Hexed by Michael Alan Nelson Series: Hexed #1
Published by Pyr on May 5, 2015
Source: Publisher
Genres: Young Adult, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
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THE FIRST NOVEL BASED ON THE HEXED COMIC! Luci Jenifer Inacio das Neves, Lucifer for short, isn't your typical teenaged girl. She's a thief who survives by stealing bad things from bad people in the magical and mystical underworld hidden beneath our own. So when a policeman's daughter, Gina, is kidnapped by a force he can't explain, Lucifer is the only one who has a chance at getting his daughter back.
With the unsolicited help of Gina's friends, including Gina's boyfriend David, Lucifer's investigation leads to the unfortunate truth of the kidnapping. Gina was taken to an otherworldly dimension by a creature of unspeakable evil: one of the Seven Sisters of Witchdown. Against all odds, Lucifer must use every magical tool hidden in her trick bag to steal her way into the Shade and bring Gina back before the Sister sacrifices her for her own dark ends. But the closer Lucifer gets to Gina, the closer she gets to David. And David to her. Lucifer must risk her life by confronting demons, witches, and the cruel demigoddess controlling her destiny - all to save the one girl who stands in the way of Lucifer finally finding love.
I’m a big fan of the urban fantasy genre with it’s kick ass heroines, nonstop action and supernatural elements, and Hexed is a YA urban fantasy that did not disappoint! Hexed features a thief with a mission – to recover a missing girl kidnapped by supernatural forces.
Not to be mistaken with the devil, Lucifer is a smart, resourceful and kick ass heroine who steals magical artifacts from bad people. I was really impressed with her – she’s smart enough to con people but also kick ass enough to hold on her own against all sorts of baddies, from witches, demons, witch hounds, security systems and hexes. Lucifer is like a gateway to this magical world that people don’t know existed, and she handles it with confidence and flair.
“The final ritual to becoming a witch is the worst. It’s…unthinkable. To truly become a witch, you have to make a sacrifice. A sacrifice “born of one’s own flesh.””. – Lucifer
While Lucifer sounds pretty intimidating, she’s actually the opposite – she cares enough about people to help them and emphasise with them BUT she doesn’t care enough to conform and blend in. The thing about Lucifer is that she’s tough and has grit, she’ll do whatever it takes to help a human out of a bad situation, even if it means putting herself in danger.
Hexed is fast-paced and filled with action, with Lucifer constantly progressing through her investigation while encountering demons and enlisting help along the way. She makes quick allies out of Buck, the cop who wants her to save his daughter Gina, and David, Gina’s concerned boyfriend. While the two become close, the romance never becomes overpowering or takes over the plot which I really liked. She also never forgot that David had a girlfriend (a key point of contention I have for YA romances!).
“If you wish to know the secret of traveling to Witchdown, you will give me your emotions. All of your emotions. You will give me your capacity for love, hate, sadness, joy, empathy, sympathy, pathos of every stripe. I will turn you into a husk devoid of any and all feelings. A homunculus incapable of experiencing anything endemic to the human condition. That is the price of this secret.“ – The Harlot
My favourite part of the story were the supernatural elements, which were blended really well with the overall plot. With demon possessions, a demigoddess who is also a Keeper of Secrets, the Seven evil witches who use their own children as sacrifices, and magical mirrors and artifacts, I was really drawn into the authenticity of the story.
Hexed is a fantastic urban fantasy read with a smart, resourceful heroine, great magical elements and a thrilling, action-filled plot. I enjoyed every moment of it and hope to see more YA urban fantasies that will follow suit!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Thank you to Pyr for sending me a review copy from overseas!
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Ooh I can agree with you when it comes to liking the urban fantasy genre, so hearing about this book makes me so hopeful! I would love to try it, especially because it just sounds like it has the perfect combination of everything – action, cleverness and a cool plot!
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4.5 stars and a heroine named Lucifer? Sounds interesting. Adding this to my TBR! 😀
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Yippee, I'm so glad you're adding it to your TBR! 🙂
Ooh this book is new to me! And I do love urban fantasy with kick ass heroines, so I will definitely have to throw this on the TBR. Glad that there's so many good points to this book! Great review, Jeann!
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Yipeee, if you love urban fantasies this will be so up your alley Cyn!
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Thanks for the rec, Jeann! I had never heard of this book before. It sounds like a lot of fun. I don't like that the love interest already has a girlfriend, but at least that's a fact not forgotten by the MC (I hate that too).
Great review!
No problems Danielle! I\’m so glad I found out about this book, it\’s a US only one at the moment. Glad to hear it\’s not just me!
Oh this sounds Amazing Jeann! I've been looking for a new YA Urban Fantacy. Brilliant review! 🙂
Thanks Catherine, I hope you enjoy this!
