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Edie Spence #1
Nightshifted
Nursing school prepared Edie Spence for a lot of things. Burn victims? No problem. Severed limbs? Piece of cake. Vampires? No way in hell. But as the newest nurse on Y4, the secret ward hidden in the bowels of County Hospital, Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient you can imagine-from vamps and were-things to zombies and beyond...
Edie's just trying to learn the ropes so she can get through her latest shift unscathed. But when a vampire servant turns to dust under her watch, all hell breaks loose. Now she's haunted by the man's dying words—Save Anna—and before she knows it, she's on a mission to rescue some poor girl from the undead. Which involves crashing a vampire den, falling for a zombie, and fighting for her soul.
Grey's Anatomy was never like this...
Edie's just trying to learn the ropes so she can get through her latest shift unscathed. But when a vampire servant turns to dust under her watch, all hell breaks loose. Now she's haunted by the man's dying words—Save Anna—and before she knows it, she's on a mission to rescue some poor girl from the undead. Which involves crashing a vampire den, falling for a zombie, and fighting for her soul.
Grey's Anatomy was never like this...
331 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 13, 2012
About the author
Cassie Alexander
120 books1,254 followersSign up to Cassie's newsletter for sexy bonus scenes on all her books here!
US links:
https://linktr.ee/cassiealexander
Hi there! I'm a registered nurse and author. As Cassandra, I wrote the Year of the Nurse: A Covid-19 Pandemic Memoir. As Cassie, I've written numerous (and very hot!) paranormal romances, sometimes with my friend Kara Lockharte. I live in the Bay Area with one husband, two cats, and one million succulents.
US links:
https://linktr.ee/cassiealexander
Hi there! I'm a registered nurse and author. As Cassandra, I wrote the Year of the Nurse: A Covid-19 Pandemic Memoir. As Cassie, I've written numerous (and very hot!) paranormal romances, sometimes with my friend Kara Lockharte. I live in the Bay Area with one husband, two cats, and one million succulents.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 686 reviews
May 25, 2012
Edit 05/25: Visit The Nocturnal Library for an interview with Cassie Alexander and a giveaway of Nightshifted.
3.5 stars
Never judge a book by its cover. Based on the cover alone, you’d think Nightshifted is a light, borderline fluffy urban fantasy about one chirpy nurse and her supernatural patients. You’d be wrong. Nightshifted is dark, twisted and often extremely gory, and the strongest emotion I got from it was an overwhelming feeling of loneliness.
Is there a person lonelier than a single, nightshift nurse? After reading Nightshifted, I sincerely doubt it. You try working all night, coming home to an empty apartment, sleeping until 3 pm, eating junk food because you can’t afford much else and worrying about your addict brother. Rinse and repeat. That’s the life of Edie Spence.
On her days off, she goes out dancing and usually ends up back in her apartment with a nameless one night stand whom she kicks out before either of them even catches their breath.
Things were a bit better back when Edie was working in a private clinic. Sure, she still had a brother addicted to heroin and not a single friend to talk to, but at least she could afford more stuff. But then some powerful strangers approached her and offered to fix her brother if she agreed to work at the secret Y4 ward in the County hospital – a place where supernatural creatures come to seek medical attention. The fact that Edie now works with vampires, dragons, zombies and shapeshifters doesn’t much help her day-to-day life, or her budget, for that matter. It just puts her in all kinds of dangerous situations.
I loved that Cassie Alexander put so much thought into her supernatural groups. Her vampires are exactly as they should be: cold, well-connected, organized, detached and extremely political. Weres and shapeshifters are not nearly the same: weres change to animals, while shapeshifters turn into another human being they touched at some point, through the DNA they collect. There are zombies, weredragons, vampire daytimers and the ominous Shadows that employed Edie. And of course, there’s my personal favorite, the German-speaking ghost that resides in an old CD player.
When I first read that Edie’s love interest is a zombie, I was more than a little worried. I love zombies as much as the next girl, but not everyone is Isaac Marion, you know? I was afraid that Cassie Alexander bit off more than she could chew and it turns out I was right, in part. I liked Ti, he seemed genuinely nice and caring, but he came with his own set of issues, and besides, he wasn’t exactly in the best shape physically, so the whole thing became downright disgusting towards the end. Not exactly a swoon-worthy romance, but then again, it wasn't meant to be.
All in all, Cassie Alexander skillfully avoided clichés and wrote a book that is fresh, although sometimes hard to digest.
Make sure to stop by The Nocturnal Library next week for an interview with Cassie and a giveaway of Nightshifted.
An advanced copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for review purposes.
3.5 stars
Never judge a book by its cover. Based on the cover alone, you’d think Nightshifted is a light, borderline fluffy urban fantasy about one chirpy nurse and her supernatural patients. You’d be wrong. Nightshifted is dark, twisted and often extremely gory, and the strongest emotion I got from it was an overwhelming feeling of loneliness.
Is there a person lonelier than a single, nightshift nurse? After reading Nightshifted, I sincerely doubt it. You try working all night, coming home to an empty apartment, sleeping until 3 pm, eating junk food because you can’t afford much else and worrying about your addict brother. Rinse and repeat. That’s the life of Edie Spence.
On her days off, she goes out dancing and usually ends up back in her apartment with a nameless one night stand whom she kicks out before either of them even catches their breath.
Things were a bit better back when Edie was working in a private clinic. Sure, she still had a brother addicted to heroin and not a single friend to talk to, but at least she could afford more stuff. But then some powerful strangers approached her and offered to fix her brother if she agreed to work at the secret Y4 ward in the County hospital – a place where supernatural creatures come to seek medical attention. The fact that Edie now works with vampires, dragons, zombies and shapeshifters doesn’t much help her day-to-day life, or her budget, for that matter. It just puts her in all kinds of dangerous situations.
I loved that Cassie Alexander put so much thought into her supernatural groups. Her vampires are exactly as they should be: cold, well-connected, organized, detached and extremely political. Weres and shapeshifters are not nearly the same: weres change to animals, while shapeshifters turn into another human being they touched at some point, through the DNA they collect. There are zombies, weredragons, vampire daytimers and the ominous Shadows that employed Edie. And of course, there’s my personal favorite, the German-speaking ghost that resides in an old CD player.
When I first read that Edie’s love interest is a zombie, I was more than a little worried. I love zombies as much as the next girl, but not everyone is Isaac Marion, you know? I was afraid that Cassie Alexander bit off more than she could chew and it turns out I was right, in part. I liked Ti, he seemed genuinely nice and caring, but he came with his own set of issues, and besides, he wasn’t exactly in the best shape physically, so the whole thing became downright disgusting towards the end. Not exactly a swoon-worthy romance, but then again, it wasn't meant to be.
All in all, Cassie Alexander skillfully avoided clichés and wrote a book that is fresh, although sometimes hard to digest.
Make sure to stop by The Nocturnal Library next week for an interview with Cassie and a giveaway of Nightshifted.
An advanced copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher, St. Martin's Press, for review purposes.
October 9, 2012
Simply said, I liked it.
Slightly less simply: I really enjoyed it a surprising amount.
First, an interesting premise: Main character is a night shift nurse who works in the secret wing of the hospital that treats the city's supernatural population.
Second, new twists on old tropes: Yeah, there are vampires and Were-things. But they're different. What's more, we don't spend a whole lot of time learning everything about them. This does two nice things. 1) It keeps the story moving. 2.) It actually makes me more curious about the details of these creatures and their underground societies.
Third, good execution: Nice tight chapters. Good movement and action. Clear writing. Good dialogue.
Fourth, and most importantly, nothing stupid: At no point did I roll my eyes at anything. No glaring plot holes. No inconsistent characters. No "Let's split up and search the haunted house" moments.
Was it pure, white-hot brilliance? No, but it was solid with some very clever bits. Given that it was Alexander's debut novel, I'm willing to overlook a few rough patches here and there and give it a full 5 stars.
Ultimately, the test of a book like this is whether or not I want to read the next one. And I do. If the local bookstore was open right now, I'd be doing that instead of writing this review.
Slightly less simply: I really enjoyed it a surprising amount.
First, an interesting premise: Main character is a night shift nurse who works in the secret wing of the hospital that treats the city's supernatural population.
Second, new twists on old tropes: Yeah, there are vampires and Were-things. But they're different. What's more, we don't spend a whole lot of time learning everything about them. This does two nice things. 1) It keeps the story moving. 2.) It actually makes me more curious about the details of these creatures and their underground societies.
Third, good execution: Nice tight chapters. Good movement and action. Clear writing. Good dialogue.
Fourth, and most importantly, nothing stupid: At no point did I roll my eyes at anything. No glaring plot holes. No inconsistent characters. No "Let's split up and search the haunted house" moments.
Was it pure, white-hot brilliance? No, but it was solid with some very clever bits. Given that it was Alexander's debut novel, I'm willing to overlook a few rough patches here and there and give it a full 5 stars.
Ultimately, the test of a book like this is whether or not I want to read the next one. And I do. If the local bookstore was open right now, I'd be doing that instead of writing this review.
