Killing Rites by M.L.N. Hanover

Killing Rites is book four in Hanover’s Black Sun’s Daughters series. I do love this series and I’m glad that it seems that it won’t come to an end. I can’t wait until next November to see if there will be a new book and to find out what Jayné Heller and her friends do next.

In every Black Sun’s Daughter book we see Jayné and the crew in a different city, in book one Unclean Spirits they are in Denver, book two Darker Angels has them in New Orleans, and book three Vicious Grace takes them to Chicago. Which brings us to book four Killing Rites where Jayné and Ex, one of her friends, go to New Mexico, to San Esteban to be exact. Killing Rites is darker than the first three to me. We see Jayné leaving friends behind in Chicago and trying unsuccessfully to deal with the aftermath of what she had to do in Chicago. Kill an innocent to save the world from madness. Not only is Jayné dealing with murdering someone but she has decided/figured out that there is a rider inside her. A rider is a demon who hides in a human’s body that sooner or later takes control of the human. We learn about riders in book one Unclean Spirits. When Jayné and Ex, Ex is a former priest, decide to remove her rider they try to Santa Fe and stay at one of the properties that Jayné inherited from her, bastard of an Uncle, Eric. Calling Eric a bastard is being polite as you’ll find out if you read the Series. If you’ve read it then you know.

In Killing Rites Jayné and Ex, come home to Ex’s former life. They left Chogyi Jake, Aubrey and Kim back in Chicago. Aubrey and Kim are working on getting back together after Eric split them apart. Chogyi Jake is/ was recuperating from the battle at Grace Memorial Hospital. With their friends out of sight they become intimate but not in a sexual way. Ex as we know has feelings for Jayné hasn’t figured out if she has the same feelings for Ex. However their feelings are just a subplot in this book, and it’s far from romantic because before Chogyi Jake arrives Ex puts Jayné through hell, literally. Ex was a priest who was in a group sanctioned by the Vatican to preform exorcisms. Ex as we learn was one of the best but something happened and he left the group. Yes we learn what happened within the pages, but it’s a biggie so I can’t give you that detail. Now he’s bringing Jayné to them too remove her rider. This doesn’t go the way they were hoping and hell pretty much breaks lose.

Before the shit really hits the fan Jayné meets up with an old friend Midian Clark, a vampire, and they have along conversation about everything that’s been going on. He gives Jayné some advice, but at that time it’s not, really taken as such. When Jayné returns to the church, Ex and the priests preform part of an exorcism trying to remove her rider unsuccessfully. This is when things get hairy and shit hits the fan. Here Jayné must turn away from her last remaining friend to save her life and others. She goes back to where she found Midian and finds that he has disappeared. Now she’s truly alone and has to make a plan when she doesn’t have money, id, a cell phone or a car, thankfully she’s able to get a hold of her lawyer for help. Jayné makes a plan, not a very good one, but at least she mat one and heads out to make Ex and his friends believe her even with a rider inside her. She does get a little luck when she learns that Chogyi Jake has arrived, even though he’s with Ex. Chogyi, however doesn’t tell Ex when he talks to Jayné and he sticks to Jayné’s side when he can. This is where things get interesting and while the book is full of action. At this part of the story we get the most kick ass action.

I can’t finish telling you what happens in the book, but there are more riders in this book than any other. We do find out who the rider in Jayné is finally and now things make a little more sense. The hider is who protects Jayné when trouble comes and they come to an understanding to save those who need saving. In the end not all conflicts are settled but that’s okay because we know what Jayné, Ex and Chogyi Jake are trying to do, and we have an idea on where they will most likely be traveling next. Since we know where they will go next, it seems like next November will be a good month. Hopefully book five will be released so we can find out what happens next for Jayné. Maybe she’ll find the answers that have plagued her or at least better answers. This truly is an Urban Fantasy you don’t want to miss.