Archive for best vampire books
Vampire Book Adventure - Midnight Reign
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Midnight Reign, the second installment in Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series, is a non-stop thrill from beginning to end. I loved the first book and could not wait for this one. The latest adventure with Dawn, Breisi, Kiko and “The Voice” as they work to find Dawn’s father (as well as destroy the Vampire Underground), was an exciting, enthralling read. The wait was not in vain . . .
Let me begin by introducing you to the vampire slayer team:
Breisi: a kick butt fighter and Dawn’s father’s girlfriend
Kiko: a little person with pretty powerful psychic abilities
Dawn: a former Hollywood stuntwoman and the newest member of the team
The Voice: a disembodied “voice” that calls the shots and directs the team
The story begins with Dawn being a bit upset with the man referred to as The Voice, also known as Jonah. She feels that he betrayed her with the deception he used to get her to Los Angeles (in the first book) in search of her father. As such, she no longer trusts him and believes Jonah is only interested in finding the Underground so he can destroy it. She’s sick of his secrecy and she’s sick of his ability to manipulate her through sex. Instead, Dawn begins focusing her attention on Matt, an investigator who intrigues her with his straightforward and seemingly honest manner. Although Matt may have some secrets of his own, Dawn is determined to be done with Jonah – or so she thinks.
In the meantime, the team is busy working to solve a series of murders. These murders mimic the previous slayings of a serial killer, Lee Tomlinson. Problem is, Lee is already in prison. However, Lee is still a person of significant interest to the team because of his link to the Underground. And it’s pretty obvious that the Underground is involved because the throats of the victims are torn out and the victim’s bodies are drained of blood. Could Lee know the identity of the copycat killer?
To complicate matters, as they continue their investigation it becomes clear that the vampire leader of the Underground is intensely interested in Dawn. What methods will he use to lure her to him?
This fantasy story keeps you guessing about the characters, how they are related, and how Dawn will deal with all the men who not only want her, but who also want to control her. But let’s be clear: Dawn is not a girl who is easily controlled. Chris Marie Green has written an excellent sequel to her first fantasy novel and if you like a strong female lead who holds her own, this is a book for you. If you read the first one, you’ll be thrilled that there are additional books in the series. If you haven’t read any of Ms. Green’s work before, I envy you for the great read you have ahead of you.
Check out Midnight Reign - you’ll thank me for it later . . .
Vampire Book Review: Jane Bites Back
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The story begins with a modern day Jane Austen – now known as Jane Fairfax - running a bookstore in a small university town in New York State. She’s a vampire, having been turned by a handsome stranger back in the 1800’s and she’s spent the last 150 years keeping her identity a secret, while trying to get a new book published. Needless to say she’s not been successful with that endeavor. However to add insult to injury, since she now owns a bookstore, she sees firsthand how other writers are profiting by using her characters in unauthorized sequels and spin-offs of her work. As you can imagine, she’s not too happy about this.
However she does have a few admirers of the male persuasion. The scandalous Lord Byron, the person responsible for turning her into a vampire, wants to court her. And a local friend and widower Walter Fletcher, makes it clear he’d like to spend more time with her.
And then finally, after hundreds of rejection letters (remember, she’s been submitting this manuscript for decades) she finally connects with a publisher who’s interested. And that’s when the excitement begins. Jane is suddenly thrust into the whirlwind world of celebrity authors where book signings, interviews and talk show appearances prevail. But that’s not the only attention her sudden fame brings her; an old rival begins stalking her and a dead body turns up in her hotel room during her book tour.
With a crazy poet declaring his love for her and her need to “come clean” and tell Walter about her vampire lifestyle, not to mention the stalker problem which threatens the safety of those around her, it’s no wonder that Jane feels overwhelmed and a bit desperate to live a normal and peaceful life.
What will Jane choose – the secretive vampire lifestyle or risk exposing herself to the humans closest to her in an attempt to save their lives? You’ll have to read it to find out . . .
Jane Bites Back just went on sale this week at Amazon. Check it out to find out how Jane deals with her problems - and learn the secret identity of the stalker!
Vampire Book Review - Bad to the Bone by Jeri Smith-Ready
Posted by: | CommentsBad To The Bone
You see, WVMP’s radio broadcasts are being overridden by a religious radio station whenever music by female artists is played. When Ciara takes it upon herself to find the infiltrators she soon realizes that solving this mystery is more difficult than she’d originally thought. To discover the source of the treachery she ends up going undercover by joining a weird vampire victims support group.