August 4, 2022
Nightshift nurse meets the supernatural! This was a great start to the series where no-nonsense Edie Spence's life begins to merge more into the supernatural world, and not just at work. Cassie Alexander's twist on the paranormal world had me up late into the night to read just one more chapter. As a completely invested reader, I am greatly anticipating the release of the second in the series in November!
April 3, 2012
Originally reviewed here.
The great thing about reading is that books always surprise you no matter how long you've been reading them. You think you know an author or a genre or a style, and then they go and rip the rug right out from under your feet. Sometimes I'm going along, doing my thing, reading my books, and then I pick one up and realize it's what I've been starving for. I love a good urban fantasy. Ever since Sunshine. Ever since I made the acquaintance of Mercy Thompson. I've loved the real deal. And when I fall, I fall loyally. I look forward to the new Mercy and the new Kate religiously each year. But it's been kind of awhile since I sank into a brand, spankin' new one that really did it for me, you know? In fact, I'm pretty sure it's been a couple of years. Gah. There's so much paranormal stuff out there (some of it excellent, some of it not so much) that I often find myself longing for some true urban fantasy. So I was kind of surprised and kind of excited when I found myself gravitating toward Cassie Alexander's upcoming NIGHTSHIFTED before I even knew very much about it. Something about the girl on the cover and the silhouetted dragon through the hospital doors behind her said good things lie inside. And wouldn't you know? It was the one I was starving for.
Edie Spence is the new nurse on Y4--the paranormal ward at County Hospital. The one no one knows about. Edie wouldn't have a clue either except the mysterious Powers That Be stepped in to save her druggie brother from ODing. But their continued intervention on her brother's behalf comes at a price . . . namely Edie's unquestioning (and indefinite) service on Y4. Edie's worked in some holes, but this one takes the cake. From her indeterminate gendered supervisor Meaty to the lengths they go to to disguise the true nature of their patients in nightly reports, nothing about nursing school prepared Edie for catering to a steady stream of vampires, weres, shifters, zombies, and the like. But despite the fact that she's all but washed her hands of him and that he's done everything he can to mess up her life and his own, Edie still loves her brother. Besides. She's always flown solo. It's not like her life was all that social to begin with, so what's a few more hours spent with the dead than the living anyway? But then a random vampire dies on her watch, and newbie Edie finds herself unable to forget him or the words he whispered before crumbling into dust in her hands. Before she knows it, she's tracking down the vampire he mentioned in an attempt to set things right. But what she finds is so wrong it quickly bleeds over into Edie's life and turns it upside down.
NIGHTSHIFTED is exactly what I was looking for--a true urban fantasy. It's gritty and dark, its heroine jaded and tough, and both of them are studded with moments of humor and human frailty. Edie is no superwoman, and her very normal skills are not always up to the paranormal requirements placed upon her in order to survive. But she is scrappy. And fiercely independent. And very much not inclined toward self-pity. Which is to say I liked her right away. But I wasn't always sure she would survive her story, as pretty much all the creatures that go bump in the night make appearances at one point or another. And while a few really nasty versions of vampires play a large role in the book, I liked that they weren't the sole focus. In fact, my favorite character besides Edie turned out to be a zombie that I developed a bit of a crush on. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a first for me, but I'm thinking I'm not gonna be the only one who feels that way. Because as zombies go, this one is pretty charming. Witness an interaction early on (taken from my uncorrected ARC):
And the romantic subplot manages to be quite nice without overwhelming the story or impeding the world building. But what I ended up loving best about NIGHTSHIFTED is how real it felt. My favorite urban fantasies are unvarnished. They highlight their humanity by scoring it against a background of the supernatural. They plunge me into a world already seething with life and magic and danger. They take over the city they're set in, so much so that I begin to feel as though I live there, too. NIGHTSHIFTED hit all of these buttons and more, capping it off with a final line that made me want to fist bump Edie in solidarity. The promise of a sequel to look forward to is music to my ears.
The great thing about reading is that books always surprise you no matter how long you've been reading them. You think you know an author or a genre or a style, and then they go and rip the rug right out from under your feet. Sometimes I'm going along, doing my thing, reading my books, and then I pick one up and realize it's what I've been starving for. I love a good urban fantasy. Ever since Sunshine. Ever since I made the acquaintance of Mercy Thompson. I've loved the real deal. And when I fall, I fall loyally. I look forward to the new Mercy and the new Kate religiously each year. But it's been kind of awhile since I sank into a brand, spankin' new one that really did it for me, you know? In fact, I'm pretty sure it's been a couple of years. Gah. There's so much paranormal stuff out there (some of it excellent, some of it not so much) that I often find myself longing for some true urban fantasy. So I was kind of surprised and kind of excited when I found myself gravitating toward Cassie Alexander's upcoming NIGHTSHIFTED before I even knew very much about it. Something about the girl on the cover and the silhouetted dragon through the hospital doors behind her said good things lie inside. And wouldn't you know? It was the one I was starving for.
Edie Spence is the new nurse on Y4--the paranormal ward at County Hospital. The one no one knows about. Edie wouldn't have a clue either except the mysterious Powers That Be stepped in to save her druggie brother from ODing. But their continued intervention on her brother's behalf comes at a price . . . namely Edie's unquestioning (and indefinite) service on Y4. Edie's worked in some holes, but this one takes the cake. From her indeterminate gendered supervisor Meaty to the lengths they go to to disguise the true nature of their patients in nightly reports, nothing about nursing school prepared Edie for catering to a steady stream of vampires, weres, shifters, zombies, and the like. But despite the fact that she's all but washed her hands of him and that he's done everything he can to mess up her life and his own, Edie still loves her brother. Besides. She's always flown solo. It's not like her life was all that social to begin with, so what's a few more hours spent with the dead than the living anyway? But then a random vampire dies on her watch, and newbie Edie finds herself unable to forget him or the words he whispered before crumbling into dust in her hands. Before she knows it, she's tracking down the vampire he mentioned in an attempt to set things right. But what she finds is so wrong it quickly bleeds over into Edie's life and turns it upside down.
NIGHTSHIFTED is exactly what I was looking for--a true urban fantasy. It's gritty and dark, its heroine jaded and tough, and both of them are studded with moments of humor and human frailty. Edie is no superwoman, and her very normal skills are not always up to the paranormal requirements placed upon her in order to survive. But she is scrappy. And fiercely independent. And very much not inclined toward self-pity. Which is to say I liked her right away. But I wasn't always sure she would survive her story, as pretty much all the creatures that go bump in the night make appearances at one point or another. And while a few really nasty versions of vampires play a large role in the book, I liked that they weren't the sole focus. In fact, my favorite character besides Edie turned out to be a zombie that I developed a bit of a crush on. I'm pretty sure that qualifies as a first for me, but I'm thinking I'm not gonna be the only one who feels that way. Because as zombies go, this one is pretty charming. Witness an interaction early on (taken from my uncorrected ARC):
The next night, I was finally assigned the gentleman in room five. I got the report and then looked at the chart myself. He was a zombie . . . firefighter? That was a bit odd. We'd only had two zombies on the floor while I'd been here--Mr. Smith was the second of them, and I'd never been assigned the first.
But I had a mission tonight, above and beyond mere nursing. I needed to get more blood. I walked into the darkened room, tubes in hand. If I got his blood now, I could toss it in my purse on break. The monitor was still in standby, casting a faint glow over him where he lay on the bed. I knew what smelled different about this room now, it was the scent of warm earth.
"Hello, Mr. Smith."
He smiled in the dim light. "Hello again, ghost nurse."
I snorted. "Well, neurologically, you're intact. Mind if I turn on the light?"
"Feel free."
My hand found the switch and I got my first look at a real live--dead?--zombie.
Mr. Smith was tall, stretching almost the entire length of the bed, with wide shoulders. The parts I could see of him outside of the sheets and his hospital gown--his arms, his neck, and his face--were all covered by almost-healed smooth rippling scars. Between the dark color of his skin as it was and the slightly lighter color of his skin as it healed, he looked like a dark pond on a windy day.
"I remember you," he said. His eyes were a light golden brown, and the skin around them crinkled when he smiled.
"I remember you, too." I smiled back. "Thanks again--and sorry for waking you up."
"I don't really sleep." He sat up straighter in his bed. As I walked into the room I formed my plan. I would do the blood draw last, so I could hurry away and hide. I hadn't heard about any IV sites, but I had a butterfly needle for the draw. I didn't really like poking someone unnecessarily, but it wasn't like he could get an infection and die from a needle stick now, was it? I reached for the blood pressure cuff, to start my set of vitals, and held it aloft. "Which arm?" I asked. A lot of patients with heavy scarring had a side they preferred, one which the cuff's squeezing hurt less.
Faint eyebrows rose. "I believe the previous nurse was having you on."
"How so?" I un-Velcroed the cuff.
"I don't have blood pressure." The corners of his lips quirked into a smile. "I have blood, but to the best of my knowledge, it doesn't really go anywhere."
"Oh." The lab tubes in my pocket felt heavy, and I felt my face flush. "Damn."
"You were . . . looking for some?" he asked, tilting his head forward.
