Archive for Vampire Books for Teens
Hilarious anthology by the Queen of paranormal fun!
Undead and Underwater by MaryJanice Davidson
Fasten your seatbelts and get ready to laugh as we take another one of our lightning-fast looks at some fun vampire books. This time around we look at MaryJanice Davidson’s latest foray into humor and the paranormal with Undead and Underwater. I love – love-love this gal’s ironic sense of humor. If you have been following her adventures of Queen Betsy, then you know just what I mean. These are stories with a wicked sense of adventure and just enough dead-pan delivery to make you grin as you read. So be warned – reading on the subway on the way to work may elicit giggling that will get you a bunch of stares.
This book is actually an anthology with three great little stories, and only one of them with our dead Betsy in them. But- since the other two are kinda “guest appearances” of other characters with some equally fun attitudes it is all for the good.
A is for Anthology
Okay, I see at Amazon plenty of gripes about this book and I wanted to set the record straight. This is not a full length Queen Betsy novel and never claims to be one. So enough complaining about it having three short stories, that is what an anthology does. Now – back to our stories.
We start off with a bang when It Girl, the Minnesota super gal who gets her powers from eating (you so completely know this is a woman writing this!) and so deals with local crime from her lofty perch in a human resources department. Then there is the way too cute guy that just started…well you know that from there we are going to have some interesting trouble.
The next story is an interesting question. What happens when vamps and mermaids collide? Why not find out in the title story about when Queen Betsy and Fred the mermaid meet. You know this is an historic meeting and one well worth checking out.
Finally- some fur around the collar with a werewolf story. The Wyndham Werewolves are in full gear here when Laura meets the woof of her dreams in Jack Gardner. Sometimes the logical approach just doesn’t work, and needs can overwhelm common sense. Especially when it comes to sexy pack members with such a great ass. (woops- did I say that?)
Undead and Underwater by MaryJanice Davidson is Easy Reading
So grab this one gals and prepare to laugh. Not that I am saying that guys can’t laugh too, I am sure you do. But I must admit that the old dry ironic wit of Davidson’s books tends to attract the female side of the audience pool. Personally, I love it when series writers do these anthology books. The short runs are perfect for that sit next to the pool moment I am hotly anticipating. But why wait- you can grab you own copy of Undead and Underwater by MaryJanice Davidson in either Kindle or paperback versions and enjoy anytime at all.
Our shy author guest
Christopher Pike is the pseudonym for young adult fantasy author Kevin Christopher McFadden. The name itself is a bow to the influence of Star Trek for young fantasy fans, as it is the name of the original captain of the Enterprise before Kirk took it over. It is also how McFadden chooses to stay out of the limelight and so very little is actually known about him. But for all his need for privacy McFadden has, through his Pike identity amassed a fair amount of titles for a writer who could not initially get published in the science fiction field.
Christopher Pike and The Last Vampire
Perhaps the work he is most well known for is his The Last Vampire Series, which he began in 1994. The books were huge hits for him, selling half a million copies. They came out well before the Twilight/True Blood teen vampire hits and in fact were written to give mature readers an interesting story. Although he has written well over thirty young adult horror and thriller titles, the vampire series continues to be his legacy.
The story centers on Alisa, a vampire who is five thousand years old and was made by the very first vampire. Much of the mythology is East Indian, centering on Krishna and this gives the whole series a very interesting and exotic flavor. When her maker begins to hunt her down, she must find help and does in a human named Ray. In time their relationship becomes more than a friendship and she realizes she must do more to ensure both of them are protected.
The Last Vampire and The Thirst Series
The series went on for nine books and the early books were out of print and unavailable for a while. Recently they were repackaged, three to a volume and rereleased under the name Thirst. This actually makes it easier to get into the series, since the first two volumes of the Thirst series compile the first six books of the original The Last Vampire series.
Where it all began
This book compiles the first three stories from the original series: The Last Vampire, Black Blood and Red Dice. We meet Alisa, find how she came to become a vampire named Sita and see her life in today’s world. Her maker, who she thought dead, is now very much alive. Unfortunately, he also wants to kill her. She meets Ray, a human that she befriends with the intention of using his computer to get information she needs. Instead, she makes a friend and even soon falls in love with him. Together they must find a way to stop Yaksha, her original maker, from killing. But the trouble with this is – now Sita has a new reason for stopping Yaksha and far more at stake if she can’t. Available in Kindle or paperback .
