Infected: Prey, Bloodlines, Life After Death, Freefall, Shift, Lesser Evils, Undertow, Epitaph, by Andrea Speed
How do you review an eight-book series? Normally I’m not sure I’d even attempt it, but given that I would rate every book in the series 5 out of 5, I think that this merits mentioning. I have reviewed the first three (and a half) books in the series here and here. I am so pleased to say that the series continues from there to be a wonderful read.
To recap from an earlier review:
In the 1960’s a virus was loosed that killed hundreds of thousands of people worldwide. A vaccine was created, but the vaccine had…side effects. For those “infected” with the virus, five days out of every month they transform into a feral feline – cougar, lion, leopard, panther, or tiger. This is not a neat transformation, either: it can take an hour or more, and is excruciatingly painful as all of the bones break, the body is re-formed, and mass is redistributed. The bigger the feline, the greater the toll it takes on the body, so while there are many cougars, tigers have a diminishingly short lifespan.
Roan McKichan is an oddity. Where almost all other infecteds caught the virus later in life, he was born with the virus and somehow lived when all other virus children usually die shortly after birth. A former cop and now a private detective, he is coming to an understanding with the lion inside him and becoming something the world has never seen before.
While these books are technically mysteries (or at the very least private detective cases), those are peripheral to what really matters. Each book is comprised of two novellas, typically one following chronologically after the other. Each novella has 2-3 cases of varying degrees of interest and involvement. The important thing here though is the characters and how they live their lives.
Roan is the star of the show, and is truly a larger-than-life character. The overarching story is of him coming to terms with his lion, and the damage done to himself as he calls on the lion to do what he believes is right. He can be cranky, misanthropic, sarcastic, and funny as hell. At the same time, though, we see him dealing with deep depression and wondering if the fight to just keep living is even worth it. He’s complex, complicated, and fascinating.
Roan alone would be the basis of a couple of good books. However, Speed has created a setting with a lot of possibilities, and populated it with a remarkable cast of characters. After Roan, Holden is the next biggest player. He’s a former whore with no illusions about the world or himself. Amoral is just a start, and he is not above a little vigilantism on the side when called for. At the same time he has a vulnerability that he hides from everyone except a sometimes-boyfriend who slows chips his way into Holden’s heart.
Other characters are incredibly entertaining, like the Seattle Falcons, a minor-league hockey team who befriends Roan: Handsome, closeted team captain Scott, the paradoxically gentle enforcer Grey, and the manic goalie Tank. They make a weird addition for Roan’s little family and yet it all fits together somehow. Add in oddballs like Fiona, Roan’s receptionist who is also a part-time dominatrix, and Dee, Roan’s ex-boyfriend and EMT who spends far too much time putting Roan back together, and you’ve got quite a collection.
So having reviewed the earlier books, why do I feel like I need to write more about the series? I think more than anything reading the series as a whole is an incredibly satisfying experience. You spend a lot of time with these people and you start to know them well – how they tick, why they act like they do. You want to know what is happening in their lives, and what will happen next. Speed’s writing is at its best here, keeping up a driving pace that still gives the reader time to consider the character’s thoughts and emotions. It has been a long time since I became as invested in a set of books like this, and I hope you take the time to check them out as well!
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