Archive for April, 2010
There’s nothing hotter than urban fantasy right now. There are books, movies, games, and clothes that all depict something supernatural; people can’t seem to get enough of it. So, when it’s time to buy your vampire or werewolf lovin’ friend or family member a gift and you can’t think of what to get them, Peter Pauper Press has come up with something perfect for people who are fascinated with monsters.
The Compendium Monstrum is a guide to vampires, werewolves, and zombies. It’s small enough to carry around when you need a quick refresher on vampire indicators, read about the history of werewolves or brush up on zombie folklore. The guide has maps indicating areas of interest for vampire aficionados, maps showing werewolf information, and maps for possible zombie locations. These maps are not just fiction but are in actuality based on historical folklore. I totally pictured myself taking this authentic looking guide out while I’m standing in line at the bank, thumbing through it in a focused and studious manner. Wouldn’t that freak people out? Wouldn’t that be cool?
There are pages in the Compendium Monstrum for recording possible supernatural sightings during the owner’s journeys. There is also a wonderful list of further research information available for the true supernatural lover. And the handy index makes the compendium easy to use when looking for specific information.
The information in the book is taken from the historical notes of Herr Doktor Max Strum and Baron Ludwig Von Drang. I’m not sure who they are but they used to have Twitter accounts. I assume they removed the pages because Twitter is so popular with vampires and werewolves; after all, we don’t want the monsters to know that we’re on to them, right?
To accompany the Compendium Monstrum is a wonderfully illustrated journal and bookmark that vampire lovers will really enjoy. The journal and bookmark are illustrated by Victoria Frances, the Spanish illustrator whose Goth-inspired work has become famous around the world. As you can see from the photo they’re a matching set depicting a young girl (who might be a vampire) dressed in a long white gown, staring seductively at the reader. Holding a rose, she seems to be mysteriously saying to the viewer that she’s got something interesting in store for you. The pages inside the journal are made of acid free paper and there’s an inside front pocket to hold any special notes.
Giving the journal, Compendium, and bookmark together makes a great gift for the supernatural lover on your gift list, but individually, each stands on its own as a wonderfully clever gift.
Reviewed by Debbie
Turncoat is the 11th book in the Dresden Files series but for this reviewer it was the first. I had never read any of the books but I have watched the television show and absolutely loved it. Usually, if I come across a book based on a TV show I only read it after I’ve first watched it on TV. I am officially breaking my usual routine because I am going to read every book in the Dresden Files series even though it’s not on TV any more. Also, you should know that although I’ve not read the first 10 books in the series, I perfectly understood what was happening in this story.
The book opens with Dresden answering a knock at his front door finding his worst enemy, the Warden Morgan, injured and begging for help. The most fun was reading the thoughts that popped into Dresden’s head because I would have been thinking the same things had I been in his situation. In the end, his constant need to do what is right takes over and he decides to give the guy a chance to explain himself. Once his enemy has recovered enough to talk, he tells Dresden that he has been falsely accused of murder and he needs Dresden to investigate what is going on. Dresden decides to help, for now…
Dresden knows this case is going to be tough but, when he is attacked by a Native American skin walker that no one can defeat, he knows that he has bitten off more that he can chew. He barely escapes from this attack and loses some very good friends in the process. But, he knows that the Warden is innocent now and he will do whatever it takes to keep an innocent man from being executed – even if that same innocent man tried to have him executed years earlier for a crime he did not commit. There is a traitor on the Wizard White Council and Dresden has to find out who it is to clear Warden Morgan and prevent a war between the councils that could turn everything they know upside down.
The author did an excellent job of keeping the reader informed of who people were and how they fit into the overall picture, which is why I was able to completely understand the story as I read. I had seen the television show based on the books but there is absolutely no comparison between the two. The books are much better than the show ever was so, as I mentioned earlier, I am quite glad that I finally read one of the books. I can now read the other 10 books in the series and I’m happy in the knowledge that the author, Jim Butcher, has mentioned the possibility of over twenty books in this series before he is done. Nice to know that my reading pleasure will continue for some time to come.
It seems that Sasha Trudeau never gets tired and the same is true in the latest book ‘Never Cry Wolf’ by L.A. Banks, the latest in her supernatural series, Crimson Moon. Sasha, a shadow wolf, had most recently stopped a war between wolf packs in the author’s last book, Undead on Arrival. You would think after all that adventure, she might go on a romantic vacation with her mate, Max, but it is not meant to be. After all, she is a soldier and duty comes first. So, after dealing with all the trouble in New Orleans, she and her team go back to her unit, the PCU (paranormal containment unit), for debriefing. They are sent to Colorado immediately to be questioned because they feel Sasha and her team were negligent in their duties since humans were killed in the process of stopping the wolf pack war. Sasha defends her team and her methods but she is still saddled with a second team commanded by a Colonel Madison who just happens to be a supernatural-phobe. He hates all things supernatural – and this especially includes Sasha and her team.
This new team becomes a real problem when an enemy from the past returns, Jung Suk, who is determined to punish everyone who has ever defied her. She hopes to succeed in her task by allying herself with Vlad the Elder of the vampires. Dead bodies begin to turn up after the unholy alliance is formed and both teams, Sasha and Colonel Madison’s, are sent to investigate. Sasha knows that this new Colonel is going to lead them into a death trap because he has no idea what he is getting into and he does not want to know – he won’t listen to reason. Sasha has to try and stop the killers from continuing their murder spree while also trying to keep the Colonel on a short leash.
