Night Shift (Jill Kismet Series #1) [NOOK Book]

Highly recommended if you like urban fantasy & strong heroine..

Lilith Saintcrow did it again. If you're familiar with her previous work especially the Dante Valentine series, there is no way that you won't like this one. This is the first book of Saintcrow's 'Jill Kismet' series.
The story starts out focusing on our heroine, Jill Kismet. Jill is a hunter. She is a resident peace keeper of Santa Luz dealing with everything that goes bump in the night. But she's not a regular hunter you know... Tainted with Hellbreed power, Jill has to use everything she knows and every info sources she has trying to solve the crime committed by something supernatural, something unreal. With several cops killed by the most gruesome ways, Jill is working against time, teaming with weres trying to put all the puzzles together.. to find the truth behind.
Though several people mentioned that this one has the same concept as the Dante Valentine's series, I, myself, still find it intriguing and very entertaining. Jill is a likable heroine, just like Dante is in her first three books (Don't make me mention the rest of that series..) She is strong, independent and not a perfect figure. Jill has a past, though she took us through her personal life now and then but it doesn't sound like she's whining.. .It's just enough to make the readers know why she did what she did and why she thought what she thought. I also like the way the author throws some romance in the story, not much since the book is not in the romance genre but enough to make her characters complicated and real and sometimes, can put a smile on your face while reading the book.
In my opinion, Saintcrow did it better than Working for the devil, the first book of Dante Valentine's series.
So if you're looking around trying to find some new book to read, and if you don't mind urban fantasy, I highly recommended you try this one. Or if you're already Lilith Saintcrow's fan and still not so sure if you want to read this one (since you're afraid of the similarity with Dante Valentine's series), I still highly recommended you to try it. As mentioned previously, I personally think the book is better written. And once you start this book, you won't be able to put it down. .. Happy Reading..** :)

13 out of 13 people found this review helpful.

A real page turner but not in a good way........

I read this book in one day. I just couldn't wait to get it over with. There was just way too much self-analysis/self-doubt/self-hating, to the point of it taking up pages. This story just didn't grap me and I was so looking forward to it. I will read Hunter's Prayer, hopefully Jill won't be so pathetic in that book. I found Jill's character to be very depressing. Lilith is very good at describing a tortured soul but at some point the character has to be as strong on the inside as they are on the outside. Without that it just seems like pages of whining flash backs.

4 out of 4 people found this review helpful.

It's Actually Pretty Good!

One thing this book is NOT, is a paranormal romance. It IS a paranormal action book, 'cause it has plenty of it in between the pages. Practically non-stop! I WAS hoping for a little romance, but something tells me the rest of the series will flesh out the relationship building between Jill Kismet (the main character, and a truly "kick-ass" type of girl), and the Were-Cougar who's interested in her, Saul Dustcircle. I plan to get the other books, just to find out how Jill and Pericles (the Hellbreed she has to deal with) continue to "interact" with each other, as well. This is a very intriguing start to an action-packed series, and I want to know what happens next!

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

a spellbinding action packed urban fantasy

As a young girl she lived in the streets selling her body to anyone who had the cash to pay for it. Her life changed for the better when she met Mikhail, who taught her to be a hunter a person who works the darkside keeping humans safe from hellbreed (demons). She performs the exorcisms that the priests cannot or will not. Ironically the Church believes she is doomed to hell because she kills and consorts with the damned.------------------- Life is about to turn depressing for Jill Kismet even though she has a link to a hellbreed Perry who has given her extraordinary powers. Five police officers were killed by what seems likea hellbreed and a rogue were-shapeshifter. Jill knows these are her natural enemies. As the murders continue Jill thinks the hellbreed is protecting the Were especially when she learns who the father of the damned is. As Jill struggles to end the killings, someone decides to end Jill.----------------- Lilith Saintcrow always provides a spellbinding action packed urban fantasy that contains a touch of romance, which enhance the plot. However it is the locale where magic works and human authorities deal through liaisons with the supernatural in a realm that seems real because the crimes committed by the paranormal come across as genuine and the subsequent investigations feels authentic. Jill is a strong protagonist who takes on the hellbreeds to protect humanity especially the children. She chose to link with Perry so she is a better fighter though she knows that will probably damn her at least the Church says so. Her efforts on the NIGHT SHIFT make for an enjoyable urban fantasy investigative thriller that shows why this reviewer is a huge fan of Ms. Saintcrow.------------ Harriet Klausner

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.

