AS LIE THE DEAD by Kelly Meding

Dreg City Series Book 2
Publisher: Bantam Dell
Date published: July 27th, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-553-59287-0
Urban Fantasy
Mass Market Paperback
Reviewed by Dawn
Obtained by Publisher


Evangeline “Evy” Stone was part of the Triad, hunters who protected the humans from the paranormal creatures that inhabit their world. She never anticipated betrayal from the Triads, dying then resurrecting back into a new body. A life dealing with the light and darkness, Evy finds that her life is about to get even crazier. Protecting the remaining pregnant female of the shape-shifters that were nearly extinct has morphed into something much more. Amid the backdrop of Dreg City a war is brewing and one that reaches into the past of the Triad’s beginnings and has secrets in all corners. Can Evy do all she needs to do before everything explodes into chaos?

AS LIE THE DEAD takes place days after the first book, THREE DAYS TO DEAD, ended and this time Evy finds herself tossed into a war that she thought was done with and now finds the dreams of rest and sleep a distant memory with the Owlkins reappearance with a request-protect their last surviving female who is pregnant and redeem herself in their eyes. Kelly Meding delivers a fast paced storyline that follows Evy, now trying to reconcile herself with her new body’s memories and the memory of how she once was. The war that Evy has going on inside her is nothing compared to the one that she finds herself drawn into in Dreg City. The story is tightly written and kept me intrigued till the end. I loved how Evy has grown as a character and the many secondary characters we met in the first book are back in one way or another. The conspiracy that Evy finds out about left me on the edge of my seat and I was anxious as Evy to see what the answers would be.

AS LIE THE DEAD is a great story to enjoy on a cold winter’s day. I love Kelly Meding’s writing and this latest installment in her Dreg City series delivers an action-packed urban fantasy that left me breathless. The only complaint I had was it got weighed down at times by the characters repetitively explaining things that happened pages earlier but overall it didn’t get in the way of Evy’s latest adventure. I loved the connection between Wyatt and Evy the most. Their sparks flew almost as much as their tempers. I loved how the author continues to evolve her characters and I found myself rooting for them to survive to live another day.

If you are looking for a fast paced story that will keep you on the edge, then grab AS LIE THE DEAD. I do recommend reading the first book in the series, THREE DAYS TO DEAD, in order to understand the back-story for this book. Kelly Meding has another winner on her hands and I am eager to see what happens next for Evy, Wyatt and the rest of Dreg City.

This is an objective review and not an endorsement of this book.