Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Undead and Unfinished-MaryJanice Davidson

Undead and Unfinished
MaryJanice Davidson
Berkley, Jul 6 2010, $24.95
ISBN: 9780425234358

Learning just who the mom of her half-sister is (see Undead and Unwelcome) still shakes the soul of vampire Queen Betsy Taylor; that is if vampires keep their souls once converted; if not at least shakes the soles of her new shoes. The last person she wants to deal with is her half-sister former Sunday School teacher the Antichrist Laura.

Laura pleads with her sibling to accompany her as she needs to take a trip to Hell to meet her mommy dearest Lucifer. Betsy agrees that she has nothing better to do than go to Hell, but while visiting the devil’s playground; she negotiates a Faustian deal with Lucifer that allows her to read the Book of the Dead without going insane; or at least crazier than she is. In payment Lucifer simply expects the siblings to have a good time using her hellfire sword that slices through time and place. However, the two sisters soon have a bigger quandary to confront than finding designer shoes as somehow their night on the universe is devastating the future; although the sisters are having problems calculating what future.

To Hell and back to hell as Betsy and Laura just wanna have fun, but soon finds Lucifer crafted a diabolical deal. Humorous as always due to Betsy’s sarcastic in your face (especially her beloved, her sister, some supernaturals, shoe sellers, and Lucifer) as well as scornful asides to the reader. Yet with the acerbic comedic commentary, fans of the saga will enjoy the latest “Un and Un” fantasy as Undead and Unfinished continues the grimmer trend started with the previous Taylor thriller.

Harriet Klausner

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