Books 4-6 for The Last Vampire Series
This book reprints the next three books in The Last Vampire: Phantom, Evil Thirst and Creatures of Forever. For five thousand years Sita has roamed the earth as a vampire. What she has always wanted more than anything is to be human. Finally, she has gotten her wish. As Alisa she is vulnerable, emotional and more defenseless than she has ever been. With her past haunting her and the future unknown, she must find a way to strike a balance between what she was and who she has become. Can she overcome five thousand years of suffering to become truly human? Available in Kindle or paperback editions.
The Eternal Dawn
This book is actually the seventh book in the series: The Eternal Dawn. Five thousand years is a long time to spend alone and Alisa has been lonely. When she finds a descendant of her own family, Teri, she cannot resist the lure of companionship. She knows it is dangerous, to both of them, but still she reaches out. It turns out that it may have been more dangerous than she knew when a top-secret agency reveals they know Alisa’s secret. Will Teri become a pawn in an ancient game that forces Alisa to help their cause? Available in Kindle or paperback editions.
The Shadow of Death
A repackaging of the eighth book in the series: The Shadow of Death. Thrust into the body of a newly-born vampire, Alisa faces unbearable thirst. But she must set that aside for now, as she discovers that the immortal Telar have plans that could spell the end for humanity. It begins to look like the only ones who could stop them are the mysterious and top-secret IIC. Alisa is all too aware that their agenda and hers probably don’t coincide. She could trust her dark side to triumph over all of these threats, but at what cost? Available in Kindle or paperback editions.
The Sacred Veil
The Last Vampire Series, book number nine is called The Sacred Veil. Alisa remembers all of the fifty lifetimes she has gone through as a vampire. Or she thought she did. But when dreams reveal lost memories, she begins to wonder. While searching for an artifact called The Veil that could save humanity she begins to question what she remembers – and has forgotten. And yet there was a time when her torture, by a madman, may have yielded unknown secrets. Secrets that caused the death of millions; or did they? Available in Kindle or paperback editions.
Meanwhile, rumors continue about the possible movie adaptation of this series. It’s been optioned, but so far no word from the studio. In the meantime, this doesn’t stop the rest of us from “dream casting”. Here is one person’s take – what do you think?
The wattpad sensation now available as a book.
The Dark Heroine: Dinner with a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs
Kidnappings, murders and intrigue, and that is just in the first chapter! Bella and Edward move over, because there is a new couple in vampire romance and they are gonna leave your romance in the dust! I first heard of Dinner with a Vampire by Abigail Gibbs on wattpad and then some friends on Facebook turned me on to more. Now it is finally out in a downloadable version for my Kindle and the end result is even better than I thought it could be.
Abducted while witness to a brutal murder; Violet soon finds herself falling in love with Kaspar, the dark and dangerous son in a princely family of vampires. But she also soon finds out that she may be part of an ancient prophecy. Can she be the one to finally end the bloody battles between humans and vampires? Even if she is, how does that compare to the dark secrets that Kaspar holds, secrets that could destroy everything around them?
A Dark Romance
Warning to the faint of heart, there is a dark side to this story. There is some real brutality shown at times. Violet and Kaspar are lovers in the true fashion of vampire romantic fantasies. Although I do believe that Kaspar, for all his dark prince ways, is a very romantic character it was how Violet is handled that makes this a very modern story. When you add in that author Abigail started writing this story when she was only 15 years old, well that just adds to the intrigue of the vampire romance.
The Dark Heroine is the series, and with the publication of Dinner with a Vampire we finally get a more polished complete version of Abigail Gibbs now almost legendary online gothic romance. If you love sexy vamps, strong willed women and sizzling romance, this is just the thing. Dig in, keep up with the fast pace and get ready to find yourself choosing sides in this dark gothic vampire romance.
Of course, it makes sense that you can download a kindle version, but there is also a paperback version for those who still love the old fashion feel of a paper book in their hands.
New Vampire Books for January 2013
Posted by:Here are some of the offerings in the vampire genre for the month of January 2013. Enjoy!
Contingency by Peggy Martinez
Eighteen-year-old Sage Hannigan wants to get back to her own time, preferably one that hasn’t been destroyed by an underworld plot brewing in Edwardian-era South Carolina. How hard can it be? All she has to do to accomplish this; learn to use newly acquired warping skills to bend time to her will, take out a few rogue vampires, join an ancient secret society, figure out who is putting the time stream in jeopardy, and find and maim whoever invented the corset. Sage never asked to be chosen by the Druid Priestess, Amerach, to become a Warper. She also never asked to have the future hanging on her shoulders or to warp a hundred years into the past. She certainly never asked to meet Dr. Aldwin Blake, who would make her question her desire to get back to her own time. But if she fails her mission, people will die, history will change, and the present she wishes to return to will be no more.