If anyone is up to the task, Sasha is.
This latest novel by L.A. Banks was a good read but, more than that, it alleviated some of the issues I had with Sasha and Shogun from previous novels. Finally, it looks like Shogun is going to find someone new and the form that new love interest takes is very interesting indeed. I did not see it coming and I totally liked how the author handled it. I have always wondered, as I was reading the series, how Shogun was ever going to get over Sasha. I always felt sorry for him. Now, I can relax and enjoy the ride in the next book without having to feel sorry for poor Shogun. There is nothing worse than unrequited love.
It might seem to a new reader of L. A. Banks that picking up this book in the middle of the series would be difficult, but the author is good about filling in the back story, so, do not let the fact that you might be starting in the middle of the series put you off – it is still a fun book to read. ‘Never Cry Werewolf’ is an excellent urban fantasy – it’s the perfect example of what keeps you going from book to book in this series, just waiting for the next installment. Banks is especially adept at making the supernatural seem plausible by using the military as a back story to the crazy fantasy stuff going on throughout the book. This seems to make it a more interesting fantasy story than usual. The Crimson Moon series was a great read that I think you’ll enjoy.
“Bite: A Vampire Handbook” by Kevin Jackson is the perfect book for anyone who wants to be a vampire. Even if your aspirations do not hit that lofty goal, this book is still perfect for the person who wants to know everything there is to know about vampire folklore. Kevin Jackson has written the perfect vampire handbook.
The book is a nonfiction work that covers vampire folklore from the earliest writings available. There has been some mention of a monster like a vampire in cultures all over the world. It begins by explaining the vampire in folklore and then concentrates on the modern vampire in film today. The book also explains many of the myths surrounding vampires. For example, the German vampire can be killed by having an apple put into its mouth while inside the coffin. The German vampire also likes to clutch its thumb while resting in the coffin.
The book also discusses ways to become a vampire. If you commit suicide or die before being baptized, you will become a vampire but, since a good portion of the world’s population is not Christian, I think vampires would have run out of food by now. According to the vampire handbook, in Albania, if you commit a crime and get away with it your entire life, you will become a vampire. That seems like a very interesting way to prevent crime. In cultures from Russia to China, it is believed that if a cat or other animal walks over your corpse, you will become a vampire. It is even believed by dream interpreters that people who dream about vampires are feeling overwhelmed in their lives. These and many more interesting facts about vampires from all cultures are included in the handbook.
The book tries to explain how a creature that once was used to terrify children has become a mainstream phenomenon. There are accounts of “real vampires” as well as biographies of famous people related to vampire culture. Bite is full of excerpts from famous books as well as movies, screen plays, and documents. Bite also revises some very interesting facts about the vampires of the world and throughout history. The book traces the history of the undead down the ages as well as offering a plethora of information about vampire trivia, and believe it or not, vampire tourism. Jackson also mentions the best songs you might listen to about vampires.
But of course, the most important information in the handbook deal with the different ways to kill a vampire – just in case!
I enjoyed reading Kevin Jackson’s Bite and found it very enlightening and well written. This handbook is a ‘must-have’ for any vampire aficionado. It’s suitable for teens and adults alike and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to know more about vampires and their origins.
So, you’re out looking for something new to read and you come across the title ‘Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My!’ and your first thought might be that this book is for teenagers only. Yes, this first book in the new Xoe Meyers fantasy series by Sara C. Roethle focuses on teenagers but it’s got solid crossover potential.
The story centers around a teenage girl named Xoe, who’s your typical teenager: she’s not the happiest kid on the block, she’s loyal to her friends and she finds many people annoying and irritating. Come on, that’s a typical teenager for sure!
Life seems pretty dull hanging out with her friends until a new boy moves to the area named Dan. Although he’s handsome she immediately takes a disliking to him however all of her friends are clamoring to get to know him better. Xoe doesn’t have a logical reason to tell them to leave him alone; she just senses something odd about him. Since her best friend, Lucy, finds him fascinating and Dan seems to feel the same way about her, she decides to keep her feelings to herself.
The first time Xoe and her friends go to the movies with Dan, he grabs Xoe, telling her that he knows she’s different and demands that she explain who she is. Speechless, Xoe doesn’t know what to say or how to respond. At the end of the movie, she reluctantly leaves Lucy and Dan to finish their date. Fast forward to later that night and we find Lucy at Zoe’s house crying in pain. She explains that for some inexplicable reason, Dan scratched her arm and then ran off. Xoe knows something is terribly wrong but is unable to figure out what to do.
But it doesn’t take long for Xoe to figure out that Dan is a werewolf that wants to claim Lucy as his mate. Things seem pretty desperate when suddenly, another new boy arrives in town. He’s also a supernatural creature but unlike Dan, he’s one of the good guys. He’s there to put a stop to the harm Dan’s trying to cause.
As the story progresses we learn that the city of Shelby, Oregon is a regular hotbed of supernatural activity and Xoe is about to learn more than she ever wanted to know. Not just about her friends, but about herself as well.
As stated earlier, although this book was written for the teenage reader adults will enjoy it as well. Filled with emotion and attitude, I found this book to be fun and engaging. The author seems to have a real knack for understanding how teenagers feel, showing it in Xoe’s character and how she relates to the world. Roethe sucks the reader right into a new supernatural world and when you are finished, you’re ready for the next installment in Xoe’s adventures. This is an entertaining story that centers on the relationships between teens, the importance of friendship and how to develop and maintain trust.
Life lessons we can all use.
