Archive for New Vampire Books
The first book in the Night Huntress series, Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost, has always been one of my favorite urban fantasy novels, so I was thrilled to see the latest in the series ready for purchase – Destined for an Early Grave. We all know that awesomely excellent feeling you get when you see that the next book in a series – a series that you know is a good one – is available. I bought it immediately! This ire book series has some of the hottest sex scenes I’ve read – and I’ve read a lot! Ms. Frost does such a good job of making you want to be Cat. She is vulnerable, sexy, strong, unsure, and wanted – wanted by Bones in a major way that’s still believable after four novels.
In Destined for an Early Grave, we have Cat and Bones still comfortably head over heels for each other. Cat is a part vampire/part human vampire killer and Bones is a several hundred year old Master Vampire. You don’t doubt him and his feelings. I’ve not felt that a man’s emotions were so genuine since Noah told Allie in The Notebook, “I want all of you, forever, you and me, every day.” Of course, this was right after Noah built a house for her.
Unlike Bones, Cat is still harboring some trust issues. Who wouldn’t, considering the fact that she’s the daughter of a vampire father and a human mother who was raped by that very same vampire. As such Cat is unable to show Bones any vulnerability; what if Bones knows how much he could hurt her? We’ve all been there – you duck and cover. And as you can imagine, Bones is astute enough to sense that Cat is holding back a piece of herself from him – something he has a hard time understanding.
But, I digress, sorry. Back to the book review.
In this installment, Cat is starting to have nightmares which trouble Bones. At first, she keeps them to herself, unaware of the danger inherent in having another vampire state that she belongs to him during her dreams. The “dream vampire”, Gregor, claims that he and Cat were married before she married Bones. Huh? How could this happen? I won’t give that away but it’s certainly worth the read. While the plot could have become confusing with memory replacement and timeline issues, I have to hand it to the author, she kept me reading.
With this book, you’ll get lots of great action and see all the other characters from the previous novels – Vlad, Tate, Spade, Ian – plus a few new ones to love and/or hate. And, there are quite a few surprises that keep things hopping. Whether you’ve read any of the other Night Huntress vampire books or not, you can read this as a standalone novel since it’s complete and interesting enough to stand on its own. As usual, Jeaniene Frost does not disappoint.
Finally – the wait is over and I just got book three in Adrian Phoenix’s Maker’s Song series, Beneath the Skin!
And, as I have seen with the first two vampire books in this series, each book just keeps getting better and better. I was so glad to read about my favorite couple again, FBI agent Heather Wallace and Dante Baptiste, a vampire (nightkind) and a creator (creawdwr). In this story, Heather has basically given up her old life as an agent to be with Dante. She has become the anchor in his life as government agents, fallen angels, and vampires all pursue him to find out exactly what he can do as well as discover a way to control him.
As Dante’s powers become stronger, it is too much for him to handle and when these new powers are combined with the horrible memories of his past, he is close to going insane. Unfortunately, his father, Lucien, a Fallen angel, is gone. Lucien had protected Dante from the day his powers first made themselves known. Without Lucien’s protection, the other Fallen are now after Dante. Dante is their chosen one – their Fallen Maker. But do they truly revere him or do they want to possess him?
Enter the vampires. They’re also interested in Dante because they believe he’s their True Blood prince. Here again, are they interested in acknowledging him as their leader or do they have a hidden agenda?
And lastly, a secret branch of the government has become aware of Dante and his powers. They’re curious about whether he can be used for their own purposes; if this proves unsuccessful they’re not above killing him since they’re not sure if his powers can be controlled.
This book was bit darker than the other two vampire novels – but the relationship between Heather and Dante is much more powerful than it was in either of the previous novels. They have cemented their love and passion for each other and every time I read a description of Dante through Heather’s eyes, I can actually picture the best looking man she has ever seen. I really like these two as a couple. For a series that began as a serial killer mystery I’m quite pleased that it has become so much more than that – an entertaining and engaging storyline that absorbs you completely. The ending of Beneath the Skin is just like the other books – it left me wishing the next vampire book was out already!
Get a copy of Beneath The Skin and get your vamp groove on.
See also: In The Blood, book #2 in the series.
