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brianne_k's review against another edition
5.0
*5/5*
I reaallllyyyyy enjoyed this! I picked it up on a whim because of the title and fantastic cover.
I don't usually care for zombie books.. but the way they are made in this world is really cool. I love the voodoo practitioner aspect of this too.
Kincaid Strange is an amazing narrator, spunky and headstrong.
I hope there is and can't wait for a book 2!!! I need more.
I reaallllyyyyy enjoyed this! I picked it up on a whim because of the title and fantastic cover.
I don't usually care for zombie books.. but the way they are made in this world is really cool. I love the voodoo practitioner aspect of this too.
Kincaid Strange is an amazing narrator, spunky and headstrong.
I hope there is and can't wait for a book 2!!! I need more.
iceberg0's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting little romp but the mechanics of the plot were needlessly complicated.
bmg20's review against another edition
4.0
The Voodoo Killings is a brand new Urban Fantasy series by Kristi Charish which introduces Kincaid Strange, a voodoo practitioner living in Seattle, Washington. Struggling to make ends meet after losing her job with the Seatle PD and now that raising zombies is technically illegal, Kincaid resorts to making the rent by performing seances. Her roommate, a deceased Seattle grunge rocker by the name of Nate Cade, occasionally assists her with these but it’s often difficult for her to persuade him to stop playing video games to do so. When a local bar owner calls to inform her that an abandoned zombie was discovered in his alley, Kincaid Strange becomes his temporary guardian while she tries to not only find out who turned him and why but to keep others from finding out, mainly her ex-boyfriend Aaron who still works for the Seattle PD.
This book didn’t even make it onto my radar (and I compile an entire list of book releases on my blog so I don’t know how I missed this) but thankfully a blogger friend (Thanks, Tammy!) brought this to my attention and I’m so very glad. I knew next to nothing about this story or the author, only discovering it was about zombies (and ghosts!) and I immediately was all on board. With an intriguing form of magic in addition to a fascinating mystery and a most charming cast of characters, The Voodoo Killings was enticing and incredibly entertaining.
“I mean, there’s hell freezing over, pigs flying, and then there’s me and responsibility.”
It’s so refreshing to read about a heroine that is not only a total badass but has flaws and power limitations and isn’t some perfect superhuman, and that’s exactly how Kincaid Strange is written. She’s brazen, headstrong, and isn’t afraid of handling business. In addition to a lead character that can hold her own, her roommate Nate is all that was needed to make up the perfect dynamic duo. But wait, there’s more! The zombies practically adopts, Cameron, fits right into the group. Kindcaid is constantly finding herself in a bind (or three) and her two sidekicks have her back and are constantly keeping her out of trouble. And even better, there is zero romantic inclinations, just pure, unadulterated friendship.
I loved the characters far more than I expected, but I really relished the intricate details of Charish’s magical world. Rather than your typical post-apocalyptic world where some virus has been unleashed causing the existence of zombies, these zombies only come alive because a voodoo practitioner makes it so. The added details regarding the dead being brought back to life to solve land disputes or to discover who murdered them was an amusing concept. Just as long as they consumed a steady supply of brains (animals brains worked in a pinch but human brains really did the trick) they remained fairly coherent for the most part. Additional interesting tidbits included details about different bindings as well as much discussion about Otherside or the energy Kindcaid draws from which comes from the land of the dead.
It was an incredibly compelling story and I enjoyed every minute of it and I do mean every minute in the literal sense. I listened to the audiobook and Susannah Jones’ narration was absolutely brilliant. I am not a night owl at all but I found myself staying up till 1:30am one night because I couldn’t stop listening. Her various voices and accents for both male and female was phenomenal and she no doubt made this already fantastic story into something even better.
Urban Fantasy fans, don’t let this one go unnoticed! The Voodoo Killings possesses a mystery that will keep you guessing, a cast of character you wish you could call friends, and a unique magic system. The ending will leave you hoping there was a second installment ready and waiting. Alas, there isn’t yet. I definitely wont be letting that one fly under my radar though.
It’s a bit difficult to find a copy of this one considering it was published by Random House Canada and currently the only format that can be purchased in the US is the audible version (but I highly recommend the audio!)
This book didn’t even make it onto my radar (and I compile an entire list of book releases on my blog so I don’t know how I missed this) but thankfully a blogger friend (Thanks, Tammy!) brought this to my attention and I’m so very glad. I knew next to nothing about this story or the author, only discovering it was about zombies (and ghosts!) and I immediately was all on board. With an intriguing form of magic in addition to a fascinating mystery and a most charming cast of characters, The Voodoo Killings was enticing and incredibly entertaining.