"Actually, yes. Sorry." I frowned at myself. How was I going to get Anna to come closer tomorrow night, when I was off-shift again
"I could . . . give you a finger?" He held up his right pinkie. "I don't need all of them. One won't hurt much." I blanched, and he laughed out loud. "I'm teasing. It would grow back--but I'm teasing.
And the romantic subplot manages to be quite nice without overwhelming the story or impeding the world building. But what I ended up loving best about NIGHTSHIFTED is how real it felt. My favorite urban fantasies are unvarnished. They highlight their humanity by scoring it against a background of the supernatural. They plunge me into a world already seething with life and magic and danger. They take over the city they're set in, so much so that I begin to feel as though I live there, too. NIGHTSHIFTED hit all of these buttons and more, capping it off with a final line that made me want to fist bump Edie in solidarity. The promise of a sequel to look forward to is music to my ears.
July 10, 2012
I feel like I should have liked this one better, but Edie drove me nuts. She was TSTL, making one stupid move after another. Her brother kept using her, she tried to put her foot down, but didn't follow through. Heck she even made the ultimate sacrifice to keep him clean, yet wouldn't tell him. She picks up a guy for a one night, then worries that he is a dragon shifter with syphilis and gets tested, finds the guy again then makes sure to use a condom this time. Runs into him later and basically tells him off, all the while moving onto a new guy. I liked the new guy, but I have reservations that it can work out.
I am not sure what to think of Anna or all the drama there. The vamps in this book were odd, sort of like a feudal system.
Because the main character drove me nuts, I don't think that I will continue with this series.
I am not sure what to think of Anna or all the drama there. The vamps in this book were odd, sort of like a feudal system.
Because the main character drove me nuts, I don't think that I will continue with this series.
July 2, 2016
There wasn't anything terribly wrong with this book. It was just meh.
What the summary doesn't tell you is that the hospital isn't the primary focus of the plot. Said plot is entirely too scattered for my taste; I believe that series openers should be more focused on the unusual hook (in this case, the hospital), as opposed to immediately flinging the protagonist into a completely unfolded backdrop of typical multi-species urban fantasy. Nothing unfurls gradually -- not even the hospital lingo, which is thrust at the reader with both hands. Surely we're supposed to understand these things by context...but it's too fast. The delivery of plot (whether medical or paranormal) is awkward & obvious, like flinging IHOP platters at the wall to see exactly how many waffles can stick.
This sort of hurried technique might have been tolerable if I'd fallen in love with something about the book...but world-building was thin & the narration wasn't strong enough to carry it off. I've read worse in terms of navel-gazing & onslaught of backstory, but Edie still didn't grab me the way a first-person voice should. Her voice matched the herky-jerky layout of subplots & waffle-tossing world intro.
That said, it wasn't all bad. The entire book has a gritty, seedy feel, like an old hospital ward. The hospital itself is a neat idea -- it's something I've not seen before, which is always a good thing in PNR. Edie wasn't a shy virgin; she had no problem with one-nighters & wasn't ashamed of liking sex. The idea of a zombie-firefighter boyfriend is so bizarre that it's awesome (there are two varieties of undead -- the gross Romero sort & the sentient type, of which Ti is the latter) & the child-vampire reminded me of Anne Rice's infamous heroine Claudia.
...But I doubt I'll read any more installments. The side-plots were flat & the major characters weren't enough to bring me back.
What the summary doesn't tell you is that the hospital isn't the primary focus of the plot. Said plot is entirely too scattered for my taste; I believe that series openers should be more focused on the unusual hook (in this case, the hospital), as opposed to immediately flinging the protagonist into a completely unfolded backdrop of typical multi-species urban fantasy. Nothing unfurls gradually -- not even the hospital lingo, which is thrust at the reader with both hands. Surely we're supposed to understand these things by context...but it's too fast. The delivery of plot (whether medical or paranormal) is awkward & obvious, like flinging IHOP platters at the wall to see exactly how many waffles can stick.
This sort of hurried technique might have been tolerable if I'd fallen in love with something about the book...but world-building was thin & the narration wasn't strong enough to carry it off. I've read worse in terms of navel-gazing & onslaught of backstory, but Edie still didn't grab me the way a first-person voice should. Her voice matched the herky-jerky layout of subplots & waffle-tossing world intro.
That said, it wasn't all bad. The entire book has a gritty, seedy feel, like an old hospital ward. The hospital itself is a neat idea -- it's something I've not seen before, which is always a good thing in PNR. Edie wasn't a shy virgin; she had no problem with one-nighters & wasn't ashamed of liking sex. The idea of a zombie-firefighter boyfriend is so bizarre that it's awesome (there are two varieties of undead -- the gross Romero sort & the sentient type, of which Ti is the latter) & the child-vampire reminded me of Anne Rice's infamous heroine Claudia.
...But I doubt I'll read any more installments. The side-plots were flat & the major characters weren't enough to bring me back.
Shelved as 'did-not-finish'
March 18, 2013*edit* take two on this book. Buddy reading with Dee.
*edit* and I failed again. I don't know what it is but I can't seem to get into this book. It has a dragon, a zany nurse working the night shift on the "creepy" floor of the hospital, and a hot Brit. This should be a recipe for success.
Sorry, Dee. I tried. I feel like a buddy read failure.
*edit* and I failed again. I don't know what it is but I can't seem to get into this book. It has a dragon, a zany nurse working the night shift on the "creepy" floor of the hospital, and a hot Brit. This should be a recipe for success.
Sorry, Dee. I tried. I feel like a buddy read failure.
July 2, 2012
{This review was originally published on Clear Eyes, Full Shelves.}
Dragons and vampires and zombies… oh my!
Cassie Alexander’s debut urban fantasy novel, Nightshifted, hits a sweet spot with an appealing mix of action, imagination and humor, with just the right dash of romance.
I picked up Nightshifted on the recommendation of Angie, whose taste in Urban Fantasy seems to be pretty similar to my own. She promised that this book featured a jaded heroine who’s easy to root for and a gritty world, and did Nightshifted ever deliver.
Edie has taken a nursing job in a secret ward, Y4, at a run-down county hospital. The patients there aren’t quite… normal. They’re paranormal beings of all sorts, and many of them are very, very dangerous. Despite the low pay and occupational hazards, Edie works there as part of a deal with some unsavory characters who promise to use their magical mojo to keep her addict brother off of drugs following a near-overdose.
Edie’s stuck.
Things get a whole lot worse when a “Daytimer” (a semi-vampire thing—it makes sense, trust me) dies during Edie’s shift, and she goes looking for Anna, a name he uttered with his dying breath. She stumbles upon some bad stuff, and accidentally kills a very nasty vampire in the process of rescuing Anna, who appears to be a teen girl (trust me, no one in the Nightshifted world is as they appear). As a result, Edie finds herself wrapped up in the paranormal underground, trying to save her own life.
Edie is a fantastic narrator—she’s real and funny and prickly. Unlike a lot of Urban Fantasy heroines, she’s relatable in a lot of ways—she doesn’t have super strength, or awesome fighting skills or some sort of recently-discovered supernatural ability. She’s a nurse and her superpower is cynicism. She screws up and gets lucky to escape some pretty dangerous situations. And her commentary about her job left me giggling—because she sounded like some nurses I’ve known,
Besides the humor and well-developed world, where Nightshifted stands out the most for me is Edie’s tenuous connection with Ti, a zombie (not the gross kind), who moves her out of her comfort zone and forces her to make a bit of a connection with another person.
It’s funny, because the romance element in Nightshifted is a relatively small part of the novel.
But, it’s what softens the grittiness just enough for me. Sometimes, I struggle with the rougher, tougher urban fantasy (I’m a lightweight, okay?) and Nighshifted struck a great balance for me. The same can be said for the minor plot point of Edie’s devotion to, and tough-love attitude with, her brother, who has serious problems. She’s not so jaded that I didn’t care about what happened to her—I not only rooted for her to—you know—not die, I rooted for her to be happy.
Nightshifted is also full of consequences—which is a big plus for me. Edie makes some big-time mistakes throughout the novel, and she pays for them. She rushes into dangerous situations, and she gets hurt. She makes a bad deal with some bad folks to save her brother and finds herself in a pretty lousy work situation.She makes a stupid decision at a nightclub and she has to face the results of that decision,
Regret and coulda-woulda-shouldas are big themes in Nightshifted. And nothing is tied up with a bow.
I was frustrated in the first half of the novel, however, because there is quite a bit of meticulous world-building and a fairly complex setup for the story that it takes some time for the plot to get rolling. Because character development is a big priority for me, it wasn’t a deal breaker, but if I’d been one to quickly abandon a book because of a slow-moving plot, I would have been pretty unsatisfied. Much of the action takes place in the Y4 ward where there’s an engaging and colorful assortment of colleagues and patients that help keep the first chapters from lagging. But be forewarned if that’s an issue for you.
I’m hoping that because the world and circumstances were well-established in this first novel in the series, that the subsequent books will move at the fast pace of the second half of Nightshifted. The second half of the book is very action-oriented, with moments of poignant connection between Edie and her zombie love interest—if the series keeps up that momentum, I’ll be very happy.
I am concerned that there’s a hint of a possible love triangle in future books.