In the Blood is Book Two in the Maker’s Song series by Adrian Phoenix. I was seriously impressed by Book One – A Rush of Wings – and I have not been let down by the sequel. When I wrote my original review of Rush of Wings, I talked about what a great vampire movie it would make. Book Two continues that thought process unchanged. Often, a sequel to a movie or a book is a disappointment, but this is not true with In the Blood.
The story picks up right where the first one left off. Special Agent Heather Wallace is putting her life back together after killing the Cross Country Killer in a heinous lab that had been running a program called “Bad Seed”. Both the now dead killer and her romantic interest, Dante Prejean, had been a part of the Bad Seed program. Dante is a nightkind (vampire) and creator with powers to make or unmake life. There were so many mysteries and atrocities performed in the Bad Seed program that it was a blessing when she and Dante destroyed it along with its creator, Dr. Johanna Moore. Unfortunately, another doctor involved with the Bad Seed program, Dr. Robert Wells, wants to pick up where his dead boss left off.
Dr. Wells was a partner in the Bad Seed program and was the one who “programmed” Dante when he was a child. He holds the key to controlling Dante and he wants to use Dante’s special powers to save his dying wife. Enlisting his son, Alex (who he has also genetically modified) to help him get Dante to their home, Dr. Wells wants to force him to perform his miracle of creation and save his wife. Of course, with a power like that, there are others who seek out Dante, none of them good. I mean, world domination (be it human or supernaturally controlled) is never a good thing.
Heather had been saved by Dante after the shootout at the lab in the first book and it’s given the two of them a special bond. However, even with their unique bond, Heather has decided to separate herself from Dante for awhile. There’s only one problem with that plan: neither can stay away from the other. They soon decide that with events on the horizon that could destroy their lives, it’s important that they fight together as one.
If you were facing something that could kill you, wouldn’t you want to fight it with the one person you loved the most in the world?
Adrian Phoenix takes us into a world with tremendous passion and caring combined with evil beyond comprehension. In the Blood is a complex story that leaves you begging for more. I have to admit that when I finished the book, I was a little sad because I knew I was going to have to wait for the next fantasy book to come out. Having become so immersed in the action, I was not a happy camper when I hit the last page. Stay tuned for my review of the next fantasy book in the series – Beneath The Skin!
Check out In The Blood, available from online retailers.
Remember the great mini-series Pride and Prejudice with Colin Firth? Millions of us fell in love with Mr. Darcy and his strong, silent and brooding manner.
Well, what if I told you that the writer of that book, Jane Austen, was alive and well in modern day New York? What if she’d just published a book written in the 1800’s and was now being stalked by a rival from the past due to her new found fame?
What if I told you she was a vampire?
That’s the premise of the hilarious new book Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford. The book just hit the street this week and is now on sale at Amazon. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and know you will too!
First things first: If you haven’t been following J.R. Ward’s Black Dagger Brotherhood series, where have you been? Secondly: start with an earlier book in the series. You’ll have a better appreciation for the storyline of Lover Avenged, Book #6 in the series, if you do.
For those of you that have enjoyed the previous books, Lover Avenged doesn’t disappoint. It’s the story of Rehvenge, a pusher and nightclub owner and all-around badass vamp who’s also a sympath. He hooks up with a vampire nurse, Ehlena, who’s a bit of a recluse and spends her time either working at her clinic or nursing her schizoid father.
As a patient of the clinic, the other nurses steer a wide path around Rehv because of his menacing attitude. I mean, unless you’re attracted to the dark brooding type, wouldn’t you? On top of that Ehlena’s got her own problems, and at first is oblivious to Rehv and his attraction to her.
However as Rehv and Ehlena draw closer, he still must keep his true identity as a sympath a secret. If he reveals it he faces exile to a colony full of crazies. But when Rehv is asked to murder the Blind King Wrath, leader of the Brotherhood, the only person he can turn to is Ehlena.
The story follows a handful of other intriguing characters, like Wrath struggling with his new role. Tohrment, John Matthew and Xhex (characters from previous books) make appearances too. A large part of the book deals with Lash, a really unpleasant creature who’s a lesser, beings who have devoted their lives to ridding the world of vampires. This time he has a sexual appetite, and it makes for some really creepy and fun reading.
The intricate storyline and the relationship between Rehv and Ehlena work together to make Lover Avenged a strong addition to the Black Dagger Brotherhood paranormal romance book series.
