Review: Switchblade Goddess by Lucy A. Snyder

Del Rey, 2011
ISBN: 0345512111
Available: Paperback, Kindle ebook

Switchblade Goddess is the third book in Snyder’s Jessie Shimmer series. I strongly advise you start with the first one, not just so you know what’s going on, but also so you understand the extremely graphic nature of the author’s style.

In the last book Jessie faced down Miko, a half-demon daughter of the Japanese death goddess. In Switchblade Goddess, we get a good look at Miko’s past, and learn that as bad as she is, she’s only an instrument in an eons-old battle for human souls, a battle in which Jessie is now a prize. Jessie’s pretty busy tying up loose ends in this book, as she struggles against a deadly infection and tries to save the life of her familiar (who has been infected with lycanthropy) while also attempting to mend things with her boyfriend Cooper and his brother, The Warlock. Unfortunately, for each problem she solves, another one appears… and she still has to defeat Miko for good, as well.

The Jessie Shimmer books are outrageous and enjoyable, total standouts from the rest of the urban fantasy scene. They’re a hardcore, punk view in a middle class genre (not that there’s anything wrong with UF in the first place). Recommended for public libraries with strong audiences for horror fiction and dark fantasy.

Contains: Sex, violence, language, rape