Y’all know how I feel about triangular love—I do not like it. At all. Ti steals the show in this novel, and I’d hate to see a love triangle introduced just for the sake of adding conflict—there’s enough conflict as is, without introducing an unnecessary second suitor (the aforementioned British stranger) vying for Edie’s attention.
Finally, I have a very important and urgent question: Is Ti’s name pronounced, “Tie” or “Tea”?
I must know this ASAP. It makes an enormous difference.
Nightshifted brought me back to E.R. (RIP)—which I loved in all its angsty drama, despite that it jumped the shark well before its cancelation—with the added fun of paranormal creatures, minus helicopters crashing into buildings and such. While it started out a bit slowly for my tastes, because it is a fresh voice and premise among the crowded shelves of Urban Fantasy, I eagerly anticipate what’s in store next for Edie and her colleagues when Moonshifted is released this November.
FNL Character Rating: Tyra’s jaded attitude and loyalty to the few people she really cares about fits the bill for Edie.
I spent the first half of this book thinking it'd be a mediocre 3 star book. But then the second half of the book happened, which was extremely badass. So, I'm giving it a tenuous four stars and am definitely planning on reading the next installment.
It was strange being there, eating dinner with them. They knew that I knew, and I knew that they knew, and there we all were, a zombie, an assortment of werewolves and/or weredogs, and me, a nurse who was getting used to dealing with vampires. I was struck by how completely normal it felt to be with them, for all of our differences.
Dragons and vampires and zombies… oh my!
Cassie Alexander’s debut urban fantasy novel, Nightshifted, hits a sweet spot with an appealing mix of action, imagination and humor, with just the right dash of romance.
I picked up Nightshifted on the recommendation of Angie, whose taste in Urban Fantasy seems to be pretty similar to my own. She promised that this book featured a jaded heroine who’s easy to root for and a gritty world, and did Nightshifted ever deliver.
Edie has taken a nursing job in a secret ward, Y4, at a run-down county hospital. The patients there aren’t quite… normal. They’re paranormal beings of all sorts, and many of them are very, very dangerous. Despite the low pay and occupational hazards, Edie works there as part of a deal with some unsavory characters who promise to use their magical mojo to keep her addict brother off of drugs following a near-overdose.
Edie’s stuck.
Things get a whole lot worse when a “Daytimer” (a semi-vampire thing—it makes sense, trust me) dies during Edie’s shift, and she goes looking for Anna, a name he uttered with his dying breath. She stumbles upon some bad stuff, and accidentally kills a very nasty vampire in the process of rescuing Anna, who appears to be a teen girl (trust me, no one in the Nightshifted world is as they appear). As a result, Edie finds herself wrapped up in the paranormal underground, trying to save her own life.
Edie is a fantastic narrator—she’s real and funny and prickly. Unlike a lot of Urban Fantasy heroines, she’s relatable in a lot of ways—she doesn’t have super strength, or awesome fighting skills or some sort of recently-discovered supernatural ability. She’s a nurse and her superpower is cynicism. She screws up and gets lucky to escape some pretty dangerous situations. And her commentary about her job left me giggling—because she sounded like some nurses I’ve known,
Nurses are natural kleptos. You don’t want to be in a room without enough supplies, so every time you walk past the med-cart you pocket another saline flush. By the end of the shift you can look like a chipmunk if you’re not careful. Some days it’s hard to remember that the gum at the end of the grocery checkout aisle isn’t there just for you.
Besides the humor and well-developed world, where Nightshifted stands out the most for me is Edie’s tenuous connection with Ti, a zombie (not the gross kind), who moves her out of her comfort zone and forces her to make a bit of a connection with another person.
“Because. I don’t want to die alone.” I separated myself and looked at him. If I blinked right, and fast, I could see him there, looking like a soft yellow haze beside me. “My whole life I haven’t been good at making connections. There was me and my brother, yeah, but other than that? No one else really. And most days he doesn’t even count. I do all right at work, but no one really gets me. School was lonely, except for the times that I was taking care of patients, because they were happy to see me, you know? I either talk too much, or tell too much, and it scares people off, and I’m not sure what to do about that.” I looked up at him, and saw his expression momentarily cloud. “Like now.”
It’s funny, because the romance element in Nightshifted is a relatively small part of the novel.
But, it’s what softens the grittiness just enough for me. Sometimes, I struggle with the rougher, tougher urban fantasy (I’m a lightweight, okay?) and Nighshifted struck a great balance for me. The same can be said for the minor plot point of Edie’s devotion to, and tough-love attitude with, her brother, who has serious problems. She’s not so jaded that I didn’t care about what happened to her—I not only rooted for her to—you know—not die, I rooted for her to be happy.
Nightshifted is also full of consequences—which is a big plus for me. Edie makes some big-time mistakes throughout the novel, and she pays for them. She rushes into dangerous situations, and she gets hurt. She makes a bad deal with some bad folks to save her brother and finds herself in a pretty lousy work situation.She makes a stupid decision at a nightclub and she has to face the results of that decision,
Sure, nurses were all trained on STDs. That hadn’t stopped me from having unwise and unprotected sex with a British stranger two nights ago, though. Shit.
Regret and coulda-woulda-shouldas are big themes in Nightshifted. And nothing is tied up with a bow.
I was frustrated in the first half of the novel, however, because there is quite a bit of meticulous world-building and a fairly complex setup for the story that it takes some time for the plot to get rolling. Because character development is a big priority for me, it wasn’t a deal breaker, but if I’d been one to quickly abandon a book because of a slow-moving plot, I would have been pretty unsatisfied. Much of the action takes place in the Y4 ward where there’s an engaging and colorful assortment of colleagues and patients that help keep the first chapters from lagging. But be forewarned if that’s an issue for you.
I’m hoping that because the world and circumstances were well-established in this first novel in the series, that the subsequent books will move at the fast pace of the second half of Nightshifted. The second half of the book is very action-oriented, with moments of poignant connection between Edie and her zombie love interest—if the series keeps up that momentum, I’ll be very happy.
I am concerned that there’s a hint of a possible love triangle in future books.
Y’all know how I feel about triangular love—I do not like it. At all. Ti steals the show in this novel, and I’d hate to see a love triangle introduced just for the sake of adding conflict—there’s enough conflict as is, without introducing an unnecessary second suitor (the aforementioned British stranger) vying for Edie’s attention.
Finally, I have a very important and urgent question: Is Ti’s name pronounced, “Tie” or “Tea”?
I must know this ASAP. It makes an enormous difference.
Nightshifted brought me back to E.R. (RIP)—which I loved in all its angsty drama, despite that it jumped the shark well before its cancelation—with the added fun of paranormal creatures, minus helicopters crashing into buildings and such. While it started out a bit slowly for my tastes, because it is a fresh voice and premise among the crowded shelves of Urban Fantasy, I eagerly anticipate what’s in store next for Edie and her colleagues when Moonshifted is released this November.
FNL Character Rating: Tyra’s jaded attitude and loyalty to the few people she really cares about fits the bill for Edie.
May 13, 2012
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
NIGHTSHIFTED is like a dark and twisted version of Grey’s Anatomy with vampires, zombies, and werewolves taking up residence in County Hospital’s Y4 wing. I love the concept of a paranormal wing of a hospital which makes the already intense environment all the more crazy and dangerous… and not just for the patients. The story moves at a similar pace to a hospital setting where there are small lulls in action and with sudden, even frantic bursts of action. That sort of pacing made NIGHTSHIFTED an exciting read as I was constantly on edge, waiting to see what was going to happen next.
Edie is the newest nurse in the paranormal Y4 wing which makes her just as curious and confused about this environment as me. Unlike many urban fantasy heroines Edie is more like the general reader in skills and abilities when dealing with the paranormal. I liked this aspect of her as it made her more relatable and the dire situations she found herself in more intense because I knew she couldn’t just kick, magic, or shoot her way out of a situation (though she does have mandatory firing range time). Granted I did sometimes wonder about her intelligence in some situations that she could have resolved by having read a few urban fantasy novels.
There is a love interest for Edie who I really couldn’t get into and at times wanted to stop reading during certain intimate scenes. This has nothing to do with Ti as a character or their relationship in general which I liked sans Ti being a zombie. I just couldn’t stomach the kissing and sex with him without thinking of all the horror films I’ve seen with zombie body parts hanging off and their constant decaying.
Other than my inability to understand zombies as love interests, I really enjoyed the new type of monster mythologies introduced in NIGHTSHIFTED. I especially liked the idea that you need a certain amount of blood exposure before becoming a full fledged vampire. I can’t wait to read more about the Y4 wing of County Hospital’s residents and this strange new world when the next book in the Edie Spence series, MOONSHIFTED comes out on November 27.
Sexual Content:
A few sex scenes
NIGHTSHIFTED is like a dark and twisted version of Grey’s Anatomy with vampires, zombies, and werewolves taking up residence in County Hospital’s Y4 wing. I love the concept of a paranormal wing of a hospital which makes the already intense environment all the more crazy and dangerous… and not just for the patients. The story moves at a similar pace to a hospital setting where there are small lulls in action and with sudden, even frantic bursts of action. That sort of pacing made NIGHTSHIFTED an exciting read as I was constantly on edge, waiting to see what was going to happen next.