On top of that, Ciara has to juggle finding extra time to complete her college work, deal with her own personal problems and take care of a stray vampire dog named Dexter. And although fitting together the pieces of the puzzle proves to be a pain-staking (sorry) process Ciara is up to the challenge. Ciara’s adventures provide a perfect combination of mystery, suspense and humor to make the plot fun and interesting to follow.
With elements like shady government agencies thrown into the mix this book is full of wonderful twists and turns. All in all, Bad To The Bone is thoroughly engaging and a refreshingly cliche-free addition to the vampire book genre.
Let me put it this way: I just purchased a Kindle as a holiday gift to myself. I’ve been trying to decide on the one book that will be My First Ever Kindle Book Purchase. Bad To The Bone just won that distinction.
This is a solid read for fantasy book lovers, vampire enthusiasts (we know who you are) and mystery fans alike.
Check it out guys.
Fantasy Book Review of Vampire Sunrise
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Carole Nelson Douglas has written the third installment in her Delilah Street: Paranormal Investigator series and I am thrilled to say - it does not disappoint.
Her latest novel, Vampire Sunrise, once again features strong, smart, vintage clothing fashionista Delilah Street as she continues to work to find her doppelganger named Lilith while also planning to take revenge on the evil Egyptian vampires who nearly killed her boyfriend, Ric. On top of all this, she is learning about new powers that have developed after receiving a Brimstone Kiss - the kiss that puts women into an orgasmic frenzy - from the mysterious rock star, Snow.
This book starts out with Delilah struggling with the aftermath of saving Ric from certain death at the hands of two psychotic vampire pharaohs who live under a popular Las Vegas casino. She made a bargain with Snow to save her man - earning her a Brimstone Kiss - and that bargain is going to have strange consequences that make themselves known as the story unwinds. With Ric lying in a coma in the bridal suite in Snow’s casino, Delilah racks her brains on how to help him. Realizing that her new powers can bring Ric back, she sets about reviving him, not realizing until it’s to late that Snow has to bear the burden when she uses those powers….what revenge will he inflict on Delilah for her actions? It likely won’t be another kiss…
With Ric back in fighting form, Delilah and Quicksilver - her dedicated and spookily sentient hound - decide to exact revenge on the two evil pharaohs who kidnapped not just Ric, but who also abduct tourists from the Strip and keep them in pits as blood slaves. Along the way they team up with some unusual partners - from werewolves to daylight vampires to magicians - as they work to extinguish a sinister underworld that wants to make slaves of them all.
The almost staccato-like style of Ms. Douglas’ writing keeps you engaged and entertained. She makes a lot of pop culture as well as vintage movie references that fit in perfectly with Delilah’s unique style. I haven’t read another mystery quite like this one, the paranormal element keeps it new and fresh, yet Delilah is still solving a good, old-fashioned mystery. Additionally, questions about the true identity of her parents and information on the mysterious twin who revealed itself in the first book are addressed. But you’ll have to read the book to get the answers!
As I continue reading the books in the serious I continue to develop respect for Delilah. Her street smarts, intelligence and self-assurance make her a female heroine that you’re sure to love. You can read more reviews of Vampire Sunrise here.
Fantasy Book Review - Playing With Fire by Katie MacAlister
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Just when I thought that I had read at least one book containing every type of supernatural being that an author’s imagination could create, I find a new book with a great new storyline. Playing with Fire (Silver Dragons, Book 1) by Katie MacAlister is a great new other-earthly fantasy romance series that you will really enjoy. The main character, May Northcott, is a doppelganger created by a water nymph named Cyrene. May is Cyrene’s exact twin in all ways except she’s not a water nymph. However, she can slip into the shadow world and go past barriers that other beings can’t get through.
All of this was orchestrated by none other than Cyrene herself; she’s the one who decided to make a copy of herself. Why? So she could be a better thief. Yes, Cyrene created May so she could do a better job stealing things.
