Bullet

I did it again. I read another Anita Blake book. Intervention anyone? They are so bad, yet they are such a guilty pleasure. And Bullet, released June 2010, is a lot better than Flirt, which was released just a few months prior. Flirt just seems like a little novella to accent the rest of the books (although I'm not sure how much accenting was actually done).

Bullet has all of the recent Anita drama - orgies, Marmee Noir, bad guys, new guys, etc., but LKH added a little plot twist about the were lions. Honestly, it seemed like most of this book was just orgies, all the sex scenes had at least 3-4 people, or maybe not "people."

The storyline still centers around Anita being all powerful, or at least the progression of her getting to be so. But, I hate to admit it, but I ALMOST, NEARLY got teary eyed (note: there was no watering of the eyes, just almost), during a part... and oddly maybe a second scene as well.

Still, I do not care for the fashions or styling of the books. A see through dress is NOT a must have for this season, ankle-length hair is not sex, and regular black jeans? The only black jeans I ever see are skinny jeans on teenagers. I think authors should start paying more attention to what's in style (Pam - this is a nod for your character as well). It's really minor, but for whatever reason, it bugs me.

Speaking of things that bug me, there was a side plot to this story that was kind of annoying. SPOILER - She gets a call for cop business, there is some bad vampire stuff in another state, she tells them how to deal with it, they deal with it, the end. It was almost an after thought, and didn't quite fit.

I am a bit disapointed that there isn't a show or movie coming out. The first Anita books would be great to see on TV. Here's LKH talking about... old news, but forgive me, I'm behind!

Bitter Things

If you remember, some time ago I listened to a radio interview with Andrew Valentine, author of Bitter Things a novel of love, sex, memory, and blood. I was intrigued by Valentine's theories on vampires so I was interested in reading his new vampire book.

Michelle and Scott are a married couple, very much in love, despite Scott's baggage from his childhood. One night they decide to take things to the next level: they invite a beautifully seductive woman to share their bed. Mysteriously, Scott and the woman are no where to be found when Michelle wakes up.

Michelle will stop at nothing to find Scott, but is Scott strong enough to survive the evil that has taken him?

Bitter Things is not your typical frilly vampire romance. It's not just a sappy love story with fangs. Bitter Things explores the deepest and darkest corners of dark desires and control. Torture, sex, control and sacrafice; what would you do for the one you love?

Bitter Things also differs from various romance novels in the fact that it has substance, gritty, dark substance. The plot does not take you on a crash course in "love at first sight, sex, fight, sex, happy ending" there is much more involved in the story line.

I honestly had trouble reading through it quickly, or even getting through some parts of it at all. I was angry and frustrated at characters and events and some parts I thought were even a little frightening and disturbing. This book was a nice break from the usual sugary-sweet books I have been reading.

I thought the book was a quality dark erotic thriller. The storyline and characters were all well thought out and well executed. You won't find puppy dogs and prince charming vampires in this story.

Michelle must work hard to find Scott, and Scott has to work even harder to keep himself. Will they find a miracle to be together once again? Will their love concur evil? You must read Bitter Things yourself to find out!

Don't forget to check out Valentine's awesome Bitter Things Website as well.

Flirt

So, I gave in and checked out Laurell K Hamilton’s one of the newer Anita Blake books – Flirt. Honestly, until I looked up the book to include the hyperlink, I didn't realize there was Bullet - a book that is much longer, released about a month later. Where does that one fit in? I've been out of the loop.

I was a big fan of her early work – and then joined the “WTF happened?!” club. Now it’s just bad. It’s really just orgies, and Anita being all badass and emasculating men and being undefeatable. Yet I still read them. It’s a guilty pleasure. I’m a little infatuated with some of the male characters, after I imagine they don’t have really long hair that Hamilton has portrayed them with (a man with ankle length hair? Not sexy).

Last year's book, Skin Trade, I thought things were getting better. There was only like, 2 sex scenes in the whole book! And it’s not even really about the sex. If the story line is good and the sex emphasized the story, and added a little flair, fine. But it is just over the top. And remember Micah?, that was bad. It was a little novella. A mere side story. Flirt was the same way! It was less than 160 pages. I read it over my lunch hour! It was practically a short story. And not a good one at that.

Here’s the story line (spoiler alert!)

