"The Iron Hunt" by Marjorie M. Liu

Maxine Kiss is the last in a long line of fighters, the Hunters who protect humans from demonkind. From mother to daughter they pass on a secret weapon -- living tattoos that transform into a personal guard of demons. With their help, she must stand before a threat that could destroy the world.

At first, I wasn't into this book. I appreciated the originality of Liu's ideas and the gritty elegance of her writing, but the story itself seemed slow. About halfway through, though, things picked up and I was thoroughly hooked. The originality that, just prior, was simply interesting became brilliant. I was fairly confused while reading, even after some things were "explained," yet that only spurs me to keep up with this series. I guess I should also check out the novella Hunter Kiss, which begins the series.