“I mean, there’s hell freezing over, pigs flying, and then there’s me and responsibility.”
It’s so refreshing to read about a heroine that is not only a total badass but has flaws and power limitations and isn’t some perfect superhuman, and that’s exactly how Kincaid Strange is written. She’s brazen, headstrong, and isn’t afraid of handling business. In addition to a lead character that can hold her own, her roommate Nate is all that was needed to make up the perfect dynamic duo. But wait, there’s more! The zombies practically adopts, Cameron, fits right into the group. Kindcaid is constantly finding herself in a bind (or three) and her two sidekicks have her back and are constantly keeping her out of trouble. And even better, there is zero romantic inclinations, just pure, unadulterated friendship.
I loved the characters far more than I expected, but I really relished the intricate details of Charish’s magical world. Rather than your typical post-apocalyptic world where some virus has been unleashed causing the existence of zombies, these zombies only come alive because a voodoo practitioner makes it so. The added details regarding the dead being brought back to life to solve land disputes or to discover who murdered them was an amusing concept. Just as long as they consumed a steady supply of brains (animals brains worked in a pinch but human brains really did the trick) they remained fairly coherent for the most part. Additional interesting tidbits included details about different bindings as well as much discussion about Otherside or the energy Kindcaid draws from which comes from the land of the dead.
It was an incredibly compelling story and I enjoyed every minute of it and I do mean every minute in the literal sense. I listened to the audiobook and Susannah Jones’ narration was absolutely brilliant. I am not a night owl at all but I found myself staying up till 1:30am one night because I couldn’t stop listening. Her various voices and accents for both male and female was phenomenal and she no doubt made this already fantastic story into something even better.
Urban Fantasy fans, don’t let this one go unnoticed! The Voodoo Killings possesses a mystery that will keep you guessing, a cast of character you wish you could call friends, and a unique magic system. The ending will leave you hoping there was a second installment ready and waiting. Alas, there isn’t yet. I definitely wont be letting that one fly under my radar though.
It’s a bit difficult to find a copy of this one considering it was published by Random House Canada and currently the only format that can be purchased in the US is the audible version (but I highly recommend the audio!)
mxsallybend's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes you step tentatively into a book, not quite sure where the intersection of your hopes and expectations will lie. Urban Fantasy is not generally a must-read genre for me, but I’ve become a fan of Kristi Charish’s Adventures of Owl. Having said that, however, I know that much of the appeal in that series (for me, at least) is in the archaeology and the mythology. As such, I really wasn’t sure if I was up for a more, for lack of a better word, generic urban fantasy.
Well, let me spare you the suspense and declare that The Voodoo Killings marks the start of another fantastic series – one that I wouldn’t have otherwise been drawn to, but which I am very glad I was. It’s a ghost story with a twist, and a voodoo tale with far more depth than even a fan of her work might expect. Strange is a very different sort of heroine than Owl, more likable in personality and more deliberate in her planning, but still just as compelling.
Where the book really began to win me over, though, was with our first trip into Seattle’s Underground City – and not the one tourists get to explore. There’s some real world building here, establishing it’s paranormal place in the world, while still tying it to the history of Seattle. This is a world where ghosts and zombies are real, and where a different sort of Voodoo allows the mortal world to intersect with the supernatural. On that note, this is not your grandmother’s Voodoo, and while I’m sure there are some readers who make take issue with the appropriation of a culture/faith, I really like what she did with it here.
Of course, characters and setting are only part of what makes a good book work so well. Fortunately, the central mystery here is legitimately compelling, and genuinely exciting. It’s a testament to the narrative strengths of Charish that she’s able to so casually walk the reader through a zombie’s mystical bindings, and point out how unusual they are, and make us care about it. I was hooked early one, and wanted to know what the heck was going on. Once the issue of mass murders enters into the equation, it just gets even more interesting.
The Voodoo Killings is a fast paced paranormal adventure that somehow also manages to feel down-to-earth. Even with all the supernatural trappings, it’s still a story to which the reader can easily relate. Yes, it’s violent and gory, complete with chilled goblets of mashed brains, but never so over-the-top that you have trouble suspending disbelief. It’s also an exceptionally well-written tale, demonstrating the further refinement of Charish’s unique voice.
http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2018/07/giveaway-voodoo-killings-by-kristi.html
Well, let me spare you the suspense and declare that The Voodoo Killings marks the start of another fantastic series – one that I wouldn’t have otherwise been drawn to, but which I am very glad I was. It’s a ghost story with a twist, and a voodoo tale with far more depth than even a fan of her work might expect. Strange is a very different sort of heroine than Owl, more likable in personality and more deliberate in her planning, but still just as compelling.