Anita turns down a rich guy – she won’t raise his wife, can’t raise her to be real.
Anita goes out and flirts and Hamilton makes things really awkward between her 3 guy friends.
Anita turns down a rich lady – she won’t raise her husband so she can ax murder him.
Anita goes to lunch at the same place, has awkward flirting with the waiter.
Anita is taken by two lions.
Her lion wants to mate with them.
They manage to make it over to the rich guys’ house – he hired them to threaten Anita and all that.
Her lion wants to mate with them again.
Anita gets hurt.
Anita must get power to heal – Anita must have sex
Anita takes power over lion #2 by having sex with him.
Things get a little violent
Anita raises the wife – but there is a ton of power
Anita raises lots more zombies.
Anita has zombies kill the rich guy.
Anita’s guys come to the rescue
Anita takes lion home with her.

The End.

They barely talk about Jean Claude, and only mention Asher in passing. None of the other characters barely even have roles in the book. It’s just all-powerful Anita. Like always. But Hamilton did work in Anita crying in there… you know, to show you that she is more than just a tough gal.

Hamilton also included an intro and an ending “how I come up with ideas” portion… probably to make the book longer because it’s pretty obvious she is running out of material and had to meet a deadline.

Sunday Morning Comics

And when I say "comic" I mean it in the broadest sense... which is why today I am reviewing Roman Dirge's Lenore: Noogies.

Lenore is a sweet little girl who has died. And now she is not so sweet anymore.

Noogies is a compilation of the original first four Lenore issues. Roman Dirge has painted painted a demented, disturbing world, now available in full color.

While Lenore isn't necessarily a vampire, there are vampire elements throughout, and even a lovely story about a cursed vampire named Ragamuffin.

If you like demented visuals and story lines, this is something right up your alley! I think my brother might enjoy this quite a bit. Some of the stories are pretty funny, most of them at least a little bit disturbing.

White Witch Black Curse Review

White Witch Black Curse is book 7 in The Hollows series by Kim Harrison. While these books feature a witch as the main character, her best friend and work partner is a vampire, and so was her lover - so I think this book series can still fit in with this blog. Yes it was released at the end of February this year, but with my absence, I am still playing catch up.

Rachel Morgan; witch, paranormal crime solver, and friend of a living vampire and pixie family is going through a lot of personal trials in this book. She is trying to remember the death of a loved one in hopes of finding the murderer responsible, the witch community is turning away from her because of her demon marks, and she is still struggling with her relationship with her vampire friend Ivy. To make matters worse, a friend has been almost killed and she must take down the creature who hurt him - which is a lot harder than some people realize. Did I mention the demon marks? Plus she has "demon school" once a week with a nasty demon she had to make a bargain with to save some one's life. Things just get more complicated for Rachel; and emotional.

Not to spoil it for anyone, but after a certain death in the books I did not want to continue on. Semi-reluctantly picking up this book, I soon was engrossed with Harrison's plot and writing and could not put it down. For one, the books are hilarious. I laughed out loud several times, earning weird looks from my husband. Secondly, Harrison really knows how to produce emotion in her readers. I laughed, cried, was angry, sad, frustrated, and annoyed. Several times I wanted to have a frustrating crying tantrum for Rachel. So many things go wrong I felt so bad for her!

On a happy note (the only happy note?) a ghost from her past shows up - which leaves her hopeful for the future.

I think The Hollows Series are a great Halloween read - the books incorporate pagan elements, as well as vampires, pixies, witches, weres, and other creatures that go bump in the night (and many that go bump in the day). I have renewed interest in the series and I look forward to the next book.

Black Magic Sanction - Book 8, will be released in February 2010.

Skin Trade - A Review

As many of you have read in my last post, I broke down and checked out Skin Trade from the library (I gave my self some props slack since I didn’t actually spend money on it; except the library fees I owed.).

Any of you who have even remotely heard of the Laurell K Hamilton book debacle have probably heard about how the last 10 or so Anita Blake books have been smut – filled with Mary Sue-ism, bad porn, orgies, and bestiality. After reading the last book, Blood Noir I was a little bit surprised that there were only about 3 sex scenes in the book – was this an improvement? Would the next Anita Blake books get better? I wanted to hope so… at least I would feel less guilty about reading them.

So that brings us to Skin Trade Book 17 of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Books. Anita Blake must run to Vegas to try and kill the ancient vamp serial killer that got away from her a while back. He even personally requests her and sends her a lovely gift. While in Vegas she meets up with some old Obsidian Butteryfly friends, which includes Edward.

