Second Skin (Nocturne City) [Mass Market Paperback]

Wow. Where do I start? There is so much I didn't like about this installment of this series. The general concept of the series is great but, when I dislike the main character it makes it tough for me to have any sympathy or empathy for that character.

Luna's general nasty disposition and rudeness, makes her an unlikeable character. Sure sometimes it can be funny, but mostly she lashes out at people who don't deserve it.

Others have given a synopsis of the story. So I'll just point out the things that really bothered me about this book.

SPOILERS BELOW

While investigating a case that she was not supposed to, Luna knowingly participates in aiding and abetting a killer. Said killer then tries to kill her on several more occasions and she still does nothing to bring the killer to justice as she swore she would do when she initially got involved in the case.

Her relationship with Dmitri is shakey at best, but she doesn't do anything to make it any better. On several occasions she goes out of her way to humiliate and embarass him. (As a side note: It's been a while since I read that book, but, didn't Dmitri get bitten by the daemon as a result of trying to help Luna in the first place?)

Since the main character doesn't appeal to me on any level I most likely will not continue to follow this series.

Second Skin is the third book in Kittredge's Nocturne City series, which follows werewolf cop Luna Wilder. When the story opens Luna is no longer with the homicide division but is instead a member of Nocturne Cities SWAT team after being demoted. That is until her "favourite" homicide detective David Bryson, asks for her help on multiple werewolf homicides. What follows is Luna doing what she does best and the introduction of new and bloodthirsty characters.

Luna's relationship with Dimitri which is already rocky becomes more so after she agrees to help on the case. You can also feel the distance building throughout the book as the demon bite slowly takes over. I knew what the end result would be and wasn't surprised in the least when it happened. I'm hoping that Kittredge goes in a new direction in the next book.

Overall this has been my least liked book in the series so far. I'm not sure why. It has the same fast paced action and gritty style, yet I struggled to keep going. It may be because; I would like Luna to progress as a character on a personal level. Lose some of the harshness and start thinking about other people's feelings a little more. I don't want her to do a 180! Just maybe soften her very sharp edges.

No plot summaries or spoilers, though be warned I do touch upon the romance aspect a bit.

This is BOOK 3.
Series:
Book 1: Night Life (Nocturne City, Book 1)
Book 2: Pure Blood (Nocturne City, Book 2)

HIGH LEVEL: This isn't my favorite series, but its gritty, edgy style is sometimes exactly what I'm looking for. The characters are strong, the magic is visceral and the conflicts are desperate. The magic is intense. You'll find werewolves, witches, demons and any manner of cruel, evil beasts. The atmosphere is dark and wretched and hope is sometimes elusive, but always ready for a fight. It isn't the smoothest series and "romance" is closer to a four letter word than anything you might be familiar with. It isn't sexy, but it is tough with equal parts wry humor and grit rooted in a procedural cop mystery with a magical twist.

That said, this book took some real patience to read. I'm one of the most stubborn, contrary women I know- but even I wanted to punch my dear Luna (the heroine) in the jaw more than once. Don't get me wrong- I like her and I still like her, but her thorns grew more than teeth in this installment. Her normally obstinate nature, became completely obnoxious. She just seemed to be picking unnecessary fights constantly and it went beyond humorous. There wasn't much character growth here.

PLOT: was pretty good- brought in some new creatures, new magic. The use of a couple of supporting characters was also good. It left me with a solid impression of the story, but there was so much more to this book emotionally that just felt wrong. The character's prickly nature made it hard to stomach. The romance took a nosedive in a seemingly pointless fashion. I can only hope that this gets fixed in later books. Seriously- you'd have to be a saint, or a serious sinner, to fall for Luna and Dmitry should be getting an award, not the cold shoulder.

HOWEVER: The final resolution was, as usual, well done and satisfying and the set up at the end felt right- as if future books will finally have something of a solid base to work from. It was unfortunate that the relationships were somewhat torpedoed in the process, but at the end I was glad I read it and I plan on continuing the series- on another day when I'm feeling somewhat self-destructive and masochistic.

RECOMMENDATIONS:
Karen Chance's two highly energetic, very sexy vamp series Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, Book 1) and the related series (start reading Cassandra's series first) Midnight's Daughter (Dorina Basarab, Dhampir, Book 1)
Jeaniene Frost's vamp mystery packed with action Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1)
Jennifer Estep's stone-magic wielding, hard, cold, vicious assassin Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin, Book 1)
Kim Harrison's witch/vamp/pixie team of private eyes in Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows, Book 1)
Lilith Saintcrow's two series, both darker and far more gritty Night Shift (Jill Kismet, Hunter, Book 1) and Working for the Devil (Dante Valentine, Book 1)
Nalini Singh's creative use of angels and vampires in Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter)