Title: Killing Time
Author: Elisa Paige
Publisher: Carina Press
This is the second time I’ve accidentally gotten the second book in the series on Netgalley. I really need to start double-checking before requesting books. Luckily, like the other one I read last month, Killing Time by Elisa Paige didn’t really require prior knowledge of the first book to understand what was going on. From what I can tell, the first book revolves around completely different characters.
Killing Time follows the story of Sephti, a being genetically engineered to act as a weapon for the Fae. In most recent books involving Fae creatures, the supernatural species isn’t known for its kindness and good nature. In Killing Time, they’re pretty much the most despicable creatures in any world and are responsible for all sorts of atrocities, including the destruction and conquering of Native Americans by European settlers. So needless to say, Koda, a Native American guardian, isn’t exactly fond of them. Actually, that’s an understatement. He loathes them and anything that has to do with them, as in his opinion, nothing touched by Fae hands can be good. But when he meets Sephti, his whole view on that last part completely changes. When he finds out Sephti is bent on completing what will most likely amount to a suicide mission, he has to figure out a way to help her accomplish her task without watching her die.
I enjoyed the unique spin on the faeries, and the fact that Sephti was a completely different type of being than you’ll find in other books. She’s a great character, touch and fierce one moment and forgetting how to speak English the next when she’s frustrated or nervous. The combination of sweet and ferocious really worked for her. The background on her species, Bitterns, is really in-depth and interesting to read. The only thing that isn’t clear is how Sephti became so different than others like her, who are basically just order-taking killing machines. A little more background on that would have helped me understand her better.
The romance angle was sweet, but I thought it was a little rushed in the beginning. One minute Koda is saying how much he would love to kill Sephti, and the next he’s rushing into a burning building to save her. A little more segue would have been nice. However, once Paige establishes that the two like each other, she does take her time getting them together. Overall, it was an enjoyable book. I’d recommend it to fans of Urban Fantasy who enjoy a hefty dose of romance for their butt-kicking heroines.
This isn’t my usual genre, but I’ve got to admit it sounds pretty interesting!