Will Anita Blake kill Vittorino before he kills her?

Will she have control of the stupid annoying Ardeur?

What will happen with her connections to the Lions?

Will she pick up some more bedmates?

And so goes the anticipation and curiosity (FYI - that was sarcasm in the last few sentences). Like I mentioned before; it’s like an Obsidian Butterfly reunion. All the OB marshals are there, its hot; there is an ancient power against them, etc. etc.

I’m not saying it was the best book I have ever read, but I was a bit impressed that LKH toned it down! Yes, you read it, it is a bit toned-down! Yes. Anita is “amazing” and “perfect” and “all-powerful” and all that, but she meets psychics who rival her ability too – never female, but it’s a start.

Yes, there is lion drama. Yes, Marmee Noir makes an appearance, Yes, there is sex. BUT – there is no in-detail orgies or bestiality, no real details of Nathaniel, Asher, Richard, or Micah, and only brief conversations with Jean Claude (how dare he be mad with her) and one small conversation with Jason. So this book is almost a vacation from the recent usual Anita Blake crap.

It will be interesting to see where the next book goes because it seems like certain things were wrapped up a little too nicely in the end. Skin Trade definitely could have been a lot worse.

And so my unfortunate infatuation with the Anita Blake world continues.

True Blood Season 2: Delayed but Here

Yes I am a slacker – but I don’t have HBO (let alone cable) so I have to mooch off the few (2 people) that I know have HBO… which isn’t easy. So this weekend I vegged out at my dad’s house and caught up, watching episodes 7-12.

So here’s what happened (and what didn’t happen in the book) – spoilers.

Fellowship of the Sun try to kill Sookie and Eric… and Godric and Bill, and then Jason (partially book plot oriented – Sookie escapes with the help of a were who has infiltrated the system, causing more drama. PS. Godric is not a hero in the book, he is an ancient child molestor or something)

Texas vampires come to kick-ass – Godric stops anything from happening and everyone goes home… Texas vampires have a party (never happened in the book)

Jason’s FoS rival acts as a suicide bomber and stops the vamp party (partially book oriented – was a fire fight, not a bomb)

Eric tricks Sookie to sucking silver out of him (in the book it was a bullet)

Mary Ann gets people into more trouble (Mary Ann character is nothing like the book)

Sam gets framed for murder (not in the book, nor is the following)

Mary Ann possessed the whole town

Hoyt and new vampire girl get into a fight (this plot isn’t in the book at all either)

Sookie gets captured

We meet Sophie-Ann – Queen of Louisiana, apparently an avid Yahtzee fan.

Bill and Sam find a way to kill Sophie Ann

Poor Sam

Miss new vampire is getting herself into trouble

Bill and Sookie go on a date

Bill proposes

Bill gets kidnapped.


Being an big Charlain Harris/Sookie Book fan I was PISSED about the ending – thought is was absolutely stupid. Bill should not be proposing… they break up in the book! Book 3 in the series does have Bill being kidnapped though. It should be interesting how season 3 goes!

Mr. Darcy, Vampyre - Review

Ah... Mr. Darcy, forever immortalized by the sexy Colin Firth (and I would argue that Mr. Darcy made him sexy). So here we are, Amanda Grange has combined the sexy Mr. Darcy AND vampyres (which can obviously be sexy too) so naturally, I was instantly curious to see what Mr. Darcy, Vampyre was all about. I was a little cautious though. I am a big fan of Pride and Prejudice and I figured this could either be really good, or really bad.



The book begins on Elizabeth's wedding day; her and her sister are to have a double wedding with their grooms Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Shortly after saying their vows Lizzy is feeling odd about Mr. Darcy - he is acting strangely, he resists touching her, and keeps secrets to himself. To top it all off they end up changing their wedding tour plans to gallivant around Europe meeting disapproving members of Darcy's "family." Elizabeth sees the adoring and loving looks Darcy has for her.... but she isn't sure it is enough for them to remained married.

I have to admit, when I first started reading the book I was frustrated that Darcy seemed off-putting and stubborn. I wanted the charming Darcy! But as the book progressed I couldn't put it down - which is bad when you are reading during your lunch break. Grange adds some interesting and unique elements both to the vampyre story and to the adventures of Darcy and Elizabeth. I thought some of the adventures they experienced were a nice touch. And I enjoyed the ending. Some of the things I thought wrapped up a bit to quick or didn't go into enough detail, but overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to a vampire fan... and if you have ever imagined Darcy as a creature of the dark.... or if you like to. The beginning of Mr. Darcy, Vampyre was frustrating to get through because of his behavior, but after you tell yourself it will be alright, it starts to be pretty good and I fell in love with Darcy all over again.

