The Iron Hunt by Marjorie M. Liu

First of all, how gorgeous is this cover? I love the cover trend in urban fantasy to feature a beautiful woman who looks like she could kick your ass. Marjorie M. Liu, best-selling author of the Dirk & Steele paranormal series, is back with a brand new series about a demon hunter called The Iron Hunt. Here's the back cover blurb:

"By day, her tattoos are her armor. By night, they unwind from her body to take on forms of their own--demons of the flesh, turned into flesh. This is the only family demon hunter Maxine Kiss has ever known. It's the only way to live, and the very way she'll die. For one day her demons will abandon her for her daughter to assure their own survival--leaving Maxine helpless against her enemies. But such is the way of Earth's last protector--the only one standing between humanity and the demons breaking out from behind the prison veil. It is a life lacking in love, reveling in death, until one moment--and one man--changes everything..."

The Iron Hunt is a fantastic book. The demons that live on Maxine's skin are fascinatingly child-like. This story is nothing like I've ever read before but my husband tells me it's similar to a comic called The Darkness. Ms. Liu weaves language in a way that is evocative and dreamlike. The juxtaposition of strength with fragility makes Maxine Kiss a very compelling character. I definitely want to read more about her. The release date is June 24, 2008.