Review: Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

Title: Soul Thief
Author: Jana Oliver
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: August 30, 2011
Series: Demon Trappers #2
Links: Amazon | Goodreads
Source: ARC Tour

Seventeen-year-old Riley Blackthorne has about had it up to here. After the devastating battle at the Tabernacle, trappers are dead and injured, her boyfriend Simon is gravely injured, and now her beloved late father's been illegally poached from his grave by a very powerful necromancer. Add to the mix: Ori, one sizzling hot freelance demon hunter who's made himself Riley's unofficial bodyguard, and Beck, a super over-protective "friend" who acts more like a grouchy granddad, and Riley's almost ready to leave Atlanta altogether.

But as the demon count in Atlanta increases, the Vatican finally sends its own Demon Hunters to take care of the city's "little" problem, and pandemonium breaks loose. Only Riley knows that she might be the center of Hell's attention: an extremely powerful Grade 5 demon is stalking her, and her luck can't last forever.

I liked The Demon Trapper's Daughter a lot, and Soul Thief is just the sequel that I was hoping for. The plot thickens, tensions grow, relationships evolve and devolve, demons attack.

Riley and Beck might be two of my favorite main characters in urban fantasy. Riley is everything that a great YA heroine should be - she is smart, determined, and strong, yet isn't without her vulnerability. She struggles to succeed in a man's profession, which makes her feisty and stubborn to a fault. All of this makes her an honest and realistic protagonist. Beck is awesome in this book. Beck lovers - you will not be disappointed! He was the most interesting character to me in the first book, and remains so in Soul Thief. I was hoping that this book would see Beck grow, and it does. He is given new responsibilities as the masters begin to entrust him with more of their secrets and duties since they are short handed. It's something that he struggles with but does not shy away from.

Riley and Beck's relationship continues to progress into something more caring and friendly. If you're anything like me, then you want Riley and Beck to get married and have lots of babies and a little pet Magpie. And while that doesn't happen, there are some totally cute and endearing moments scattered in between their disagreements. I'm pleased with their relationship development and can't wait for more.

The plot is paced wonderfully, with a mixture of action scenes and character driven ones. Riley and Beck both have a lot on their plates in this installment and must deal with their new problems as well as continue to keep up with their previous responsibilities and, in Riley's case, investigations. And the ending definitely left me with some eager anticipation for the next book. If you liked The Demon Trapper's Daughter, then I think you will definitely enjoy Soul Thief. And if you haven't started this series yet, then you should, especially if you like urban fantasies with interesting story lines and awesome characters.