Let the Right One in Review

I finally got around to getting a hold of Let the Right One In. It was actually available to stream from Netflix which was great and convenient but unfortunately a lot of it ended up being completely silent and the only reason I know what was said in certain parts was because of the subtitles.

I found LROI fairly disturbing. This is not a gory action vampire film; it is a coming-to-age film about two twelve year olds, each with their own set of problems. Oskar is a boy with no friends, is bullied constantly and although fantasizes about his revenge, he is too cowardly to stand up for himself. His mother is hardly home and while he greatly enjoys himself when he visits his father, his father quickly abandons him when more appealing company shows up. After meeting Eli, an odd 12 year old girl he later finds out is a vampire, he quickly becomes interested in her and impressed by her puzzle solving skills. They begin to befriend each other and live out their lives the way they choose to.

I found this film to be unique in the way Eli the vampire was portrayed. It seemed as if she was forever stuck as a young girl in not just body, but in mind somewhat as well. The film also puts a different spin on the popular belief that vampires can’t be invited into your home unless invited.

The film doesn’t exactly make you scared; you don’t jump in out of your seat, you simply feel a bit horrified at the behavior and feelings of Eli and Oskar. After the last scene we wondered if it would be categorized as a happy ending, a sad ending, or something else all together.

Rumor has it that there is going to be an American remake of this film which will probably be quite tragic.

Blood Ties TV Series Review Episodes 1-8

Since I don’t have cable we finally broke down and got Netflix – which I am kind of excited about that fact that you can stream videos and TV shows from your computer as part of the package. But this isn’t a Netflix promotion; I only mention it because I received the first two disks of Blood Ties in the mail yesterday.

As mentioned before, I have read the Tanya Huff Blood series and enjoyed the books. I was glad to hear that the first season of Blood Ties had come to DVD on the second of this month. We watched both discs last night (8 episodes) and I would say it was pretty good.

My 21 year old brother, husband, and myself stayed up past our bedtimes last night to finish the discs that we had (thank goodness we didn’t have the 3rd of 4th disc or we would be quite tired this morning). We all enjoyed the episodes and didn’t want to stop the series to go to bed.

The first two episodes, appropriately titled “Blood Ties Part 1” and “Blood Ties Part 2” follow the first book – also named Blood Ties pretty accurately; there are some details a bit different (like how Henry is a graphic novel author and not a romance author as in the book) but overall it was pretty exact. I think that because the show debuted on Lifetime it toned down the book sex because there was really no sex in the TV series (unlike the book, where it is pretty modest, but still present), which can be a breath of fresh air to the overdone and sexed up HBO vampire show.

Unfortunately, only episode 1 and 2 were from the book. All the other episodes are non-book inspired – but entertaining none the less. I did have Henry pictured a bit different in my mind and all of us agreed that Celluci is too annoying, but we thought the series was overall pretty good and pretty funny too.

Don't forget to enter to win Blood Ties the first book in the Blood series!

True Blood - Season 2 Episode 1 - No Longer Following the Sookie Books

OK, so after watching the second season premier of True Blood, it might be much easier to list the things that were similar in book 2 that appeared in the TV show versus what WASN’T the same. Pretty much everything in the episode had nothing to do with book two; which was extremely disappointing – especially the whole Lafayette debacle. How the heck are they going to work that one out?

I am becoming more and more disappointed in the show. I really need to work on separating in my mind the book and the TV show because they are so different, especially leading into season 2.

Beware of spoilers if you haven’t read Living Dead in Dallas but here are some differences between book and show:

· Lafayette is dead in Andy’s car – not the phony exorcist that never even existed to begin with.
· Mary Ann does not exist in the capacity she does on the show – she makes a couple brief appearances but not in the form of “Mary Ann” and she certainly does not have some rich demented half-way house – nor does Tara even meet her – except at the end LDID.
· Because Bill never killed Long Shadow to begin with (ERIC DID), he certainly did not have to make a young and annoying vampire – who also doesn’t exist… at all.
· Sookie’s uncle died “falling down the stairs” I’m pretty sure she found out about this in book one though, and both her and her brother received and inheritance.
· Jason never comes close to joining Fellowship of the sun.
· Sam had a happy childhood and was never abandoned or resorted to stealing and "Mary Ann" certainly didn’t take his virginity.
· Because Lafayette dies in the beginning on book 2 he is never tortured by Eric
· Eric does not need to highlight his hair

I will be very upset if Eric doesn’t attend an orgy with Sookie and if he doesn’t take care of her when she gets hurt in Texas. At least episode was more entertaining than last season.

