Succubus Blues Review
By. Charles Phipps
I promised I'd review this book a few months ago but for the life of me, it completely slipped my mind. However, I finally got around to reading it and I'm very pleased with the results. This review will share, in depth, just what I thought of the novel and its erstwhile protagonist.
Before we get into the meat of the review, one thing that should be established is what Succubus Blues is not. What separates it from the hordes of urban fantasy novels that are currently out there? Well, it's one of the extraordinarily few where the protagonist is NOT an action hero.
Georgina Kincaid has the power to shapeshift into various yummy looking forms. That's it. No super strength, special magical powers to repulse creatures, or even any fighting skill whatsoever. It's tremendously refreshing to have a protagonist whom can't contribute anything in a dangerous situation. Well, except maybe call 911.
The depiction of Georgina's life is a nice juxtaposition of the surreal world of immortals with the banality of mortal life. A succubus working for Hell, it's her job to harvest souls for diabolical masters. This would be almost certainly enough to qualify her as a villainess but for the fact its almost impossible to dislike the scatter-brained immortal.
While it's unlikely Richelle Meade is fond of low print run Steve Jackon Games RPGs, her depiction of Heaven and Hell strongly reminds me of In Nomine. A somewhat Dogma-like reality where the dueling forces of good and evil are decidedly less than impressive when met up close.
The book fundamentally focuses on the loneliness and dissatisfaction of Georgina's life as a sensual vampire. Georgina doesn't brood much on her problems but it's clear that she lives a fairly unfulfilled life. She is condemned to feed on losers and monsters because she doesn't want to take the life of decent guys. Yet, she isn't the type to like them and thus misses out any emotional satisfaction from sex.
Speaking of sex, while a few sex scenes exist in this book, it's actually remarkably chaste for an Urban Fantasy book. There's three in the entire book of three hundred and fifty odd pages. None of them extended or terribly graphic. Just enough to remind us that Georgina is in fact a creature that feeds on lust. Technically, there's a 4th sex scene in the start of the book but it lasts one second.
There is a plot to sustain the book, relating to the existence of someone hunting down and killing lesser immortals, but it's largely incidental to the exploration of the succubi lifestyle. I called the villain by page sixty but this didn't really reduce my enjoyment of the storyline. The twist at the end where Georgina may have ruined her one chance at happiness was a nice reminder that the author isn't afraid to go places that other authors shy away from.
One thing that I liked was....well....Georgina is really working for the forces of darkness. There's some uncomfortable moments in the book where you're reminded that her circle of likable losers is a bunch of monsters. Her boss Jerome seems utterly harmless in his ridiculous John Cussack fandom.....right until you realize that he REALLY IS a demon. It adds edge to the storyline that Georgina's side isn't misunderstood Diet Coke evil.
Characters that appealed to me were the hippie-like angel Carter whom seems to be a strange sort to hang around a group like Georgina's despite their rather mafia-like behavior. It adds an air of mystery to the fellow and I look forward to meeting other angels in the future. Also, I was fond of the mysterious Giles-like bookstore owner Erik whom seemed to know more in his short mortal lifespan than Georgina did in her 3000+ year lifespan.
The books sense of humor is probably its strongest point. Everything crackles with a quiet absurdity that made it an enjoyable romp. Not only are the Higher Immortals of Angels and Demons somewhat bizarre in their behavior but it's clear that immortality doesn't really bestow maturity. You might be three thousand years old or so but you still become a giddy fangirl when meeting your favorite author. I'd love to know what the Candy and O'Neill series is all about. It seems to be one of the Mystery-Thriller series that are crack to their fans.
If there was one area that I would have appreciated more of it's female characters. Sadly, two of the female characters introduced in the book are not going to be showing up again and that's a pity since I liked both. Georgina is understandably surrounded by men but some more female companionship might add a differing perspective to the book.
Overall, a tremendously strong story and I think I enjoyed it as much as the Dresden series' start.
9/10
