Review - Cassie Alexander's Nightshifted (Edie Spence # 1)

Cassie Alexander’s “Nightshifted” tells the story about Edie Spence the newest nurse at County Hospital’s Y4 ward for supernatural beings. It’s an interesting choice to have an actual RN telling the story about a character who actually chooses to work with the supernatural, instead of the mundane population in order to save her brother from overdosing on a variety of illicit medications including Heroine.

Edie is an interesting choice for a main character. She’s single. She lives with her cat, and goes out dancing where she may or may not end up with a one-night stand for her troubles. Edie ends up in over her head when she accidentally allows a vampire to die on her watch after said vampire asks Edie to save Anna. But who is Anna, and why does she need saving? Upon trying to help Anna who she later meets, Edie ends up embroiled in vampire politics where her very soul is up for grabs if she fails to prove her innocence in killing a vampire.

As for Edie’s place of employment, Ward Y4 of County is the ward where all supernatural creatures go when they are injured or in need of a safe place to recuperate. In the background behind the darkness, is a group known as the Shadows. The Shadows are capable of removing any evidence of deaths that happen in Y4, and in more abstract cases, they actually remove the memories of those involved in supernatural situations like a Dragon with and STD escaping from his ward.

As for secondary characters, you meet Charles, Gina and Meaty who are also Night shift nurses. There seems to be genuine helpfulness and fun bantering between the group throughout the book. Edie meets Asher who turns out to be a shapeshifter and able to shift into any mundane, but not a supernatural being. Next up is Ti a zombie firefighter trying to remain incognito since he is 200 years old. Both Asher and Ti are romantic interludes for Edie, and neither really lasts that long. Ti and Edie have the most interaction which was creepy at times. You also get a peek at vampire politics and the different groups that are aiming to be at the top of the food chain.

Nightshift is an encouraging new arrival in the UF arena. Cassie Alexander brings a fresh take on the genre with her unique ability of putting you in Edie’s shoes as she tries to do her best to not only save her brother, but staying alive long enough where she can actually enjoy the fruits of her labor.

Up next: Moonshifted (2012); Shapeshifted (2013)

Title - Nightshifted (Edie Spence # 1)
Author - Cassie Alexander
Published by St. Martin's Press
Released May 22, 2012