Any one else have any thoughts/complaints?

And don' forget to enter to win Tanya Huff's Blood Ties!

Bloody Good Book Review

I had the pleasure of reading Bloody Good by Georgia Evans this week. While I was initially put off by the thought of blood-sucking Nazis (literally - vampire Nazis) I quickly got over it and found myself engrossed.

From the back cover:

While the sounds of battle echo through the sky, a lady doctor has more than enough trouble to keep her busy even in a sleepy hamlet outside London. But the threat is nearer home than Alice knows.

German agents have infiltrated her beloved countryside - Nazis who can fly, read minds, and live forever. They're not just fascists. They're vampires. Alice has no time for fantasy, but when the corpses start appearing sucked dry, she'll have to accept help where she can get it. If that includes a lowly Conscientious Objector who says he's no coward though he refuses to fight, and her very own grandmother, a sane, sensible woman who insists that she's a Devonshire Pixie, so be it.

Indeed, whatever it takes to defend home and country from an evil both ancient and terrifyingly modern...

I found this paranormal fiction to be fun and entertaining; my husband couldn't believe that I wanted to read a book about vampire Nazis. Do not let this turn you away from reading BG. There is a war going on and both sides are willing to use whatever means necessary to win - even if that means utilizing "Other" creatures to their advantage.

I thought that Alice was a very likeable character - she is a smart, science-based woman who lives with her grandmother. She is sweet, caring, and quite capable of taking care of herself; which I prefer to the "can't eat, breath, or live without you" type of gal. The story setting was quite different then what I am use to as well. I can't remember the last book I read that wasn't set in present-day time.

Even though the relationship between Alice and the infamous CO isn't very unique, I found it fun and sweet and sometimes a little steamy... I giggled like a little school girl on several occasions.

I did not like the ending however. Yes, this is book one of three but it ended so abruptly it kind of ticked me off. That's how they get you waiting for the next book I suppose.

Bloody Good comes out June 2nd, followed by Bloody Awful - July 7th, and Bloody Right -August 4th.

You can view more information on the author and the books, as well as characters and other fun here.

So I finally watched the Twilight movie

Yes, I finally watched the Twilight movie (I got a Blockbuster gift card for Easter). It wasn't too bad, although there were some parts I was too embarrassed to watch. I liked the way the end credits were done. Saying positive things first, there are several things that continually turn me off:

The announcement of true love when you are in high school and when you have only met your "true love." There is no such thing as love at first sight: just lust.

I'm in my early 20's, I'm not that old. I remember high school quite well, my stance was pretty similar when I was a sophomore too.

Really, if Bella hadn't announced her complete and irrevocable love for Edward 2 days after she had met him, it probably wouldn't have been too bad.

I also watched it with my husband and brother who said it wouldn't have been too bad if Edward hadn't been such a douchebag and if the movie wasn't so emo.

Review of Private Midnight by Kris Saknussemm

Private Midnight, by Kris Saknussemm is being released March 5th and is definitely worth the read.

Ritter is a police detective who has been through two divorces, lots of death, and plenty of guilt and fear. He is feeling lonely and tired. One day an old cop friend who is nothing but trouble drops off a business card on his desk; which will forever change his life.

Ritter meets a seductive woman who is mysterious and desirable. Now he only has her on his mind and things are starting to become very strange…

When I first started reading this book it felt like a 1920’s detective story – I thought of Dick Tracy: the smoke, the night, the ominous narrator, the dingy bars and the loud precinct. I thought it had the classic comic book detective story feel to it – it didn’t last that way.

Soon I wasn’t sure what to believe; I didn’t know what was really happening and what was being imagined. The story then started to remind me of The Machinist. Ritter seems obsessed, he is quickly losing weight, and odd things are happening. I kept expecting the end to reveal that Ritter was crazy and he was imagining everything.

