Jaye Wells

Sabina Kane — (2009-2011) Publisher: In a world where being of mixed-blood is a major liability, Sabina Kane has the only profession fit for an outcast: assassin. But, her latest mission threatens the fragile peace between the vampire and mage races and Sabina must scramble to figure out which side she’s on. She’s never brought her work home with her — until now. This time, it’s personal.

Red-Headed Stepchild

Sometimes being unique is not a requirement for writing a good story. Jaye Wells’ Red-Headed Stepchild is not unique. In fact, it’s cookie-cutter urban fantasy with all the clichés. But, Wells uses all the same old urban fantasy elements to crank out a decent story.

Sabina Kane, a half-vampire / half-mage assassin for the vampire governing body, has been raised by her maternal grandmother after the ill-starred match of her vampire mother and mage father leaves her an orphan. Sabina is just as sassy, pretty, tough, etc. as every other heroine in every other paranormal urban fantasy, so for the first half of the book I was cringing as Wells stayed right on course for what we all knew was coming.

There is Comic Relief in the form of a demon sent to kill her and a nymph/faerie who is supposed to spy on her. There is Romance of a sort between Sabina and two of the male characters. Finally, there is the Unexpected Betrayal and the Dire Situation that threatens everything that Sabina cares about and believes in. This is all well-trod ground in the urban fantasy realm.

But during the second half of the book I noticed that Jaye Wells really knows how to write exhilarating action sequences and interesting character interactions (which get better in the second half). What I liked best was that she was able to make me feel the friction and tension between the different conflicted groups. It was kind of like reading a spy-thriller novel except that the characters are paranormal instead of highly trained CIA operatives.

I will read the sequel to Red-Headed Stepchild.  Not because there’s anything really original about this book or its characters, but because Wells makes the well-worn exciting and sometimes that’s enough to make a book worth reading. Wells knows how to take you for a ride.
—John Hulet

Mage in Black

Jaye Wells is getting better. Mage in Black is the sequel to Wells’ debut novel, Red-Headed Stepchild. In Red-Headed Stepchild, Sabina Kane foiled a plot by the head of the vampires (her own grandmother) and is now on the run from vampire assassins.

In Mage in Black, war is brewing between mages and vampires. Sabina, who was raised by vampires, is caught in the middle. Having discovered that she has a twin sister who was raised by mages, she visits mage headquarters in New York, where she runs afoul of a pack of werewolves and is targeted for assassination by a traitor within the mage camp.

While Mage in Black embraces many of the tropes of the urban fantasy genre, the story remains fresh and the plot speeds along nicely. Sabina is a great protagonist, and she’s surrounded with an exceptional supporting cast. I especially like her demon familiar.

While I enjoyed Wells’ debut novel, Red-Headed Stepchild, I think Mage in Black is markedly better: the humor is funnier, the suspense is tighter, and the plot is paced more smoothly and has more complexities. The Sabina Kane novels remind me of some of the early novels of Jeaniene Frost or Karen Chance. I recommend them to anyone who enjoys that style of book and I eagerly await the sequel.
—Stephen Frank