Review: The Mortal Bone by Marjorie M Liu

The Mortal Bone is the fourth book in the Hunter Kiss series by Marjorie M Liu and an ACE Novel.


Book Blurb:


Tattoos with hearts, minds, and dreams - they are obsidian shadows of the flesh.  Created to be armor that protects my body, they unwind by night and take on their own forms - demons made flesh.


When the bond Maxine Kiss shares with Zee and the boys - the demons tattooed on her skin - is deliberately severed, the hunter is left vulnerable and unprotected.  For the first time in ten thousand years, the boys have a taste of freedom - without Maxine’s guiding influence.


As they grow more violent and unpredictable, Maxine starts to fear that the little demons will lose their minds without their attachment to her.  But reuniting won’t be easy, as a great temptation waits for her little demons: a chance to return to their lives as Reaper Kings and unleash hell on earth.


My thoughts:


Maxine, now married to Grant, is hoping to enjoy a little quiet time on the farm that belonged to her mother.   That quiet is broken by the arrival of a terrified demon who flings an otherworldly artifact at Maxine before racing off again.


Confused and uneasy, Maxine and Grant have no time for more than cursory inspection before they are called away.


It appears that Maxine’s Mom - who is dead - has left her a message.  That message turns out to be life altering.


In the blink of an eye Maxine and her boys are ripped apart - the tattoos removed from her body and the demons free.


Though Zee tries to keep the others in check - the freedom is too much - the power, too much.  Maxine must stand by and watch as the boys struggle with who they once were - and what they’ve become.


No longer protected by wearing the boys on her skin - Maxine is a target for the other demons.  For the first time in a long time - Maxine can be hurt - and she doesn’t like it.


War is coming and Maxine, Grant and the boys have choices to make.


The Mortal Bone is a great read.  


The struggle that the boys are going through is sad.  I know they are demons - but they have been - literally - bound to human women for more than ten thousand years.  They’ve evolved....to a certain degree. :)


I give The Mortal Bone 4 out of 5 stars.




Product Details
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Ace (12-27-11)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1937007189
ISBN-13: 978-1937007188