Jaz Parks series

Infobox Book
name = Jaz Parks Series
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image_caption = Cover of "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", the first novel in the series.
author = Jennifer Rardin
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country = United States, United Kingdom
language = English
series =
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genre = Urban fantasy
Spy-fi
publisher = Orbit Books
pub_date = October 8, 2007–Present
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The Jaz Parks series is an urban fantasy collection of spy-fi novels by American author Jennifer Rardin. The story presents a contemporary world in which mythological beings such as vampires and several less famous creatures are real, and follows the efforts of the Central Intelligence Agency to combat paranormal threats to national security.Hilburn, L. [http://paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com/ 'Paranormality'] "paranormalityuniverse.blogspot.com". March 1, 2008. Retrieved on July 4, 2008]

The focus of the tale is CIA operative Jasmine "Jaz" Parks, who is regularly partnered with her boss, the enigmatic vampire Vayl. While on missions, Jaz and Vayl are tasked with stopping paranormal or mythological beings who've taken criminal roles in human society, or humans engaged in related activities.

Production

During the two years of initial work on the series' debut novel, "Once Bitten, Twice Shy", Rardin's motivation was to "explore a character who’d survived the death of not one, but multiple dear ones in a single blow. I wanted to talk about how we let the past control us so overwhelmingly, and the torture we sometimes go through to free ourselves from it." According to the author, the decision to have the lead character narrate was made about 100 pages into her original draft, leading to one of many rewrites. "I like Jaz's voice. She's sassy, cynical, prone to violence. And yet there's a vulnerability and humor about her that emphasize her humanity despite her growing paranormal abilities." [http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=5&id=51651 'Sci Fi Wire'] "scifi.com". April 4, 2008. Retrieved on July 4, 2008]

Upon being presented with the first novel, Orbit Books offered Rardin a contract for two additional Jaz Parks stories as well. The publisher wished to release each of the first three books only two months apart from one another, prompting Rardin to focus heavily on completing "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Biting the Bullet" before the series debuted.Nevitt, T. [http://fantasydebut.blogspot.com/2008/05/interview-with-jennifer-rardin.html 'Fantasy Debut'] "fantasydebut.blogspot.com.com". May 28, 2008. Retrieved on July 4, 2008] The next two novels, "Bitten to Death" and "One More Bite", were commissioned soon afterwards.

Characters

Jaz Parks

The series' wise-cracking protagonist, Jasmine Elaine Parks is a CIA assassin who is regularly assigned to paranormal cases. Having been born into a military family, she experienced frequent travel while growing up, which has made her something of a loner. Her extensive martial arts background includes training in kung fu, aikido, and taekwondo. In addition, she is a noted sharpshooter and possesses an ability to detect the presences of vampires, while also being highly resistant to several of their powers. [http://www.jenniferrardin.com/?page_id=7 Jaz Parks Profile] "jenniferrardin.com". Retrieved on July 4, 2008]

Vayl

A vampire who was born in Romania in 1744, Vayl is now a CIA official who regularly serves as Jaz's field partner and direct superior. His transformation came at the hands of his wife, who reappears during the series' present-day story. He is a generally guarded, enigmatic figure who harbors trauma relating to the past and his children, though he is also shown to match Jaz's sense of humor at times. Like Parks, Vayl is highly adept at his job and is considered one of the agency's top operatives. [http://tezmilleroz.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/tez-interviews-jennifer-rardin/ 'Tez Says'] "tezmilleroz.wordpress.com". February 22, 2008. Retrieved on July 4, 2008]

Book releases

Installments have typically been released during the same month in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States, with the US and Canadian releases being simultaneous.

Reception

"Publishers Weekly" called "Once Bitten, Twice Shy" an "entertaining but derivative debut," going on to say that "Jaz's jittery narration amuses, but the fang-filled plot, replete with action licks and paranormal theatrics, will have trouble standing out in this overcrowded field." [ [http://www.powells.com/biblio/1-9780316020466-0 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy' review] "powells.com". October 2007. Retrieved on July 5, 2008] In its review of the first novel, "LoveVampires.com", which also interviewed Jennifer Rardin, called the writer a "talented author" and gave particular acclaim to the series' leads, calling Jaz and Vayl "well written, multi-faceted characters that the reader can easily empathize with, more so as details of their pasts are slowly revealed." [ [http://www.lovevampires.com/jeronce.html 'Once Bitten, Twice Shy' review] "lovevampires.com". Fall 2007. Retrieved on July 5, 2008] The site proclaimed "Another One Bites the Dust" derivative, but also stated that it was not to the detriment of the novel. [ [http://www.lovevampires.com/jeranother.html 'Another One Bites The Dust' review] "lovevampires.com". Fall 2007. Retrieved on July 5, 2008] In its review of "Biting the Bullet", "LoveVampires.com" went on to say that "Jaz Parks is the character that you would get if James Bond was female, American and battled supernatural bad guys rather than just your average human megalomaniacs." [ [http://www.lovevampires.com/jerbullet.html 'Biting The Bullet' review] "lovevampires.com". Winter 2007. Retrieved on July 5, 2008]

References