Blood and Light by Rue Volley
Enter into the world of 16 year-old Rue Volley…who, up until one fateful night, thought she was “normal” or as “normal” as she could be.
But “normal” does not include being a vampire…a truth about herself that she will soon discover.
Rue Volley lives in the quiet little town of Calvary, Minnesota…nestled in the thick woods lining the Great Lakes. Rue, along with her
brother Kai, have lived an otherwise calm life up until their Mother was committed into Rolling River Asylum after she mysteriously stopped
speaking to anyone. Rue is convinced by her brother to attend a party on her birthday, and after she experiences something that she cannot
explain, she and everyone in her world is thrown into madness. Join Rue on this epic journey, 6 books in all, as she struggles with grief,
love, humor, old crushes, newfound infatuations, hot boys, AND vampires, lots and lots of them.
Love Calling by Joshua Grover-David Patterson
Lucy Leary’s eighteen year old life is a wreck. Her parents divorced, she’s earned a DUI, and her grandfather has died. He left her a single possession: A vampire slaying kit with a note that says, “They’re real. Fight them.”
Lucy finds answers in a place she never expected–the homeless shelter where she has to perform her community service. The Sundown Shelter is only open at night, and the man who runs it disappears during the day. But digging into the truth is dangerous. What Lucy learns will force her to abandon her life and confront an ancient vampire out to get her family.
The Vampire Within – New Blood by Drew Silver
Welcome to Triton City, California, world-renowned for its quality of life, growing economy, and prestigious university. Here one can find an easygoing commute to work, parents can feel secure with their children playing outside during the day, and there are no beggars on the street corners harassing hardworking citizens to spare a dollar or two. In fact, there aren’t any homeless to be seen for miles…any homeless who are alive anyway.
Now the city that prided itself on beauty, strength, and power is at the epicenter of a twisted genetics game between two doctors battling to play God, and a group of college students has discovered they are the game’s unwilling pawns. They must learn to rely on each other to defeat not only the evil hunting them, but also the vampire within, always itching to reveal itself and test the boundaries of their souls.
Piece of Me by Lexi Monroe
As if making her laptop sales quota for the month wasn’t a pain in the ass all by itself, now twenty-six year old Wynter McBride suddenly finds a whole host of problems from out of a bad b-movie fantasy flick.
Vampires running fortune 500 companies, Werewolves with a biting wit, and well dressed Witches with an attitude are now part of Wynter’s everyday life.
Wynter must figure out why the pesky and somewhat perverted little Will O Wisps somehow hold the key to saving the planet.
Snow Bound by Elizabeth Kirk
After learning how to use magic and fighting vampires, anyone would be bored going back to normal college life. As if that wasn’t enough, Jen didn’t realize how hard it would be to tiptoe around her non-magic family and friends. She can’t even talk to her familiar, Rak, without making sure no one else is around! Worst of all, Jen misses the friends she made over the summer. Aside from Rak, they’re the only other magics she knows and she hasn’t seen them in almost five months!
Jen is all too happy to accept an invitation to go skiing with the gang. She gears up for two weeks of snow, magic, and fun. Just when everything seems to be going great, an uninvited guest turns up. Soon the skiers aren’t the only things going downhill. Jen thought that vampires were just about the most dangerous thing the magical world could throw at her. Unfortunately, she’s about to learn that people with no magic at all can be just as deadly …
He is a dude who has lived for over 2000 thousand years – steeped in the mystic arts of a druid. In fact, he is the last remaining druid on the earth. Over that period of time he has managed to survive an era where vampires came out into the open and wiped out druids to clear the way for their supremacy.
He has stolen a mystic sword from under the noses of the Tuatha Dé Dannan and even invaded the Norse god’s kingdom and slew Thor the thunder god. To hear him tell it, he had to pretty much. After all, you don’t survive your kind being destroyed by being a sweet guy.
A Modern Hero
But in this entertaining fantasy series the druid Siodhachan Ó Suileabhain, known as Atticus O’Sullivan these days, is not a monster. He is a hero, a forever young man with a body covered in mystic tattoos. Accompanied by an Irish wolfhound he talks to when he needs counsel (and sometimes even if he doesn’t need it) and an apprentice. In fact, if he can just keep this apprentice alive long enough to become a druid, he will have doubled the number of druids on this planet and increased his own chances for survival.
