Green-Eyed Demon

Spectacular action scenes fail to balance a needlessly baroque kidnapping plot as vampire-mage crossbreed Sabina Kane (familiar from Red-Headed Stepchild and The Mage in Black) tracks her stolen twin sister to the extravagantly decadent streets of New Orleans. Aided by her demon servant, Giguhl, and handsome mage Adam Lazarus, Sabina must confront her murderous grandmother, the vampire Domina Lavinia, and the evil vampires of the Caste of Nod. Voodoo priestess Zenobia and changeling drag queen Brooks help Sabina untangle the complex alliances and enmities of New Orleans's supernatural society. An artificially complicated plot and overly contrived humor weigh down this installment, which will only be of interest to series fans. (Mar.)