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.

More Than Fiction

Do vampires really exist? Is there proof?

In case you haven't come across them yet, there are a some awesome blogs dedicated to the scientific and historical facts, myths, and rumors. Check them out! There is some interesting stuff out there. These are some of my favorite:

Diary of an Amateur Vampirologist:

and

Magia Posthuma:
"On several occasions, particularly on the periphery of the Habsburg Empire during the 17th and 18th centuries, dead people were suspected of being revenants or vampires, and consequently dug up and destroyed. Contemporary authors named this phenomenon Magia Posthuma. This blog is dedicated to understanding what happened and why"

Cute Valentine

Vampire Valentines by Tina Sea Monster:

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.

The Vampire's Seduction

Today I read Raven Hart's Vampire Seduction - referred to me by Daelith.

Here is the excerpt from Hart's site:

When it comes to a wild and seductive nightlife, Savannah has bite.

Older than the United States and wealthy beyond his years, playboy William Cuyler Thorne is a vampire with a nice long undead life—one that includes a steady stream of admirers, a consistent supply of rejuvenating blood, and, best of all, a cover as one of Savannah's most prominent pillars of society.

But all good things must end.

Now an ancient enemy has come for William from across the seas. It is his sire, Reedrek, the vampire who created him. And Reedrek will stop at nothing until all that is precious to William—his beautiful mistress, his stable of willing female victims, his glorious estates, and his good-ol'-boy vampire sidekick, Jack—is within his voracious grasp. But William has an arsenal of his own—one that is enhanced by the power of voodoo. And when these two bloodsuckers meet, there will be hell to pay.

The story is told by William and Jack - Savanna's vampires. William is Jack's Sire with lots of secrets and Jack is tired of being kept out in the dark - especially when William's most hated enemy comes to town.

When I first started reading this book I really didn't think I would like it much. I tend to like the books with the female lead and the hunky vampire sidekick (it makes the fantasizing easier - just joking.... kinda). This is evident in my book list. I figured I would try to go on with it though, in hopes I would become more interested - and it worked.

I look forward to reading the next book in the soon-to-be 5 part series. I didn't want to put the book down. There is lots of action and craziness going on that you wonder what will happen next and question who can be trusted. I think the title of the book is a bit more steamy than the storyline. There's a few scenes of kinky sex but it doesn't over-shadow the storyline or become a whole chapter. Things also can get a little bloody.

Hart also showed unique twists in the ever-popular vampire story by adding a different take to the female vampire. In Hart's world, female vampires are rare and turn into a type of succubus. Since the female can no longer conceive, nature balances the shift by having the female vampires take the strength of the male vampires.

I'm definitely going to blame it on my present hormonal state, but I actually got all teary eyed during a particularly touching moment. I know, I'm lame sometimes.

Book 5 of the series comes out January 7th this month. From reading the short summaries (which I try to stay away from) it looks like there is going to be a lot of interesting things going on!

Friday! When did Vampires Start Sparkling?