It sometimes get complicated by the fact he may be falling in love with the beautiful and soon powerful Granuaile, but that will never stop him from teaching her what she needs to know to become a druid as well. It is a mystic journey they have shared for the last fifteen years, and we get to see it all come to fruition in Trapped.
Granuaile Comes Into Her Own
In this fifth book in the entertaining fantasy series Iron Druid Chronicles we finally get to see Granuaile gain her druidic powers, though not without some interference from the gods of Olympus and some Dark Elves who seem to want Atticus dead for their own reasons. The alliances he has built in the years of survival help, and the devious mind he has gained serves him well. He is powerful without being inhuman, and he is cocky without being rude.
In fact, it is that attitude of his that kept me reading even though I jumped in a good way along on the ride. The writing brings a “dude ‘tude” that gives a very different bend to what would otherwise be just another fantasy element. Though I have to admit, I haven’t seen that many druids in fantasy literature. Maybe we could use a few more if they were like Atticus.
A Hound to Recon With
Let’s not leave out Oberon, his Irish wolfhound who is able to converse with him and is bent on finding the steak in every situation. A little comic relief goes a long way and author Kevin Hearne is smart enough to use it to show us a human side to Atticus without having the story slide into comedy. He handles it all with a deft hand and more than a little homage to comic books and heavy metal music. Hmm- come to think of it those cover illos of Atticus could look right at home on a stage. No wonder the art was the thing that caught my attention.
While always entertaining, fantasy series Iron Druid Chronicles sees plenty of action, lots of witty come-backs and even a bit of romance here. The fifth book of the series proves that some writers just get stronger as they continue. Atticus finds a way to complete the rituals to make Granuaile a druid, even if half of Olympus is after them in addition to some pretty awesome vampires and a death goddess who has not forgotten his seduction from another time. This guy does seem to get around and everywhere he turns are yet more enemies, with allies hidden along the way. Fast paced, smart mouthed and clever, this is one series worth back peddling to start at the beginning. But for now, just check out the latest in the series, Trapped.
You can download your Kindle copy of Trapped and be reading it today, or order the paperback and see the gorgeous art up close and personal as you read Atticus’s latest adventures.
The Hobbit or Here and Back Again
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With all the noise about the upcoming film, we sometimes forget that The Hobbit was really originally written as a child’s book. But when I opened up my old copy (re-read so often, but left unopened these last ten years) I was reminded just how wonderfully simple this story is. The language, as if a favorite but slightly strange uncle is telling you the tale, gives away the intent. It is a fairy tale or old myth from far in the distant past, told to you as a child at bedtime. But a wonderful adventure by a determined hobbit it certainly remains.
The Hobbit was how I first got into Tolkein’s books, and eventually into fantasy itself. If you or someone you know is considering reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy, I really suggest The Hobbit as a good start. Our hero Bilbo Baggins is that most dependable of hobbits. He really is not that fond of adventures, he notes how they often make you late for supper. But whether he wants to go on an adventure or not, he is most certainly taken on this one by the wizard Gandalf, along with a motley crew of thirteen dwarfs.
The Mystery and the Land
Full of the mystery that Tolkien was so good at, it also reminded me how he loves to put us right into the landscape where our adventurers are travelling. The beauty of The Shire and the dark dangerous atmosphere of Mirkwood are all a part of the taste of this classic hero’s tale. It is this ability to take us right into the land that makes The Hobbit such a memorable tale.
When the Grey Wizard Gandalf comes to fetch Bilbo for his part in the dwarf’s quest to rid the countryside of the dragon Smaug and regain their treasure he nests upon, we see a simple small fellow quite comfortable in his little hobbit hole, thank you. But as the tale progresses Bilbo finds his courage, confronts the dragon and in the end emerges the hero.
A Hero is Never Alone
He doesn’t get there without help, of course. The dwarfs, who at first see Bilbo as a nuisance they are saddled with because of Gandalf, come to see him as a hero. They even, in the end, emerge with their own chivalry. Along the way the group are aided by elves, giant wer-bears and even eagles. But it is Bilbo’s growth into his own sense of just what a hero is that drives the story and in the end will capture your heart.