I love Urban Fantasy, it's so tough to find one I like in the YA genre but omg I need this book. The heroine sounds exactly like my type of girl, and the supernatural elements sounds deliciously intense! Thanks for writing the review 😀
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I totally agree aentee, there should be more YA urban fantasy like this one! 🙂
Oh, man, this sounds absolutely amazing! I added it to my TBR 😉 It's so hard to find good urban fantasies in YA these days. Most of the ones I've read and loved are adult ones, and I've kinda given up on a good YA counterpart at this point, until I got to your review. I just love the sound of Lucifer! Thankfully, this book is already out so I can get to it ASAP 😉
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I really loved it Faye, I just LOVE urban fantasy and this one was totally up my alley and done so well!
Great review! This book took me by surprise too. It was fantastic and I really want to pick up the comic book series it is based on now!
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I know, I'm so glad I picked it up, I really enjoyed it! Same here Rachel, I think I'd enjoy the comic too.
I only hope there is a sequel now! I haven't gotten into comic books before but what better place to start, eh? :')
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I hope so too! I\’m even keen on reading the comic now too!
This one sounds really cool! I want to start reading more Urban Fantasy.
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This would be a good place to start, especially if you like YA!
I've never read urban fantasy. I always say it's not my thing. But I have to admit, this sounds really good!! 🙂
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Fair enough Lisa, I'm glad the review intrigues you though!
Oooo! I really like the sound of this! It looks like it has a bit of a Buffy vibe to it, and I need more Buffy in my life after finishing the series earlier this month (*crying*). I love kickass heroines who can take care of themselves, and I love that they're growing in numbers (at least a little) in the YA genre. We definitely need to see girls who can stand up for themselves, and hold their own, and Lucifer sounds like she fits the bill perfectly!
I'm super glad you enjoyed this one, Jeann, and I'll be keeping an eye out for it 😀
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Yesss urban fantasies = kick ass heroines! I love the genre! And we need more in YA!
I can't even remember the last time I found a good YA Urban Fantasy, so this one's a no-brainer. I'll be adding this to my list! Thanks, Jeann. 🙂
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Me neither Joy, the only YA urban fantasy I can think of is the Mortal Instruments and well..I didn't continue with that.
Oooh- this sounds so good right now!! I'm a fan of UF and this has all the elements that I usually love. I'm definitely going to have to add this to my list. Plus, YA UF…Um yes, please 🙂
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I really loved it Kim, glad to hear you're adding it to your list!
Ohhhh that is such a high rating! 🙂 I definitely have to try this book out. The name of the heroine kind of threw me for a loop. I was confused for a second until I read it again and her name was indeed what I thought it was! Teehee I'm usually not an action girl but I'll watch a movie with action in it ironically. I'm glad you liked this one Jeann!:)
I know right, it really raises eyebrows but she totally owned it!
I'm only now getting back into UF and I'm looving the genre. I'm going to look more into this one because it sounds fantastic! And a YA UF at that!! That sounds pretty amazing.
The MC seems really great too and I'm intrigued by all the paranormal elements.
Thanks for putting this to my attention, Jeann!
Lovely review! 🙂
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I love UF so much, it's a shame there aren't many YA ones (or good YA ones). No problems Nick! The paranormal elements were great 🙂
Ooooh this is a first when I have seen a girl as a heroine with this name and I love that she's a great character with a side of bad-assery but also with a touch of humanity. Plus points for the romance and not forgetting the girlfriend part 🙂 Sounds like this was a great one and I seriously hope the sequel will be just a satisfying for you, love!
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I know right? It's a really different name but I just LOVE how she owns it. She's awesome! Thanks Siiri <3
You already know I love this book! And it's a series, yay! I also love the part about the stuff animals;-) Awesome review, thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Absolutely, my excitement over your review was warranted, yay!
Oh man, this sounds AMAZING! It reminds me so much of Dark Star, which I love, and the characters sound so so good. Thank you putting this on my radar Jeann, it sounds like the perfect future novel for me! 🙂
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I really enjoyed it Amanda! I'm not sure what Dark Star is but I'm going to go and look it up 🙂
It feels like AGES since I read and loved a good YA Urban Fantasy! I adore kick-ass heroines, so this one is definitely going on my TBR list!
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I know, it's been a long time for me as well, in fact I can't even think of any that I liked.
I'm a massive fan of well written urban fantasy too, and this sounds incredible! I mainly read dystopians for their strong female heroines, but it's about time we started seeing more kick ass book chicks in other genres too. Lucifer sounds like a brilliant character, tough as boots but with a humanity in her that makes her likable as well. Sign me up Jeann, this sounds totally my thing. Brilliant review! <3
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Yesss I totally agree, that's what I miss about the paranormal genre in YA. I'm a keen lover of urban fantasy but it's mostly adult, so I really loved this one! Lucifer is a great character 🙂 Thank you!
OMG. 4.5 STARS?! I NEED THIS DELICIOUS BOOK IN MY LIFE. I looove paranormal. I love actiony stories and adventure and I LOVE epic characters. *trundles off to goodreads*
I really loved it so much Cait! If you love paranormal reads, urban fantasy is the way to go. So many awesome heroines!
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