"Not Real" fan

I really enjoyed this story. No sex was a blessing, however If you took the cuss word GD out, it would shorten the story by a quarter.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

Recommended

I really liked the Jill Kismet character, however, this book really parallells the character of Rachel Morgan by Kim Harrison. So far the only difference I have come across is Saul, who is a panther were. Rachel's love interest was a vampire. I'm ordering the other books in the series to see where the author goes with it, but really it's just my curiosity. Book is a good read.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

A New Series, Jill Kismet

This is the first book I have read by Lilith Saintcrow. I felt that Jill Kismet was one tough Hunter and kicked some major booty. She is a demon slayer and performs exorcisms. She has silver charms in her hair and wears leather pants and a leather trench coat, she also has a backup coat. She has been marked by a demon, he gave her some extra powers and she has to visit him once a month. Her former lover and teacher Mikhail is dead, he was killed by a demon. Jill is on the hunt for a rogue were and a hellbreed woman that are together. She has friends from the FBI that are also hunting for them, her FBI friends are were. They bring along a friend with them, his name is Saul, he is an American Indian and also a Were and her one friend asked if he can crash at Jills house. Jill says it is okay and Saul cleans up her house and cooks for her, they kiss, could this be the beginning of a romance? You should read the book to find out what else happens in the book, otherwise I will give away the entire story. I did enjoy the book though and I plan on reading the second book in the series, Hunter's Prayer, it is coming out in August or Sept 2008.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

One Tough Lady

Jill Kismet hunts things that prowl in the night protecting the innocent from not-so-innocent paranormals. In order to do that she makes an alliance with one of the dark shadows. She walks the line between good and evil.

solid action

This variant of the 'tough as nails heroine out against all the monsters' is wonderfully action packed. Kismet brings a massive action-hero style boom to the genre. The pace is unrelenting, just like big budget action, you can feel the explosions and here the heavy metal soundtrack as the book races through the plot neatly, nicely, and quite well. Love it, looking forward to getting into the next book in the series.

Okay

Night Shift

This was a gritty paranormal crime story, with some elements (enhanced abilities due to a demon symbiont relationship) very similar to the Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison. The main character's self-loathing was a bit redundant, but this overall was a decent crime story.

It maybe akin to Dreden & nearly Dante

You read this first book & get drawn in if your open to some simlarities to Butcher as well as the other series of Dante. I picked this up as a follow from read the previous & never had issue with any disimilarities of her previous series. Take a chance and Enjoy!

Eh

It started out okay but its a little confusing at times during chase scenes. Not going to finish.

Not half as cool as Dante

I bought these books because the Dante Valentine series was so bodacious. But Jill does'nt quite make muster. Dante is a badass, naturally cool, sarcastic original. Jill kind reminds me of Cher. Mildly annoying and trying too hard. She got on my nerves. Lilith please bring back Dante in some form. Given both their personalities it's highly unlikely Dante and Japh are living happily ever after. I would love to know.

Tried to like it

I tried to get into it. Everybody else seemed to like it, but not me sorry.

recommend- was surprised how much i liked

So The main Character Kismet is a Hunter fighting the demons"hell breeds", She has these Powers to help her fight them but had to make a deal "trade" to get them, she is dealing with the death of her teacher and how confused she is about is she now evil or still on the side of light. |Has a lot of action and for the 1st book in a series it really was good, you know how the 1sts always have all the bake ground info to set up but this was never boring

Couldn't get into it

Wanted to like this series... first book is collecting dust unfinished.

Good read, slow start but fast Ending!

Agreat read,a littl slow to start but got much better in Old!, let ya know what I think of nezt Book!

I enjoyed it.

I'm not much into urban fantasy, but I thoroughly enjoyed the main character. It was a fun read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

worth the read

i really enjoyed this book. it was a great first volume.