Persephone Alcmedi's life is changing. She's always been a witch who keeps under the radar. She makes her living reading tarot cards, writing a syndicated newspaper column about werewolves, and kenneling werewolves in her basement during the full moon. But now, the grandmother who raised her has been kicked out of her nursing home and moved in with her and one of her werewolf friends is murdered leaving a nine-year-old daughter.

Seph is hired by the head of the local coven to take out Lorrie's killer which goes against the Rede but is not new to Seph. She accidentally caused the death of her friend Lorrie's stalker. She's offered big money which would certainly come in useful but, then she finds out that the killer is a vampire who is way out of her league.

When another werewolf friend is attacked for trying to find information on the vampire, she and her other werewolf friends bring her home since human hospitals are very prejudiced against the weres. Seph needs to perform a difficult ceremony in order to heal her friend which, among other difficulties, means that she has to invite a couple of vampires into her home.

Seph also finds out that she is The Lustrata - the one destined to unite the humans, witches, weres and vampires. This is a responsibility she has never wanted and will require many changes in her life.

The world building was engaging in this story. The fact that the paranormals have come out of hiding and that humans are not very accepting and in fact are completely hostile is a central point of the story.

I enjoyed this book which is the first of a series. ( )

Much better than what the cover and/or back blurb would lead you to believe. I liked the characters, especially the way that none of them fell into the awful urban fantasy stereotypes I'm getting so tired of. The author has another unique take on the way werewolves, vampires, and witches fit in the world and how they interact.

I was beginning to worry that urban fantasy was running out of ideas... but I am happy to be wrong!

Recommended, particularly to fans of Patricia Brigg's Mercy Thompson books and Kim Harrison's Hallows series. ( )

ok - somewhat likable characters, the world model still feels a little conflicted - ok drama - ok action
probably wont read more by author ( )

at first while reading this book I was all "great another strong female character who whines and moans about having to be the big barney bad ass" So of course my opinion then wasn't that great. But then things got more interesting and wouldn't you know it I couldn't put the book down until I was finished with it. pretty good story overall, only reason I didn't give it five stars was because of the whining and moaning. That's just because I get irritated with whiney, crybaby "oh my poor soul" lead characters. I like the ones who are all liked "yeah it sucks, but suck up buttercup, because there is evil out there and I'm just the chick to put it in its place." ( )

Hmm. Some intriguing details in the world building, a good magic system, and a relatively likeable heroine and side characters (but nothing really special).

Overall a decent book, but didn't quite hit the spot, and had some niggling details/issues that turned me off it a bit. Ie. some self righteous, stiff unnatural monologue about how the heroine always had a sense of justice, some bizarrely irrelevant and slightly judgey encounters with old high school friends, and a slightly outdated feel (no cellphone?) that made me check its release date and the author's age- strangely it was only released a few years ago and the authors photo looked really young.

Anyway, mildly entertaining and I'll probably look into the sequel, but this book didn't impress me enough to earn four or five stars. ( )