Edie is the newest nurse in the paranormal Y4 wing which makes her just as curious and confused about this environment as me. Unlike many urban fantasy heroines Edie is more like the general reader in skills and abilities when dealing with the paranormal. I liked this aspect of her as it made her more relatable and the dire situations she found herself in more intense because I knew she couldn’t just kick, magic, or shoot her way out of a situation (though she does have mandatory firing range time). Granted I did sometimes wonder about her intelligence in some situations that she could have resolved by having read a few urban fantasy novels.
There is a love interest for Edie who I really couldn’t get into and at times wanted to stop reading during certain intimate scenes. This has nothing to do with Ti as a character or their relationship in general which I liked sans Ti being a zombie. I just couldn’t stomach the kissing and sex with him without thinking of all the horror films I’ve seen with zombie body parts hanging off and their constant decaying.
Other than my inability to understand zombies as love interests, I really enjoyed the new type of monster mythologies introduced in NIGHTSHIFTED. I especially liked the idea that you need a certain amount of blood exposure before becoming a full fledged vampire. I can’t wait to read more about the Y4 wing of County Hospital’s residents and this strange new world when the next book in the Edie Spence series, MOONSHIFTED comes out on November 27.
Sexual Content:
A few sex scenes
May 6, 2016
Edie was really easy to relate to. She was smart but still had faults. She made some mistakes and didn't always think things through. The mistakes made sense in context. She is new to the supe world. It said that she had training before starting her nursing job with supes, but they obviously didn't tell her much. Edie handled things fairly well with limited knowledge about supes.
It was odd that Ti and Archer were both easily willing to save and protect Edie. She didn't do anything to earn their loyalty or are we supposed to presume she is that good in bed? Both of them were virtually strangers and went out of their way without asking anything in return to protect her, and she acted like Asher was a total jerk. My guess at her reaction to Asher is that all she wanted him to be was a one night stand. It wasn't rational, but she took it out on him because their relationship went farther than she wanted it to.
I really didn't like having a zombie for a love interest. Ti was a good guy considering. It was gross when parts of his body were damaged. The thought of sex with someone that eats human flesh is repugnant.
I did get the sense that there was something special about Edie, but I was glad we weren’t beat over the head with clues about how unusual she is. The shadows must want her for a reason. The world was interesting. It was a different take on shapeshifters. I liked Anna. It seems like there is a lot to learn about the vampire world. It seemed complex from the little that was learned in this. The one person I didn't like was Edie's brother. He was a POS especially considering he was sober. I could relate to Edie's situation with her brother because that's how it was in some ways with me and my bro.
It was odd that Ti and Archer were both easily willing to save and protect Edie. She didn't do anything to earn their loyalty or are we supposed to presume she is that good in bed? Both of them were virtually strangers and went out of their way without asking anything in return to protect her, and she acted like Asher was a total jerk. My guess at her reaction to Asher is that all she wanted him to be was a one night stand. It wasn't rational, but she took it out on him because their relationship went farther than she wanted it to.
I really didn't like having a zombie for a love interest. Ti was a good guy considering. It was gross when parts of his body were damaged. The thought of sex with someone that eats human flesh is repugnant.
I did get the sense that there was something special about Edie, but I was glad we weren’t beat over the head with clues about how unusual she is. The shadows must want her for a reason. The world was interesting. It was a different take on shapeshifters. I liked Anna. It seems like there is a lot to learn about the vampire world. It seemed complex from the little that was learned in this. The one person I didn't like was Edie's brother. He was a POS especially considering he was sober. I could relate to Edie's situation with her brother because that's how it was in some ways with me and my bro.
August 16, 2014
3.5 stars
Hmmm . . . my expectations for Nightshifted weren't incredibly high. I was just hoping for a solid diversion . . . and I got one.
Edie Spence is roped into working as a nurse for a supernatural branch of the hospital where she lives when her brother ODs on heroin again.
When she's assured that "they" can keep him (Jake) on the straight and narrow, Edie leaves her cushy, higher-paying gig at a private hospital, and learns all about the things that go bump in the night for her new job at County.
It's kind of like a reverse Downside Ghosts. The main character isn't the addict--it's her brother. BUT she does start pining for a killer zombie and maybe it's just me, but that's pretty terrible *snickers*
Anyway, it wasn't the most riveting or profound UF I've ever read, but it was entertaining, and I'll definitely read the next book.
Hmmm . . . my expectations for Nightshifted weren't incredibly high. I was just hoping for a solid diversion . . . and I got one.
Edie Spence is roped into working as a nurse for a supernatural branch of the hospital where she lives when her brother ODs on heroin again.
When she's assured that "they" can keep him (Jake) on the straight and narrow, Edie leaves her cushy, higher-paying gig at a private hospital, and learns all about the things that go bump in the night for her new job at County.
It's kind of like a reverse Downside Ghosts. The main character isn't the addict--it's her brother. BUT she does start pining for a killer zombie and maybe it's just me, but that's pretty terrible *snickers*
Anyway, it wasn't the most riveting or profound UF I've ever read, but it was entertaining, and I'll definitely read the next book.
December 31, 2019
It's been a while since I've read UF, but this book could pull me right back to it. This book kicks off a series about Edie Spence, a night nurse in the paranormal unit at County Hospital. Since this is a Book 1 in a series, there is obviously a lot of time spent setting up the worldbuilding and introducing characters. I'm used to that when starting a new series and it didn't get too tedious here.
We learn that Edie is a 25 year old nurse who has ended up in her current job as payment of sorts for her brother being given a chance at a drug treatment program that actually works. This plot point made me uneasy at first. I work with enough heroin addicts in the court system that while I could see the appeal of finding an easy solution, it also didn't sit right with me because that type of addiction is horrible in part because it is not easily escaped. However, the author actually handled this part fairly well (and this might be where the author's own nursing background came in). She had Edie's brother sober, but not for lack of trying to get high. And in that sense, we could see how, even without the effects from the drugs, this man's own compulsive behaviors still caused him and his family grief.
Getting back to Edie, we see her adventures in the paranormal unit where she encounters everything from vampires to shifters (including a dragon!) and even a zombie. While there are some romantic plotlines in this story, this isn't a genre romance. Edie wavers between more than one possible love interest and that is not 100% cleared up by story's end.
For most of the book, Edie is trying to unravel a human trafficking mystery with something of a vampire twist to it. And, she's doing so while the threat of a vampire tribunal trial hangs over her head. Some of the content in this book is really quite dark, but there are also breezy,humorous touches, and the author balances these quite nicely.
I felt like I didn't really get to know some of the characters aside from Edie all that well, but this novel gave me enough to make me feel intrigued. I received this novel from an RWA conference signing, but I plan to search out at least the next one in the series.
We learn that Edie is a 25 year old nurse who has ended up in her current job as payment of sorts for her brother being given a chance at a drug treatment program that actually works. This plot point made me uneasy at first. I work with enough heroin addicts in the court system that while I could see the appeal of finding an easy solution, it also didn't sit right with me because that type of addiction is horrible in part because it is not easily escaped. However, the author actually handled this part fairly well (and this might be where the author's own nursing background came in). She had Edie's brother sober, but not for lack of trying to get high. And in that sense, we could see how, even without the effects from the drugs, this man's own compulsive behaviors still caused him and his family grief.
Getting back to Edie, we see her adventures in the paranormal unit where she encounters everything from vampires to shifters (including a dragon!) and even a zombie. While there are some romantic plotlines in this story, this isn't a genre romance. Edie wavers between more than one possible love interest and that is not 100% cleared up by story's end.
For most of the book, Edie is trying to unravel a human trafficking mystery with something of a vampire twist to it. And, she's doing so while the threat of a vampire tribunal trial hangs over her head. Some of the content in this book is really quite dark, but there are also breezy,humorous touches, and the author balances these quite nicely.
I felt like I didn't really get to know some of the characters aside from Edie all that well, but this novel gave me enough to make me feel intrigued. I received this novel from an RWA conference signing, but I plan to search out at least the next one in the series.
June 27, 2012
I thoroughly enjoyed this!
Alexander creates a universe that is dark yet everyday. Edie has some problems most people can't relate to but can empathize with (her druggie older brother) and other problems that make her a more fleshed out human character. She's down on her luck throughout this whole book, struggling to find a way to escape the Vampire justice hunting her down.
The Good:
-Edie: She's believable, she's a decent person who does what she needs to do to get by. Her decent streak is what gets her into trouble, yet she's human enough to understand that no good deed goes unpunished. It's refreshing to meet a heroine that walks this balance without 1) being ultra unbelievable badass and knows fifteen kinds of martial arts, 2) isn't a disgusting wimp that allows everyone and everything and all events to steamroll over her. So that is SERIOUSLY GOOD about Edie, this is very hard to find in the UF world. And she's not whiny! Hooray for that.
-Asher: and
the moment Edie has her little air it out with him on the train (I think it was the train?). His reason- I really relish it. If you read this book you'll perhaps think that it's bizarre that I'm pointing this moment out as a "good thing" but I enjoyed how it slashed through his perfect paranormal boyfriend aura. Now given this, I PREFER Asher over Ti. Yep.