Meet Paul Isaac: a cigar smokin’, tough talkin’, take no crap, lifelong hater of vampires. He’s got good reason though – his parents were brutally killed by vampires when he was young. And given his disposition toward the undead, he’s got the perfect job; he’s a legal Vampire Executioner. When vampires take a human life or when a human is forcibly “turned” by a vampire, Paul’s the guy the police call in to examine the body and hunt down the vampire culprit. It’s a dirty job, but Paul actually enjoys the gig.
Okay, sometimes he enjoys it a little too much . . . .
As such, he’s persona non-grata with the powerful vampires in the city who have decided to get rid of him once and for all.
While working a crime scene one night he spots a vampire on his hit list. After giving chase, apprehending and questioning the vampire, he’s attacked by a gang of young thugs. In the process of defending himself he kills one of his attackers, only to discover that the kid was human. As if by magic, members of the Vampire Council (the vampire governing board that oversees and controls the actions of vampires in the city) appear at the scene. Paul realizes he’s walked right into an ambush. The vampires can either kill him outright or go to the police and report him for the murder.
Turns out, the vampires have a reason for orchestrating this setup: they want Paul to find the daughter of the most powerful vampire in the city and return her to safety. He’s told that the city’s alpha werewolf has taken the girl and that Paul will likely have to kill the shapeshifter in order to rescue her. He’s also told that the werewolf may be responsible for the string of recent killings that have taken the lives of several women. To ensure his full cooperation the vampires inject Paul with a poison that will turn him into a vampire in 3 days. If he succeeds, they’ll give him the antidote and $2 million dollars. If he fails, he becomes one of the very creatures he’s devoted his life to killing.
Paul soon realizes this is no straightforward task. Since he’s always distrusted vampires he suspects from the start that they aren’t telling him the whole story; he just doesn’t know how deep the treachery lies. His mission proves to be quite complex and eventually forces him to not only form an unlikely alliance but to also pit himself against one of the few people he thought he could trust. This fast-paced storyline is chock-full of double crosses and misdirection. Just when I thought I’d figured out the real villain(s) I was thrown for a loop. But oh, how I enjoyed the ride!
Gillen has developed a flawed but entirely likable character in Paul, primarily because of his steadfast commitment and dedication to whatever job he’s on. Sure, he’s sometimes bullheaded, violent and merciless, but you gotta’ love his determination and his overarching “take out the bad guys” philosophy. On top of that he’s got a great sense of humor.
Tortured Skin is a mixture of mystery and fantasy with a bit of horror thrown in for good measure. The plot, given the setting, was believable and the dialogue and narrative successfully kept my interest level high. Overall, I found the book to be entertaining and entirely enjoyable. As such, it gets a top recommendation from me. I hope to read more about Paul Isaac in the near future.
Check out Tortured Skin at online outlets like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
The winner of the book Vampire Taxonomy is . . . . Tia!
Congrats to Tia and to everyone that entered the contest. Keep visiting the site because we have lots more book giveaways planned!
Don’t you love free books? Especially this time of the year when we’re all a bit strapped for cash. Therefore I’m happy to announce that we’re giving away 1 free copy of the following hilarious vampire book:
“Vampire Taxonomy: Identifying And Interacting With The Modern-Day Bloodsucker”
Here’s a summary of the book:
From bestselling books to hit TV shows, there’s no denying that vampires have come a long way from the infamous monster created by Bram Stoker more than a century ago.
Our culture today is inundated with beloved blood-thirsty creatures of the night. With so many different species of vampire roaming the streets it’s important to know how to identify the different types.
For example, in matters of the heart, is Twilight’s Edward Cullen:
- obsessed and compulsive?
- in love with love?
- devoted or disorderly?
- the real thing?
or the rarest of all,
Author Meredith Woerner provides detailed information about the different types of vampires now roaming the earth, classifying them by their reaction to sun exposure, physiology, attire, and preferred diet.
Read Vampire Taxonomy and develop the skills needed to answer the question: “Should I hand him my heart or stake him before he makes me his next meal?”
It’s Easy to Enter The Contest!
1. Leave a comment at the bottom of this post. That’s it, you’re in!
Only one comment entry per person please. Open to U.S. residents only. The contest ends next Sunday, December 13th at 12:00 midnight (EST). The lucky winner will be randomly chosen Monday, December 14th using the Random Integer Generator software program. The winner must respond via email within 24 hours of notification.
Good luck!
