Deathwish

Deathwish (2009) Rob Thurman

This book too me far longer than I expected to finish.

I started reading, and then decided it felt like the final book in the series, and that was followed by the thought, “this can’t end well,” (after all, consider the name of the book) so as much as I desperately wanted to know what happened, I also didn’t want to the story to end; I didn’t want to stop spending time with Cal and Niko.

At the end of Madhouse, in attempting to get themselves out of trouble, it seems as if Cal and Niko have only pissed the Auphie off. Now they have to deal with the consequences of that. And in addition, they pick up another case that turns ugly on them. All in all, things look extremely bleak for Cal and Niko.

And they don’t get better.

First off, the point of view switches from Cal to Niko every other chapter. I loved finally seeing Niko’s point of view. Additionally, not that you didn’t in earlier books, but in this book the love (yes, I said love) that Cal and Niko have for each other is almost tangible. In previous books we’ve seen why Cal adores Niko, but her we get to see Niko’s side, and suddenly we get to see not just why Cal loves Niko, but why Niko loves Cal so much. Not that every use the word love, oh no. Trust. Faith. Brothers. Family. Those are the terms they used, but I’m a girl, so I can use the cootie laden word: love.

But don’t get me wrong. This isn’t a mushy kind of love, it’s the love two brothers have for each other after they’ve been to hell and back and save each others lives time and again. It’s the love of two brothers who depend completely upon each other and trust each other implicitly have.

And in Deathwish it’s all but a heartbreaking love. We see–from each–what they mean to each other, and how devastating one death would be to the other.

Up until now, Nightlife had been my favorite book in the series. I loved the story it told, and more importantly how that story was told. But I think that’s now been replaced by Deathwish. She does an excellent job keeping Niko and Cal’s voices separate and distinct, and what we are given here is a look into their relationship and how much they mean to each other.

I realized I keep going back to love, but despite all the monsters and gore and death and destruction (and there is plenty of that) there is the underlying current of the relationship between Cal and Niko. Yeah, there were plot twists I never saw coming that all but knocked me over. And lots of monsters–did I mention the monsters? But what got to me Niko and Cal and what they meant to each other–even if they showed it as only two brothers can (those sappy shows where two siblings are best friends and do each others hair and are all sunshine and light? Give me a break. There’s not of that crap here. We’re talking about real brothers that fight and annoy each other and beat the crap out of each other.)

One complaint. I love love loved the cover of the previous three books, especially Nightlife (though Moonshine is also fantastic). So why did they suddenly switch to a model that doesn’t look a think like Cal? I mean really? Otherwise, the cover is great (the mood and details are very good) but the guy doesn’t look a think like the Cal of the previous three books, or the Cal described in the book.

But that’s really neither here nor there.

Anyway, to sum up, Deathwish is fantastic. I strongly urge you go get Nightlife and read forward from there.

As to whether anyone important dies and whether this is the end of the series? You’ll just have to read yourself to find out.
Rating: 9/10

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