-The Vampires: I like beautiful sexy vampires as much as the next PNR/UF junkie, but really, sometimes that gets really boring and old. If you're sick of saccharine vampires that want to be your fairy godmother cum boyfriend future husband this will be a satisfying book to you. The vampires are scary crazy beasts with good clothes.
The Bad:
-Ti: who happens to be Edie's LI. Well, I for one had a hard time really enjoying him. When he arrives on the scene every woman reading will perk up a bit and nod to herself "here's the dude!". Then- blah, BLAH, and EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Also, I agree with other readers that his character seemed to morph from Mr. Goodguy, to huh, well, uh, no thanks buddy territory by the end of the book. At least to me!
The Ugly: (it's not so ugly actually)
I think Ti is pretty much the ugly in this book. Which means the book overall was highly entertaining and fun. I stayed up all night to finish this book because I just had to finish it. I listened to Mr. Meeble's "Nostalgia Now" EP. It was the perfect compliment to this.
I am putting the next in the series on my TBR on my "Can't Freaking Wait" shelf.
Alexander creates a universe that is dark yet everyday. Edie has some problems most people can't relate to but can empathize with (her druggie older brother) and other problems that make her a more fleshed out human character. She's down on her luck throughout this whole book, struggling to find a way to escape the Vampire justice hunting her down.
The Good:
-Edie: She's believable, she's a decent person who does what she needs to do to get by. Her decent streak is what gets her into trouble, yet she's human enough to understand that no good deed goes unpunished. It's refreshing to meet a heroine that walks this balance without 1) being ultra unbelievable badass and knows fifteen kinds of martial arts, 2) isn't a disgusting wimp that allows everyone and everything and all events to steamroll over her. So that is SERIOUSLY GOOD about Edie, this is very hard to find in the UF world. And she's not whiny! Hooray for that.
-Asher: and
the moment Edie has her little air it out with him on the train (I think it was the train?). His reason- I really relish it. If you read this book you'll perhaps think that it's bizarre that I'm pointing this moment out as a "good thing" but I enjoyed how it slashed through his perfect paranormal boyfriend aura. Now given this, I PREFER Asher over Ti. Yep.
-The Vampires: I like beautiful sexy vampires as much as the next PNR/UF junkie, but really, sometimes that gets really boring and old. If you're sick of saccharine vampires that want to be your fairy godmother cum boyfriend future husband this will be a satisfying book to you. The vampires are scary crazy beasts with good clothes.
The Bad:
-Ti: who happens to be Edie's LI. Well, I for one had a hard time really enjoying him. When he arrives on the scene every woman reading will perk up a bit and nod to herself "here's the dude!". Then- blah, BLAH, and EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW. Also, I agree with other readers that his character seemed to morph from Mr. Goodguy, to huh, well, uh, no thanks buddy territory by the end of the book. At least to me!
The Ugly: (it's not so ugly actually)
I think Ti is pretty much the ugly in this book. Which means the book overall was highly entertaining and fun. I stayed up all night to finish this book because I just had to finish it. I listened to Mr. Meeble's "Nostalgia Now" EP. It was the perfect compliment to this.
I am putting the next in the series on my TBR on my "Can't Freaking Wait" shelf.
May 26, 2012
This is one of those reviews where I'm forced to stress that I'm writing about my reaction to a book and not a judgment of same book.
There's nothing wrong with Nightshifted, but since the first pages I couldn't connect to the all monty.
Edie is a strong enough character, but unfortunately she falls under the category victim and martyr (both of which I don't really like) with a good dose of TSTL. She is always making wrong choices and apologizing. I appreciate she is absolutely normal, but not so much the stupid choices. After a year working with monsters she knows nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, about them. So every action is bound to put her at more risk. And I didn't get the why of her actions, which is worse in my book.
Unfortunately she acts stupid even as human, she has unprotected sex with a one night stand. She lets her junkie brother roll her over repeatedly, he steals, he's self destructive (the way drug addicts are). The problem is: he isn't a drug user anymore, because he can't get high. So all his choices (like hers) aren't easy to explain except with sheer stupidity. He doesn't want to save himself at all. And that's his right. Why she lets him destroy her though...
The love/sex interests are bland. Both, in their way, are using Edie. And I don't think Asher is worse than Ti. The first thinks he has found a treasure and then realize it's not. But the second is using her on his way to heaven and his first wife. (Well and the zombie part wasn't sexy, sorry).
The world building was absolutely interesting, with the mastermind Shadows as top of the food chain. But even here there were so many things that didn't add up. The vamp tribunal wasn't a scam as predicted, it was a farce. It's difficult to believe that vamp society would allow dissent within and be.
This book has been described as dark and gritty. I found it mostly hopeless which is not a sensation I'm keen to read about.
There's nothing wrong with Nightshifted, but since the first pages I couldn't connect to the all monty.
Edie is a strong enough character, but unfortunately she falls under the category victim and martyr (both of which I don't really like) with a good dose of TSTL. She is always making wrong choices and apologizing. I appreciate she is absolutely normal, but not so much the stupid choices. After a year working with monsters she knows nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, about them. So every action is bound to put her at more risk. And I didn't get the why of her actions, which is worse in my book.
Unfortunately she acts stupid even as human, she has unprotected sex with a one night stand. She lets her junkie brother roll her over repeatedly, he steals, he's self destructive (the way drug addicts are). The problem is: he isn't a drug user anymore, because he can't get high. So all his choices (like hers) aren't easy to explain except with sheer stupidity. He doesn't want to save himself at all. And that's his right. Why she lets him destroy her though...
The love/sex interests are bland. Both, in their way, are using Edie. And I don't think Asher is worse than Ti. The first thinks he has found a treasure and then realize it's not. But the second is using her on his way to heaven and his first wife. (Well and the zombie part wasn't sexy, sorry).
The world building was absolutely interesting, with the mastermind Shadows as top of the food chain. But even here there were so many things that didn't add up. The vamp tribunal wasn't a scam as predicted, it was a farce. It's difficult to believe that vamp society would allow dissent within and be.
This book has been described as dark and gritty. I found it mostly hopeless which is not a sensation I'm keen to read about.
August 7, 2014
Pre: There actually is a nurse on the cover with a dragon-shaped thing in the background. This book will either be full of win or fail, and I want to find out!
Post: Okaaaay. So, this was good. Not perfect, there were some flaws that coulda been avoided, but. :D
There are several things I liked about Nightshifted, and others that I didn't like so much. It's not that there were obvious 'flaws', but sometimes I wish the author had executed particular elements of the story differently.
The MC of the story, Edie, is quite likeable and is someone we could know. She has had one night stands, a junkie for a brother, and a not so fluffy (though not downright traumatizing) past. Unfortunately this past has been a little undernarrated. Maybe there wasn't enough pages left and things have been cut out, or maybe the past wasn't as important in the overall plotline, or maybe we get to see more of that in the sequels, but I simply would have liked to see more of that. More of her.
I don't plan to review this one properly, so I'll keep it short from here on. It's an enjoyable story, and I will certainly read whatever the author dishes out next. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance novels then I would recommend this one to you. If you're not.. Well, maybe check it out anyway. :)
Post: Okaaaay. So, this was good. Not perfect, there were some flaws that coulda been avoided, but. :D
There are several things I liked about Nightshifted, and others that I didn't like so much. It's not that there were obvious 'flaws', but sometimes I wish the author had executed particular elements of the story differently.
The MC of the story, Edie, is quite likeable and is someone we could know. She has had one night stands, a junkie for a brother, and a not so fluffy (though not downright traumatizing) past. Unfortunately this past has been a little undernarrated. Maybe there wasn't enough pages left and things have been cut out, or maybe the past wasn't as important in the overall plotline, or maybe we get to see more of that in the sequels, but I simply would have liked to see more of that. More of her.
I don't plan to review this one properly, so I'll keep it short from here on. It's an enjoyable story, and I will certainly read whatever the author dishes out next. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy or Paranormal Romance novels then I would recommend this one to you. If you're not.. Well, maybe check it out anyway. :)
November 5, 2012
First time reading this author and I really enjoyed the book. I do have my normal cover complaints - The dragon in the story did not have wings. The heroine had gained 10 lbs working the night shift and unless she was starved before this woman could not lose 10 lbs and be standing. The heroine's hair length was shoulder and her eyes were blue, not middle of the back and not brown. I wish publishers would have the cover artist at least get this information from authors or read the book first, they also could do a lot with photoshop.
The romance totally grossed me out. Yes, he's sweet, sensitive and kind, but I had to really move beyond that and not let it affect my rating. So, I imagined the romance as something a little different and the story was not as bad. I'm hoping that things are different with this couple in the next book, like handshakes and pats on the back.
The romance totally grossed me out. Yes, he's sweet, sensitive and kind, but I had to really move beyond that and not let it affect my rating. So, I imagined the romance as something a little different and the story was not as bad. I'm hoping that things are different with this couple in the next book, like handshakes and pats on the back.
January 14, 2013
I picked this up at the library due to its cute cover - my cousin is a nurse so the idea of a supernatural hospital wing sounded pretty fun.
