world set/low magic arm of 'proper' (secondary world set) fantasy in many circles. 

What a pleasant surprise in mainstream UF... a story set in a town that is not entirely whitewashed! Out of the core group of 11 at the radio station (7 of whom are vampires and 4 are human), there are two black men vamps and one non-stereotypical gay man (who actually camps it up on occasion just to fit other people's narratives and perceptions of how he should be). But in a whiplash twist that I only saw coming a sentence or two ahead of time, not all of that core 11 make it to the end of the book... 

This story has an interesting take on the vampires... at least of the ones that are 'stuck' at the radio station, and also in what happens to them when they die. In ways, the most gruesome death without any gore!

Another twist came in the latter third of the book when Ciara's faux faith healer dad turns up totally unexpectedly out of the blue to help with their 'battle'... but again doesn't make it to the end of the book (not going to say why not as that is a spoiler).

And, also Ciara isn't your typical UF Strong Female Character either. Firstly she is the daughter of a pair of con artists and picked up their trade. She has done Bad Stuff to get money out of people and is still struggling with that mentality throughout the book even though she is actually trying to go straight. She is not written as if she is some special chosen one, who is blessed with amazing powers, skills or strength from early on (or even the start in some cases), and she is also not one of the dreaded 'not like other girls' women. In fact, she wears mini skirts and heels, seems to have had an active sex (not love because... commitment issues) life and seems pretty much like any woman you could meet in real life and that was so bloody refreshing. Yes, she has a criminal mind and has ways of working around problems using those criminal ways which is unlike the majority of us, but at least she is not a badass sword-wielding leather-wearing ass-kicker from the outset. Oh, and she is in working for the radio station in the last summer before her last year in college, so she is a student at 24. Definitely different, but not all at the same time.

Overall, even with a few minor niggles (what book doesn't have any?), this was a good start to a series. Admittedly it didn't blow me away, but not all books one reads can do that, but it was still entertaining enough with a few unique qualities that made it more than worthwhile reading. Onwards to the next!

Wicked Game

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