Of course, in order to do this, Cyrene had to summon a demon lord and give up one of her personality traits; the crazy girl ended up giving up her common sense! Had she not sacrificed this trait she might have realized that Magoth, the demon lord, planned to bind May to him as a slave forever. Yes, Magoth was ecstatic to get a thief bound to him who could retrieve some of the items needed to ensure his return to earth. He also wants to persuade (and seduce) May into being a slave to other (ahem) things. Alas, since Magoth is pretty good looking, May finds it hard to resist him.
So May becomes a thief for Magoth and we enter the story when May is trying to rob an important essence from a powerful mage and, by accident, ends up robbing him of his most powerful essence, which he’ll do anything to get back. He hires every bounty hunter available to find her which puts May on the run. She actually wants to return the essence in the hopes that he’ll drop the chase for her.
However Magoth has no sympathy for her situation and immediately sends her out on another mission. This time she’s not so successful. Or maybe she is.
You see, May gets caught by a dragon, and not just any dragon. She gets caught by Gabriel, an extremely handsome and sexy silver dragon ruler. He and the other silver dragons in his sept (think pack) are trying to find an important dragon relic. When he realizes he’s captured a thief he knows exactly how to use her; he’ll have her find and steal back the relic.
However his plan backfires a bit because the minute he touches her, he’s consumed with desire. Gabriel soon realizes that May is his life mate, someone who he can touch without causing them to burn. Oh, one thing about the dragons in this book; they have 2 forms, a human form (a gorgeous human form) and their animal/dragon form. For convenience purposes dragons default to their human forms.
Okay, let’s recap the problems that May is now facing:
- she’s got to figure out a way to gain her freedom from Magoth;
- she needs to avoid the bounty hunters who’re tracking her;
- she needs to prevent Gabriel (who she really likes) from burning everyone and everything that he believes poses a threat to her;
- she needs to save her “no common sense” twin Ceylon from blackmailers.
As you can imagine there’s a ton of action in this book. Not to mention the really hot sex between May and Gabriel. Additionally, the relationship between May and her twin Ceylon is entertaining and funny to read about. Together they don’t let anyone get the best of them; they also have a witty answer for every situation they encounter. In summation, this book has something for everyone: action, sex, adventure, sex, suspense, sex, and oh yeah, hot sex.
The end of the novel left me hanging so I’m thrilled to know that Katie MacAlister has the sequel already out, ready for my next visit to Amazon. And ready for me to purchase both books for the holiday for a friend of mine!
Fantasy Book Review - Matters Of The Blood by Maria Lima
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Why do so many of us LOVE vampire romance novels?
Is it the idea of living forever?
Is it the thrill we feel thinking of the powers we could have if we were supernatural?
Maybe it’s just the fact that all the vampire men are hot? Whatever the reason, all of these questions are satisfied in the new vampire novel by Maria Lima titled Matters of the Blood. This is the first novel in a series called the Blood Line and it has something to satisfy every type of supernatural fantasy fan. The novel delivers its share of hot vampires with a hot human or two thrown in as well.
The main character, Keira, is a supernatural creature who “changes”, but what she changes into is always an unknown. Will she be a vampire? A shapeshifter? A necromancer? It makes for a suspense-filled storyline - never knowing what she will become. Keira and her clan can become one of any number of supernatural beings but that doesn’t mean she can control her powers. Think of it, if you became a shapeshifter in the blink of an eye, would you know what to do? No learning curve, you better get shifting - or running, as the case may be. It sets up a scenario for some major difficulties for Keira as the book progresses.
In the novel, vampires and other supernaturals live together in society as normal people but keep their true identities a secret from the human population. The ironic thing is that they have kept their secret so well that one supernatural group does not know the other exists. The action begins when Keira’s annoying human cousin is murdered and the prime suspect is a mysterious newcomer in town. A mysterious newcomer that Keira wants to get to know a whole lot better, giving her lots of motivation to figure out who the true killer is.
The author, Maria Lima, gives us a new approach to the vampire storyline that is fresh, unpredictable and a good read. Since the characters have the ability to become any type of creature, you never know what to expect. And, since Keira doesn’t know what she’ll “change” into, you can’t forsee how she’ll handle her various dilemmas. This makes for exciting plot potential in both this and future novels in the series. Matters Of The Blood is a vampire novel that represents one of the best vampire books I’ve read in a long time. Happy reading!