However... I am really glad I didn't pay for this book. Why? Well...
That being said, if the other books pop up at the library I would consider reading them. If they focused more on the "supernatural hospital wing" and less "what supernatural is Edie going to boink next" they could be good. I did like the Anna storyline and thought that had potential for the future. Child vampires: always interesting! hah
However... I am really glad I didn't pay for this book. Why? Well...
That being said, if the other books pop up at the library I would consider reading them. If they focused more on the "supernatural hospital wing" and less "what supernatural is Edie going to boink next" they could be good. I did like the Anna storyline and thought that had potential for the future. Child vampires: always interesting! hah
February 23, 2015
I don't know why I thought this would be a fun book, but I was sadly mistaken.
Dark and depressing, this is the world of Edie Spence, nighttime nurse in a supernatural hospital. Her outlook on life is grim, and I can understand why up to a point, but I felt like I could stop listening at any point and not wonder about the resolution of her problems or the ending.
It didn't help that there's barely any romance in the story, and the romance that's there left me mostly unmoved.
All in all, maybe it's bad timing, maybe it's just that this is not my cup of tea, but I don't think I'll continue with the series and the next book, Moonshifted.
Dark and depressing, this is the world of Edie Spence, nighttime nurse in a supernatural hospital. Her outlook on life is grim, and I can understand why up to a point, but I felt like I could stop listening at any point and not wonder about the resolution of her problems or the ending.
It didn't help that there's barely any romance in the story, and the romance that's there left me mostly unmoved.
All in all, maybe it's bad timing, maybe it's just that this is not my cup of tea, but I don't think I'll continue with the series and the next book, Moonshifted.
April 20, 2020
Gute 4 Sterne
Das Buch war anders als erwartet, denn ich habe mit Chicklit in einem paranormalen Gerüst gerechnet und richtig schönes Urban Fantasy mit heißer Romanze und zwischendurch sogar Splatter bekommen. Ich beschwere mich nicht, denn es hat mir super gefallen. Zuerst sind mir die ganzen medizinischen Fachbegriffe aufgefallen, denn so wie unsere Protagonistin ist auch die Autorin Krankenschwester, wenn auch vermutlich nicht ganz so paranormal. Das ganze Setting fand ich super, denn sowas habe ich noch nie gelesen. Obwohl es ganz logisch ist, dass gesittete Vampire Blutspender und Zombies Amputationen brauchen. Und das passiert nun mal im Krankenhaus. Die Lovestory war skurril, hat mir jedoch genau deswegen gefallen. Das Buch hat mir dann ab der Mitte "Chroniken der Unterwelt für Erwachsene" vibes gegeben. Nicht, dass die Thematik (bis auf die Unterwelt) sonderlich gleich wäre, aber eben das Lesegefühl. Alles in allem ist dieses Buch viel zu unbekannt für das, was es ist und ich lege es jedem ans Herz.
Das Buch war anders als erwartet, denn ich habe mit Chicklit in einem paranormalen Gerüst gerechnet und richtig schönes Urban Fantasy mit heißer Romanze und zwischendurch sogar Splatter bekommen. Ich beschwere mich nicht, denn es hat mir super gefallen. Zuerst sind mir die ganzen medizinischen Fachbegriffe aufgefallen, denn so wie unsere Protagonistin ist auch die Autorin Krankenschwester, wenn auch vermutlich nicht ganz so paranormal. Das ganze Setting fand ich super, denn sowas habe ich noch nie gelesen. Obwohl es ganz logisch ist, dass gesittete Vampire Blutspender und Zombies Amputationen brauchen. Und das passiert nun mal im Krankenhaus. Die Lovestory war skurril, hat mir jedoch genau deswegen gefallen. Das Buch hat mir dann ab der Mitte "Chroniken der Unterwelt für Erwachsene" vibes gegeben. Nicht, dass die Thematik (bis auf die Unterwelt) sonderlich gleich wäre, aber eben das Lesegefühl. Alles in allem ist dieses Buch viel zu unbekannt für das, was es ist und ich lege es jedem ans Herz.
February 16, 2014
Shapeshifter, weres, zombies, vampires, dragons, yippee!! With hot yummy Brits, exploding magical critters, hot zombies (yes I mentioned zombie already, but I have to emphasize hot), magical German speaking CD players that’s a secret weapon, a special hospital for supernaturals, mysterious shadow beings that run the hospital, and a tough nurse. It spells for a good read.
Yet, most of my reading buddies have had a hard time getting into this one. Even I had to try once or twice before I got into the swing of things. This is a title that you HAVE to be in a a reading mood before you can sink in. If you're even slightly burned out, back away and put it on the shelf for sunnier reading days.
Yet . . . This book just fell a little flat. The world is never really explored. Things just happen. Edie has been working in the paranormal unit of her hospital for a while and she just does it. There's no questions or real drive for knowledge. Personally I'd want to know everything, especially since you're taking care of these beings. Not only on a medical level, but for protection. Knowledge is power.
Things just happen. (Yeah, broken record here.) Edie is pulled along by random events. Basically like leading a dog around on a leash. That's nothing that really interests me. Sure she ends up on the Night Shift because she's protecting her brother from an overdosing again. Yet the emotional connection is never there. That's the biggest issue for me. Edie is an emotionally detached character. As she's pulled along on her journey through the dark and magical she wakes up bit by bit. Like she's been swimming with her head in the water and just realized that she needs to stop and take a breath.
In the end this was a bit of a disappointment. A few months after reading it took me quite a while to remember what happened. After a year I'm pretty sure that this title will simply fade away as a fond, and distant, memory. The world has promise and ever since the Demonica series I've been wanting someone to explore a paranormal hospital. So yes, I'll continue. Here's to hoping that the “it just happens” as a basis for a plot ends. Edie needs to grow as well and become more accessible.
Sexual Content: One night stand, sexual chit chat, humor, and so on.
2/5- Average/disappointing, library check-out
Orginally reviewed at Book Whispers.
Yet, most of my reading buddies have had a hard time getting into this one. Even I had to try once or twice before I got into the swing of things. This is a title that you HAVE to be in a a reading mood before you can sink in. If you're even slightly burned out, back away and put it on the shelf for sunnier reading days.
Yet . . . This book just fell a little flat. The world is never really explored. Things just happen. Edie has been working in the paranormal unit of her hospital for a while and she just does it. There's no questions or real drive for knowledge. Personally I'd want to know everything, especially since you're taking care of these beings. Not only on a medical level, but for protection. Knowledge is power.
Things just happen. (Yeah, broken record here.) Edie is pulled along by random events. Basically like leading a dog around on a leash. That's nothing that really interests me. Sure she ends up on the Night Shift because she's protecting her brother from an overdosing again. Yet the emotional connection is never there. That's the biggest issue for me. Edie is an emotionally detached character. As she's pulled along on her journey through the dark and magical she wakes up bit by bit. Like she's been swimming with her head in the water and just realized that she needs to stop and take a breath.
In the end this was a bit of a disappointment. A few months after reading it took me quite a while to remember what happened. After a year I'm pretty sure that this title will simply fade away as a fond, and distant, memory. The world has promise and ever since the Demonica series I've been wanting someone to explore a paranormal hospital. So yes, I'll continue. Here's to hoping that the “it just happens” as a basis for a plot ends. Edie needs to grow as well and become more accessible.
Sexual Content: One night stand, sexual chit chat, humor, and so on.
2/5- Average/disappointing, library check-out
Orginally reviewed at Book Whispers.
June 21, 2012
This review was originally posted at Vampire Book Club.
Any author who can weave wit, subversive undertones and clever world building into a novel gets my attention.
Cassie Alexander demanded my attention with Nightshifted. She took a scenario that could become very campy very quickly — namely a nurse working in the supernatural ward of a hospital — and molded it into a tale of self-strength, desperation and noble causes.
Edie works the crappy shift at the bottom-run hospital. She’s new to working on Y4, the secret ward for supernatural types. And she’s only doing to because the beings in charge agreed to keep her drug addict brother clean. Her work there finds her embroiled in vampire affairs, trying to save a child-like vampire girl.
But she’s not doing it because she wants to save the world. Just this one girl. Because something deserves to go right here. Atonement is Edie’s game.
Things on the romance front are awkward for her. She tends to be a one-night-stand type of woman, which is working just fine. Until it isn’t. And she meets a zombie — not the rotting kind, but a kind fireman. And he cares. And maybe she cares. And it’s complicated. And messy.
The merger of dark tone and wry humor make Nightshifted a must read for fans of Jaye Wells, Stacey Jay and Stacia Kane. I’m eager to read the next book, Moonshifted, to see how Edie progresses.
Sexual content: Sex
Any author who can weave wit, subversive undertones and clever world building into a novel gets my attention.
Cassie Alexander demanded my attention with Nightshifted. She took a scenario that could become very campy very quickly — namely a nurse working in the supernatural ward of a hospital — and molded it into a tale of self-strength, desperation and noble causes.
Edie works the crappy shift at the bottom-run hospital. She’s new to working on Y4, the secret ward for supernatural types. And she’s only doing to because the beings in charge agreed to keep her drug addict brother clean. Her work there finds her embroiled in vampire affairs, trying to save a child-like vampire girl.