Ritter becomes increasingly distressed. None of his clothes fit him, he can’t eat, he has no one to talk to, and he has blackouts and disturbing dreams and when he wakes up he is usually covered in an odd substance. All the while, his obsession with the mysterious woman becomes stronger and more dangerous.

I don’t think giving a no spoiler review can give this book justice. It is by far the weirdest book I have ever read. I think I uttered the words “what in the …” several times outloud. Some of the things in this book were absolutely disturbing.

When I got about half-way through the book I really didn’t want to keep reading. About two-thirds through the book I really didn’t like it much. When I finished the last page of the book I was so stunned I couldn’t hate the book and wanted everyone to read it so they could go through the same thing I did.

I don’t usually cuss, but if I had to give a one statement explanation of this book I would have to say it’s a psychological mind !#$%. I had a hard time getting through it, but the end was worth it. The psychological warfare is pretty intense and interesting. And I have never read an ending like this one.

Without knowing anything about the author I figured the writer was male, when I ended the book I thought the writer might be a woman! Which I think is quite genius and fitting. I won’t tell you if Kris is male or female, I think you should read and guess yourself, then read the bio! Primeval and psychological elements of sexuality, manhood, control, violence, fear, and darkness make this book quite fascinating.

I just finished Private Midnight and could go on and on about it, but I don’t want to give anything else away. Let me know if you read this. I would love to have a conversation about it!

Oh, and to address the "vampire" element. I was expecting this book to have the present popular vampire character, which it didn't. I do however, believe that describing a vampire in it's most basic and primeval form is quite fitting. Read it and tell me what you think.

Review of Episodes 3-5 of the Korean Vampire Drama Mini-Series

So I finally fit into my busy schedule a girl’s night in with my friend Nichole to finishing watching Freeze without the boys (Marc actually hid in his room to avoid watching it). You can view the review of episodes 1-2 here.

While we were still a bit confused throughout the last three episodes, it started making much more sense. There was also a lot of squealing on my part – lots of “oh my goodness” girl noise-making in reaction to awkward situations between the brazen and blunt young Ji Woo and the quiet depressed vampire Lee Suh-Jin . Nichole and I also shared a lot of wide-eyed looks.

The dramatic mini-series isn’t full of action or hair-raising events per se; mostly awkward situations in which we felt embarrassed for the characters or certain events we couldn’t believe were happening (finally).

In episodes 3-5 the relationship between Lee Suh-Jin and Ji Woo starts to develop into something more real and definable. Lee Suh-Jin must either listen to his sire Ihwa tell him to forget about loving a mortal, or follow his heart and love Ji Woo who is so desperately trying to be loved. He also must still face the ghost of his lost love (Ji Woo's mother), come to terms with the stipulations of his immortality, and learn to find peace and contentment in the life he has now.

The killer who has been draining the blood of women must be found and dealt with before the cops find the killer and realize he is a real vampire and Ihwa must deal with Lee Suh-Jin loving a mortal over her.

The episodes are quiet long, but I enjoyed the series. I wish it was an on-going show, but it is not. I would definitely recommend it though. It can be slow at times, but it is also funny and unique.

The Vampire's Betrayal

The Vampire’s Betrayal – Book 4 of Raven Hart’s Savannah vampire series is another emotional rollercoaster that has your wondering what will happen next.

As mentioned before, Hart sure has a way to put you on pins and needles while reading her books. Each book never provides closure, which makes you want to hurry and pick up the next one in the series. These aren’t your sappy happy ending stories either. Characters experience real pain and loss and in turn, the reader experiences a whole assortment of emotions. I think another apt title for book for would be “When it Rains it Pours.” The friendly vampires can’t seem to catch a break. First William finds heartache, then Jack. I almost want a happy ending to appear!

If you haven't read this series I would definitely recommend!

The Vampire's Kiss Review

I’ve now finished book 3 of the Savannah vampire series – The Vampire’s Kiss. While I found this book to be not as emotionally jarring as the previous two, Hart sure does have a way of creating suspense and cliff hangers. I was constantly wondering what in the world would happen next.

You can read the summary here.

I won’t give away any spoilers either (unless you ask me personally, I have no qualms).

I have to come clean though – I think this is the only book that I deliberately flipped to the back of the book to read what happens at the end (except maybe some of the Twilight books – for different reasons). It was getting close to bedtime (I need my beauty rest) and I was coming to the climax of the whole thing and I just couldn’t take it. I had to know if everything was going to turn out right.

