Succubus (n.) An alluring, shape-shifting demon who seduces and pleasures mortal men. Pathetic (adj.) A succubus with great shoes and no social life. See: Georgina Kincaid.
When it comes to jobs in hell, being a succubus seems pretty glamorous. A girl can be anything she wants, the wardrobe is killer, and mortal men will do anything just for a touch. Granted, they often pay with their souls, but why get technical?
But Seattle succubus Georgina Kincaid's life is far less exotic. Her boss is a middle-management demon with a thing for John Cusack movies. Her immortal best friends haven't stopped teasing her about the time she shape-shifted into the Demon Goddess get-up, complete with whip and wings. And she can't have a decent date without sucking away part of the guy's life.
At least there's her day job at a local bookstore--free books; all the white chocolate mochas she can drink; and easy access to best-selling, sexy writer Seth Mortensen, aka "He Whom She Would Give Anything to Touch but Can't".
But dreaming about Seth will have to wait. Something wicked is at work in Seattle's demon underground. And for once, all of her hot charms and drop-dead one-liners won't help because Georgina's about to discover there are some creatures out there that both heaven and hell want to deny.
©2007 Richelle Mead; (P)2009 Audible, Inc.
"At the start of a planned series, Mead cooks up an appetizing debut that blends romantic suspense with a fresh twist on the paranormal, accented with eroticism." (Booklist)
"Elisabeth Rodgers’s understated narration displays subtle skill. Her low, even voice traces Georgina’s snarky musings and wistful regrets without melodrama. Rodgers’s vocal choices also support Mead’s secondary characters. Angels mesmerize as they try to convince Georgina to repent. Demonic pals and mortal co-workers emerge with unique voices and endearing concern for the likable Georgina. Mead’s quirky story—the forces of good and evil even gather for Friday night happy hour—is well matched by Rodgers’s intuitive depiction of Georgina’s complexities." (AudioFile)
"Another great paranormal series!"
To be honest, I expected sex as the main plot-point in a book titled “Succubus Blues,” but this just goes to show you should NEVER judge a book by its cover! This fast-paced, supernatural thriller – chock full of witty dialogue and a bevy of intriguing paranormal beings – is mesmerizing reading indeed! Richelle Mead, well-known author of the Vampire Academy, really knows how to create a strong, sexy heroine with a heart of gold. Fans of Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake looking for a less intense version of the supernatural seductress should definitely check out this series!
"Loved it!"
I just recently happened upon this series and now I am addicted! (I've even managed to get my Mom addicted) My tastes usually include thrillers and murder mysteries such as King, Koontz, Hoag, Rice, Grafton, and even a little Evanovich thrown in for fun. The "Succubus" series is similar but also different. It's a little "steamier" than what I am used to, given the name, that's hardly a surprise, and they are well written and narrated. I have officially added Richelle Mead to my list of favorite authors and I would recommend this book to everyone!
"Fantastic Book"
I absolutely love all of Richelle Mead's books! I have been waiting for the Succubus Series to come to Audible. This book is a fantastic start to a wonderful series. It has everything you could want in a book, suspense, mystery, romance, and humor. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good Paranormal read! Make sure you don't stop here get all the series and all of her books!
"Love this book"
I think this is one of the best books from Rechelle Mead. I had read all of her books but the succubus series is my favorite, Georgina is a very compelling heroine and her internal battle with what she is makes the story endearing . The narrator does a great job too
"Satisfying"
This book delivers on what I was looking for. I like paranormal / romance / mysteries, but I always cringe a bit before buying because sometimes they are really bad. I give this a 4 star for it's genre. It was entertaining, had a few surprises and the narration was good. Not high art, but a nice diversion that doesn't leave you cringing. In fact, I'm intrigued and I'm going to download the next in the series.
Avid reader, mom, business owner.
"Funny, Different, and VERY Steamy"
The "misfit" cast of characters. Despite the fact they are working for the dark side, the supporting characters are really very likable.
I really enjoyed Rodgers's reading. She was very easy to listen to and had great timing.
I really enjoyed the book, but buyer beware the characters have no "moral" hang-ups about sex, "all in a days work" attitude about casual sexual encounters (and I do mean casual). Might not be everyone's cup of tea.
I like Jack Reacher style characters regardless of setting. Put them in outer space, in modern America, in a military setting, on an alien planet... no worries. Book has non moralistic vigilante-justice? Sign me up! (oh, I read urban fantasy, soft and hard sci-fi, trashy vampire and zombie novels too)
"My favorite succubus..."
What a pleasant surprise. The story is nicely paced, the characters are distinct and there is a nice hint of humor and tongue-in-cheekness that I quite enjoyed. There is a bit of sex, but only at the very end of the story, which is a suprise when one considers the role of succubi.
Anyway, Georgina is a great character, has a great attitude, and a great sense of humor - even though she's stuck in a lifestyle that she might not have chosen given a full set of facts at the outstart (i.e. she's not evil even though that's her "official" position in the scheme of good vs evil.)
Overall it's an interesting paranormal world and I will certainly read the next in the series. The narrator is reasonably good - took a bit to get used to her but by the end of the first chapter, Elisabeth *was* Georgina's voice.
"How the "Blues" can make you smile!"
Because I read so much for my work, it has been years since I did a lot of personal reading. So when I discovered audio books, my love affair with the written word was revitalized.
I should note however that there are some pretty extensive changes in the Science Fiction/Fantasy landscape since my transition from avide reader to power listener. Here are just a few:
1. There are many more women writers creating great work.
2. The work that many of these artist are creating isn't strictly Science Fiction/Fantasy. Rather it is a blend of SciFi/Fantasy with Romance.
And here is where the problem begins to develop, romance storys and scifi storys have a different cadence to them. An estimate of the content ratio is 75% SciFi and 25% Romance. So you have 3 or 4 scenes in the romance area. But the power and intensity in the romance scenes is out of proportion with the writing in the rest of the story.
Yes, I know I am rambling on but here is my point.
Richelle's Succubus Blues is one of just a few novels where the Romance elements are neatly integrated into the story so that I wouldn't call it anything other than a Fantasy novel. Where many of today's female authors seem to be writing Romance novels designed to entice women and young girls into the SciFi/Fantasy realm, Richelle has written a smart, funny, and provocative Fantasy novel from a womens perspective.
So when I finished this book. I smiled.
"LOVED IT"
I agree with all those reviews. I'm so glad I found this series, it's turning out to be one of my favorites. Great characters, cool plot, and very good writing with some poignant moments instead of everything turning out fine and happy.
I look forward to the continuing series. Oh, and the narrator, Elisabeth Rodgers, is excellent.
"Give it a try"
I really liked the idea of really sexy succubus who is also a book worm who works in a book store. I also was pleasantly surprized that there aren't much gratuitous sex scenes either. THe main character being a succubus, the book could have gone that way but it didn't. For which I am very grateful, I mean listening to loong sex scenes can be a pain when you don't want to. one of the reasons why I resisted reading the series was for that. I am glad I gave this book a try and started to read the series.