Inferno (Hammer and Fist: Geminatus # 1) and a spin-off from Sledge & Claw (Hammer & Fist #1) was yet another fabulous read from Jennifer Cody, who at this point I have to say, I would read anything she writes.
Inferno is set in the same world as Sledge & Claw and you can find a short prologue at the end of that book, which sets up the background of Inferno.
Hunter/ Ranger are one person who shares two bodies, he calls them his avatars, and it is a secret he has had to keep from everyone, never understanding why he is different, he has had to pretend to be two separate people, living two different lives simultaneously. All that changes when an encounter with gremlins changes his life and he learns about the IDIA – the Inter-dimensional Immigration Agency and all the different beings that inhabit the earth.
When Hunter/Ranger ends up in the hospital after his encounter with the gremlins, he meets a nurse Cedric Clark, a shy unicorn who is flying under the radar of the IDIA and who becomes the love interest of Hunter/Ranger.
Living with Hunter/Ranger is their adopted sister/neighbour Sally who knows nothing about the IDIA or what Hunter/Ranger really is.
All they know is about to change when Hunter/Ranger is drawn into an investigation into who or what is causing so many different inter-dimensional beings, and bad ones at that, to end up in their sleepy little town.
Oh, I do enjoy a Jennifer Cody novel, this one required extra attention due to the conversations and interactions with Hunter/Ranger and coming to an understanding of how their mind/bodies worked.
I really enjoyed learning more about this world and I loved the romance that bloomed between Cedric and Hunter/Ranger as well as the friendships that formed between Cedric and Sally and Dustin an agent with the IDIA.
There was plenty going on and not for a second did I want to drag my attention away from this novel. I can’t wait to go back to this world in both series. Though the author says this can be read as a standalone, personally I would recommend you read Sledge and Claw first and the prologue at the end, it will give you a much better handle on this amazing world she has created.
About the book: After an encounter with gremlins that almost kills one of my avatars, I’m forced to get involved with the government agency that enforces the laws that govern non-humans on Earth. The Inter-dimensional Immigration Agency—IDIA, according to the office agent assigned to my case—has a vested interest in me. I’m a species that they’ve only just discovered, and I have a few gifts that I shouldn’t. Plus, I’ve been doing the work of a field agent for more than a decade, and they want to recruit me into the fold. It may be time I start getting paid for my efforts, but I’ll only agree to it if they can respect the family I’ve built and the people I’m protecting. If they want my loyalty, they’re going to have to earn it.
Inferno is an MM Urban Fantasy. This is a spin-off of Hammer and Fist: Lextalion and better read after Sledge and Claw but it stands alone.
Claire's Reads and Reviews 