Now I’m off to read the 4th book! Soon I will have to go and buy the fifth book which came out last week!

Review: The Otherworldlies

I read The Otherworldlies by Jennifer Anne Kogler yesterday. It was recommended to me by Hylian Vampire.

Book description (from HarperCollins)

Fern communicates with her dog, blisters from just moments in the sun, and has correctly predicted the daily weather for more than two years. Even so, she's always seemed to be a normal twelve-year-old girl . . . until one day when Fern closes her eyes in class and opens them seconds later on a sandy beach miles away from school. When Fern disappears again, this time to a place far more dangerous, she begins to realize exactly how different she is.

With the help of her twin brother, Sam, Fern struggles to gain control of her supernatural powers. The arrival of a sinister vampire in town—who seems to have an alarming interest in Fern's powers—causes Fern to question her true identity. Who is she? More importantly, who can she count on? Soon Fern finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old battle—one that could destroy Fern and endanger everyone she loves.

If I had adolescent girls I would definitely be much more comfortable having them read this books than that other popular teen girl vampire book.

Kogler does a great job creating a world that not only children would love to explore, but adults as well. Some of the scenes seem to be just what I fantasized about when I was younger (exploring cool new places with your brother, learning new secrets, etc.).

This was a fun easy read about a young girl who feels like an outcast who must learn and except herself. The vampires have much of the same characterisitcs as your classic vamp, but there is a lot more depth in them than most books. Again, we see vampires being related to Zeus and the Gods.

I would definitely read a follow-up to this book if it came out!

Review: The Vampire's Secret

Last night I finished The Vampire's Secret, book 2 of the Savannah Vampire Chronicles by Raven Hart. If you are looking for something sweet and sappy, this is not it.

If you haven't read the first book The Vampire's Secret, this may contain some spoilers. William has just defeated his evil sire Reedrek, leaving him deep underground to torture him. He now has three "children" - Jack, the adventureous, sensitive, ladies man in love with a cop who he can't have, Werm, a wannabe badass, and Eleanor, a "madam" who is the only woman he has ever gotten close to since the death of his mortal wife.

These Savanah vampires are calling on their old friends from across the country to prepare for a war between the good vampires and the bad vampires, but William gets a agonizing suprise when one of the Dark Lords shows up with members of his clan.

Will William turn his back on his friends? Or william throw it all away to obtain what he desires most?

First, let me say that I think the titles of these books are very misleading. The titles and the cover art makes you think that the books are your regular romance with a vampire male - these stories are more than that, especially this book. I also think the summary's are a bit misleading as well.

There is so much emotion and drama you don't know what to do or how to feel. I felt angry, sad, frustrated, hopeful, and betrayed. A lot of issues from the past surface and you aren't sure who are the good guys anymore. Not much is resolved at the end either.

It was hard for me to get through this book because of all the drama. Sometimes you don't want a book making you feel frustrated, but none the less, I am looking forward to digging into the next book to see what happens.

Review - Underworld: Rise of the Lycans and Van Helsing

Friday we went to the opening of Underworld: Rise of the Lycans. Our tickets were bought hours before the show in fear that it would be sold out. I guess there are less Underworld fans than I thought because the theater wasn't packed when we sat down 15 minutes before it started (we were busy eating ice cream). The theater wasn't empty, but certainly less people than I would have thought.

I'm sure everyone knows the basic plot of this prequel, so I will skip the summary.

Overall I quite enjoyed the movie; I only have a couple complaints:
1. Who created some of the vampire's outfits and what were they thinking? I didn't realize that painted on paints and bra tops were fashionable back then.
2. The vampires were a sorry bunch. Their fighting skills were pretty much non-existent.
3. To try not and spoil it, I will just say - why couldn't she go out the window?

I enjoyed the movie more than I thought I would. If I remembered the second Underworld I probably would say I enjoyed the prequel more. I think one of my favorite characters was Raze, writer, producer, and actor of Underworld; Kevin Grevioux. Lucian (Michael Sheen) was quite charming as well.




I also watched Van Helsing this weekend.

For old time sake, (and nothing was on TV) I watched Van Helsing. The last time I had seen this movie was when it was in the theaters. It was hard to watch again.

While I love Hugh Jackman and vampires and all that good stuff, sleep seemed more appealing than to finish the movie. The special effects are pretty bad and the acting (even if they are acting satirical) was kind of atrocious.