Vampire Books Are Big Business
Posted by: | CommentsVampire books = Big Sales. Case in point: two extremely popular vampire books series (Sookie Stackhouse and Twilight) made it from print to TV and film.
The Charlaine Harris Sookie Stackhouse Southern Vampire Mystery Series was made into an HBO series called True Blood. Although the initial ratings were lukewarm the series quickly became a big hit. Anna Paquin even won a Golden Globe award for her portrayal of the lovestruck vampire lover Sookie Stackhouse. This series appealed not only to those of us that have been reading fantasy books for years, but also introduced the genre to a completely new audience. As such the last few episodes in the series were on par with Nielsen ratings for the Sopranos! I’m sure Charlaine Harris never envisioned her fantasy books heading to a big time HBO series. Season 2 of True Blood will air this summer and I’m sure there are millions of fans that can’t wait until the new series begins.
On a similar vein, the vampire fantasy books by Stephenie Meyer have topped the charts. The Twilight Saga Books, aimeed at capturing the young adult audience, has crossed over from print to the big screen. Twilight the Movie did quite well at the box office and the second fantasy book in the series, New Moon, is currently being filmed.
Not only have the book’s authors reaped the successes of their fantasy books, they’ve also become minor celebrities. Charlaine Harris was at the premiere of True Blood in Hollywood and Stephenie Meyer has been making the TV talk show circuit. I saw her on Oprah a few weeks ago!
Although Anna Paquin won the Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Drama Series, the show itself was nominated for the Best Drama series. And the actors and actresses have also benefited from the success of these vampire books. Stephen Moyers (Bill Compton), Ryan Kwanten (Jason Stackhouse), Rutina Wesley (Tara Thornton), and Sam Tammell (Sam Merlotte) are now recognized as B-list celebrities. And who doesn’t know Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette Reynolds), True Blood’s flamboyant and outspoken short order cook? Although last season’s finale alluded to his death, HBO executives should check the wikis, bulletin boards, and blogs: Lafayette has a loyal fan base that won’t take kindly to his departure from the show.
With Twilight The Movie, Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan) and Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen) are also overnight celebrities. Although their names may be more recognizable than the actors from True Blood, the first time I saw Stewart was when she starred (minor role) in Zathura (2005). I remember Pattinson as Cedric Diggory from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire but again, he had a small role in that film. However because of the popularity of Stephenie Meyer’s vampire books and the film they’re both on track to earn more than the reported $2 million they each made from Twilight. It’s quite the money making franchise. There’s even a jewelry line based on the books!
As I’m sitting here reviewing the current best selling fantasy books at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble I can’t help but notice that the popularity of vampires clearly translates into book sales. Take a look at the current Top 10 Best Selling Fantasy Books from both outlets. I’ve specified the books that include vampires as either central or supporting characters:
Amazon.com Fantasy Best Sellers
- Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer +V
- From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #8 ) by Charlaine Harris +V
- Sookie Stackhouse 7-copy Boxed Set (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris +V
- Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9) by Charlaine Harris +V
- Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) by Jim Butcher +V
- Betrayed (House of Night, Book 2) by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast +V
- The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Neffenegger
- Deadly Desire (Riley Jensen, Guardian, Book 7) by Keri Arthur +V
- Skin Trade (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 17) by Laurell K. Hamilton +V
- World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
Barnes and Noble Fantasy Best Sellers
- One Second After by William R. Forstchen, Newt Gingrich (Introduction)
- Max (Maximum Ride, Book 5) by James Patterson
- Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 9) by Charlaine Harris +V
- From Dead to Worse (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #8 ) by Charlaine Harris +V
- Turn Coat (The Dresden Files, Book 11) by Jim Butcher +V
- Sookie Stackhouse 7-copy Boxed Set (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood) by Charlaine Harris +V
- Curse the Dawn (Cassandra Palmer, Book 4) by Karen Chance +V
- Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons, Barry Marx (Editor)
- The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1) by James Patterson
- The Host: A Novel by Stephenie Meyer
As you can see, 8 of the top 10 best selling fantasy books at Amazon.com are vampire books; likewise half of the books on the Barnes and Noble Best Selling Fantasy Books list either focus on vampires or contain elements of vampire lore. I have a friend who wants to write a fantasy book but is having a hard time getting started. Looks like it would be smart of her to include a couple of vampires amongst the characters - you just never know what might happen!