But she’s not doing it because she wants to save the world. Just this one girl. Because something deserves to go right here. Atonement is Edie’s game.
Things on the romance front are awkward for her. She tends to be a one-night-stand type of woman, which is working just fine. Until it isn’t. And she meets a zombie — not the rotting kind, but a kind fireman. And he cares. And maybe she cares. And it’s complicated. And messy.
The merger of dark tone and wry humor make Nightshifted a must read for fans of Jaye Wells, Stacey Jay and Stacia Kane. I’m eager to read the next book, Moonshifted, to see how Edie progresses.
Sexual content: Sex
June 7, 2012
It took me 14 days to finish this book. Considering that usually I spent 2 days per book, it wasn’t good sign for Nightshifted.
I was so excited to read it! It’s a story about hospital with vampires, werewolves and other paranormal creatures as patients. Imagine the possibilities for comical situations! And as a huge fan of every medical TV show, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book.
After read a few pages I understood that there wasn’t going to be anything fun, light and exciting. Actually, it was very dark urban fantasy.
Edie always felt tired, depressed, lonely. And her mood spread to whole book like a disease.
I think that as a debut novel it was a success. Cassie Alexander has very pleasant writing style and her worldbuilding was detailed and unique.
Unfortunately, this just wasn’t my kind of book. I love my fantasy with a little more optimism in it.
I’ll still read the second installment of the series, but if it will go the same road as the Nightshifted I am going to leave it to readers who appreciate the dark feel of it.
I was so excited to read it! It’s a story about hospital with vampires, werewolves and other paranormal creatures as patients. Imagine the possibilities for comical situations! And as a huge fan of every medical TV show, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this book.
After read a few pages I understood that there wasn’t going to be anything fun, light and exciting. Actually, it was very dark urban fantasy.
Edie always felt tired, depressed, lonely. And her mood spread to whole book like a disease.
I think that as a debut novel it was a success. Cassie Alexander has very pleasant writing style and her worldbuilding was detailed and unique.
Unfortunately, this just wasn’t my kind of book. I love my fantasy with a little more optimism in it.
I’ll still read the second installment of the series, but if it will go the same road as the Nightshifted I am going to leave it to readers who appreciate the dark feel of it.
May 27, 2012
This is more of a 3.5 then a 4 but all in all a good first book and an enjoyable read.
I started out with the audio for this book, which I do not recommend. The narrator was not great with any of the accents and while she was not reading in a monotone, it more just matter of fact...there were no inflections or emphasis in her speech....and it made the story slow and boring to listen to. I returned the audio and picked up the book to finish Edie's adventures as a Y4 nurse.
I wish there was a bit more world building, because it is not 100% clear to me if the supernatural world is "out" or not in parts of the book it seems like they are and in others it seems like it is still a secret and only some know...which is not really a big deal I guess other then my need for details.
So, the world building was okay...I liked Edie and her coworkers in Y4 were interesting. A zombie boyfriend was kinda ewww .....because generally when you think or read of zombies you think the mindless decaying dead which is not quite the case here....I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
I started out with the audio for this book, which I do not recommend. The narrator was not great with any of the accents and while she was not reading in a monotone, it more just matter of fact...there were no inflections or emphasis in her speech....and it made the story slow and boring to listen to. I returned the audio and picked up the book to finish Edie's adventures as a Y4 nurse.
I wish there was a bit more world building, because it is not 100% clear to me if the supernatural world is "out" or not in parts of the book it seems like they are and in others it seems like it is still a secret and only some know...which is not really a big deal I guess other then my need for details.
So, the world building was okay...I liked Edie and her coworkers in Y4 were interesting. A zombie boyfriend was kinda ewww .....because generally when you think or read of zombies you think the mindless decaying dead which is not quite the case here....I am looking forward to the next book in the series.
January 19, 2015
Nightshifted is my latest read in search of an urban fantasy that is at least half as good as The Dresden Files. And it's ok, a solid three stars. I liked that the protagonist was something other than a cop or a private investigator, as is so often the case in these books. Setting much of the book in hospital ward for monsters is a fun idea, and the author does a good job with it. The protagonist, Edie Spence, is likeable enough. The side characters are largely forgettable, though the preview of the second book in the series, Moonshifted (included at the end of this book), seems to indicate that they'll be more fleshed out later on. Some of the minor conflicts are too easily resolved, to the point of stretching believability, but the main story plays out to a satisfying conclusion. The book's biggest problem is that the first hundred pages or so are clumsy. I nearly put it down several times because the way the sentences flowed (or didn't flow, I guess) together was so awkward. However, once the story moves out of exposition, the writing gets significantly better. All in all, it was a good read, and I'm glad I stuck with it.
April 21, 2015
No he podido pasar de la página 100 de este libro. Yo no suelo no terminar los libros, ya que no me gusta. Pero es que este es espantoso... lo tiene todo: trama malisima, protagonista idiota, escritura pésima....
El libro nos habla sobre Edie una enfermera de un ala del hospital 'especial' en la que te puedes encontrar de todo, desde vampiros a dragones...
La verdad es que puedes pensar como yo de que la sinopsis tiene muy buena pinta.
Pero después lees cosas que pasan tipo: Un miércoles salgo de fiesta y como no tengo nada que hacer y me aburro me acuesto con un tío que ni conozco y que creo que es un Dragon con sífilis WHAT? yo me quede flipada... xD Y después se quiere hacer las pruebas para ver si las pruebas de sífilis le da positivo... y como aun no le toca decide mientras espera irse otra vez de fiesta WTF?! en serio... no entiendo nada :/
Fue todo tan estúpido que es que no podía seguir leyendo algo como eso.
No se lo recomiendo a NADIE.
¡Felices lecturas!
El libro nos habla sobre Edie una enfermera de un ala del hospital 'especial' en la que te puedes encontrar de todo, desde vampiros a dragones...
La verdad es que puedes pensar como yo de que la sinopsis tiene muy buena pinta.
Pero después lees cosas que pasan tipo: Un miércoles salgo de fiesta y como no tengo nada que hacer y me aburro me acuesto con un tío que ni conozco y que creo que es un Dragon con sífilis WHAT? yo me quede flipada... xD Y después se quiere hacer las pruebas para ver si las pruebas de sífilis le da positivo... y como aun no le toca decide mientras espera irse otra vez de fiesta WTF?! en serio... no entiendo nada :/
Fue todo tan estúpido que es que no podía seguir leyendo algo como eso.
No se lo recomiendo a NADIE.
¡Felices lecturas!
April 22, 2012
There are so many books coming out in the paranormal genre that it's common to find similar themes across different authors. Cassie Alexander's "Nightshifted" pleasantly surprises with a unique premise of a nurse working in a secret Y4 hospital ward, serving paranormal of all kinds. The heroine, Edie Spence, finds herself in a world of trouble after killing a vampire in order to rescue a 100-year-old 9-year-old. Old tribal conflicts come to the fore as do the usual prejudices between different paranormal groups (vampires hate zombies hate shapeshifters...). Ultimately, it seems, the conflicts are really between those who are able and willing to adapt, and those who are not. "Nightshifted" is a fun, fast-moving book and I look forward to reading many more in this series.
July 19, 2015
Really like the nursing set up for UF is this one, and for the most part it's really well done and a promising start to a new series. I did feel some aspects were fairly rushed (like the relationship), which detracted a bit from my investment, but all in all I'd certainly give Edie Spence another go.
August 9, 2022
Edie is a one of the newest nurses on Y4; the secret ward hidden in the bowels of the County Hospital. "Nightshifted" gives new meaning to the phrase "Thing that go bump in the night" If it wasn't for bad luck Edie wouldn't have any luck at all.
Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient imaginable. Like most nurses Edie is overworked, tired and under appreciated. Nursing is a thankless job and being a nurse to paranormal beings is even worse.
Trouble seems to find Edie at every turn. From trying to keep her Herione addict brother Jake safe, to chasing a wayward vampire, falling for a zombie. Yup: a zombie and lastly fighting for her soul.
In this story you have a bit of everything and at some moments the story is all over the place. With a non existent social life and working the nightshift its obvious Edie lives a very lonely life but one thing is for certain; working in Y4 brings alot of excitement.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Edie has her hands full with every paranormal patient imaginable. Like most nurses Edie is overworked, tired and under appreciated. Nursing is a thankless job and being a nurse to paranormal beings is even worse.
Trouble seems to find Edie at every turn. From trying to keep her Herione addict brother Jake safe, to chasing a wayward vampire, falling for a zombie. Yup: a zombie and lastly fighting for her soul.
In this story you have a bit of everything and at some moments the story is all over the place. With a non existent social life and working the nightshift its obvious Edie lives a very lonely life but one thing is for certain; working in Y4 brings alot of excitement.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this debut novel from this author. Edie is very real to me. The book was not perfect, but all the good more than made up for the not so good.
I hope Edie decides to learn German at some point.
I hope Edie decides to learn German at some point.
February 6, 2024
Most unrealistic thing about this book was how often Edie got full covered lunch breaks.
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