Where the book really began to win me over, though, was with our first trip into Seattle’s Underground City – and not the one tourists get to explore. There’s some real world building here, establishing it’s paranormal place in the world, while still tying it to the history of Seattle. This is a world where ghosts and zombies are real, and where a different sort of Voodoo allows the mortal world to intersect with the supernatural. On that note, this is not your grandmother’s Voodoo, and while I’m sure there are some readers who make take issue with the appropriation of a culture/faith, I really like what she did with it here.
Of course, characters and setting are only part of what makes a good book work so well. Fortunately, the central mystery here is legitimately compelling, and genuinely exciting. It’s a testament to the narrative strengths of Charish that she’s able to so casually walk the reader through a zombie’s mystical bindings, and point out how unusual they are, and make us care about it. I was hooked early one, and wanted to know what the heck was going on. Once the issue of mass murders enters into the equation, it just gets even more interesting.
The Voodoo Killings is a fast paced paranormal adventure that somehow also manages to feel down-to-earth. Even with all the supernatural trappings, it’s still a story to which the reader can easily relate. Yes, it’s violent and gory, complete with chilled goblets of mashed brains, but never so over-the-top that you have trouble suspending disbelief. It’s also an exceptionally well-written tale, demonstrating the further refinement of Charish’s unique voice.
http://beauty-in-ruins.blogspot.com/2018/07/giveaway-voodoo-killings-by-kristi.html
thatsme_lauravz's review against another edition
5.0
It has been a looooong time since I was excited for a series. This book bridges the gap between YA and adult fiction really well, I didn't find it overly juvenile but it is certainly accessible to a wide audience. I can't wait for the next two books in the series!
betwixtbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture and Death
Minor: Animal death
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
4.0
Urban Fantasy can be kind of hit or miss for me, but this one sounded intriguing so I thought I've give it a go...
Kincaid is a 27 year old voodoo practitioner/witch who gets called to help when a mysterious newly risen zombie wanders into her local bar. From there a story unfolds with twists and turns. We meet Nate her ghost roommate. Cameron the newly risen Zombie. Max her practitioner mentor, and Aaron her ex-boyfriend a cop. Along the way we also meet some more zombies, ghosts, poltergeists, and ghouls.
I enjoyed this one A LOT. It took a bit to get going, but since this seems to be the first book in a series the author had a lot of World building groundwork to lay. It soon picked up pace and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. It had a great cast of likable characters that I look forward to hearing more from.
Overall I am glad I gave this one a shot and will definitely be continuing on with the series.
Kincaid is a 27 year old voodoo practitioner/witch who gets called to help when a mysterious newly risen zombie wanders into her local bar. From there a story unfolds with twists and turns. We meet Nate her ghost roommate. Cameron the newly risen Zombie. Max her practitioner mentor, and Aaron her ex-boyfriend a cop. Along the way we also meet some more zombies, ghosts, poltergeists, and ghouls.
I enjoyed this one A LOT. It took a bit to get going, but since this seems to be the first book in a series the author had a lot of World building groundwork to lay. It soon picked up pace and I found myself having a hard time putting it down. It had a great cast of likable characters that I look forward to hearing more from.
Overall I am glad I gave this one a shot and will definitely be continuing on with the series.
lexicon1982's review against another edition
4.0
If you like urban fantasy definitely check out “The Voodoo Killings”. What a fun fresh take on the genre! Had a bit of everything I love about the paranormal, Zombies (check), voodoo (check), underground secret city (check), murder mystery (check), ghosts (check). It was so fun reading this I will for sure be continuing the Kincaid Strange series to see what this particular voodoo practitioner gets herself into! A very high 4 stars!!! ⭐️⭐️
deckle_edged_dre's review against another edition
4.0
"A copy of this book has been provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review"
I haven't read a lot of urban fantasy books but I might start reading more now because I enjoyed this one so much. The characters are great, you really keep learning more and more about them right up until the end (even the ghosts/ghouls/zombies have fantastic personalities)! The writing flowed so nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Voodoo Killings. I can't wait for more of this series to come out, the ending definitely left me wanting more. ps. I can seriously see this being a movie as well, I hope it gets optioned!
Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Vintage Canada for allowing me to read this book.
I haven't read a lot of urban fantasy books but I might start reading more now because I enjoyed this one so much. The characters are great, you really keep learning more and more about them right up until the end (even the ghosts/ghouls/zombies have fantastic personalities)! The writing flowed so nicely and I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Voodoo Killings. I can't wait for more of this series to come out, the ending definitely left me wanting more. ps. I can seriously see this being a movie as well, I hope it gets optioned!
Thank you Netgalley, Penguin Random House Canada, and Vintage Canada for allowing me to read this book.