Frankly I had a hard time liking the dwarfs, and the elves are too fey to really warm up to (especially the wood-elves! They are mean!) But Bilbo becomes the common man, ready to stand in for any of us. He is the reluctant hero, too comfy in his own home. In the end he is the one who sets out to find his true self in the journey.
This is the book that almost the entire fantasy genre is founded on, so if you love fantasy you really owe it to yourself to read where it all began. Pretty much everything written since The Hobbit is either inspired by it or is in reaction to it. Whether it is high adventure set in historic times or modern fantasies of vampires and those who would destroy them, the bar was set long ago when an Oxford professor decided to create a fantasy story based on the old myths of Europe. It has stood the test of time since it was originally published in 1937, and still stirs or hearts.
You can get your own copy of The Hobbit to read before you see the film right here in hardcover, paperback, Kindle, CD or audio editions.
New Fantasy Books – The Hawk and His Boy
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The Hawk and His Boy by Christopher Bunn
A child expert thief, it’s not a new idea when it comes to new fantasy books. But when handled well, as it is in this beginning to a new fantasy series it can be marvelous. I have to admit that when it comes to new fantasy books, the epic adventure kind have always had a special place in my heart. Although the new urban fantasy style has basically overwhelmed this genre, there is still a place for a good epic adventure in any well written new fantasy books for me.
Jute, the child thief in this beginning of a new adventure, is a smart kid. Of course he is. He lives in a medieval setting where magic exists and he manages to survive by his wits. Comparing him to the Artful Dodger is not that difficult to imagine. Although the latest crop of new fantasy books might often be missing the grand language of the old books, you won’t find this with The Hawk and his Boy. That grand style is evident and the beautiful descriptions abound.
But on to the story – the quest! For here is grand adventure; where a young boy must find answers or face the consequences. In this instance, it is Jutes’s accidental relationship with a knife he was sent to steal. Like in many great new fantasy books, the setup includes a dangerous threat. He is warned by The Knife, a dangerous character if there ever was one, that he is to steal the box, but under no conditions is he to open it. But the box calls to Jute, and it opens the moment he touches the box. A prick of his finger, a touch of blood on the blade, and the deed is done. And nothing is the same again.
But this is just the beginning of troubles for Jute. Unlike in many of the rushed to print new fantasy books I have seen, the building of the problems to surmount are carefully crafted. One thing leads to another until the end result is almost inevitable. Along the way, we see other characters woven into Jute’s tale.
Generally when I read a book I like the POV to remain constant, because with so many of the new fantasy books these days the changes can give you whiplash. Luckily, that is not the case here. When we follow the POV of the Duke’s daughter, the charming Levoreth, we are pulled into her view of the world. It opens our eyes beyond the life of a thief, to see so much more.
With a full complement of wizards and shadowy creatures, thieves and scholars, the story offers a full plate of magic and fun as we follow Jute in this new fantasy books introduction to his world. The evil that is about to be unleashed is out of anyone’s control. Jute cannot evade it and neither can the new fantasy books two villains.
We are pulled into the magic of the land, scholars who peer back into history to understand their myths and the world of Tormay. There is much to absorb in this new fantasy books story, and this is just the lead-in to two more books within the series. With the unleashing of evil, and the conniving of overwhelmed villians, we are just beginning to see where this story may lead.
If you are looking for a series to read, amongst the new fantasy books at hand, you could not go wrong with The Hawk and His Boy. There is adventure and plenty of drama. There is a fair amount of humor, which comes at the most opportune times. I especially loved Levoreth’s aunt and uncle, who it seems, can talk up a storm at a moment’s notice! Adventure, humor, and heroes; what is not to love in this new fantasy books tale? Check out The Hawk and His Boy – you’ll be looking for his next book in the series before you know it.
Vampire Comics – Riverdale Gets Invaded
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Wow- if there is one place I would not have considered seeing a bunch of vampires, it is at Riverdale High School, home of Archie, Veronica, Betty and the gang. But I guess when it comes to vampire comics, nothing is sacred, not even Archie. It seems that fans still have a big influence on the classic comic book and that includes the fun idea of introducing vampires into a new storyline.
Now I know that you guys are probably not going to run right out and grab a copy of issue #261 of Betty and Veronica, a spin-off of the popular Archie comic book series. But it is cool to see how vampires have so invaded the culture that even pre-teen titles can become vampire comics today.
The whole story revolves around a group of night-surfing vampires who suddenly show up in Riverdale, and Veronica makes friends with them when she meets them on the beach one night. How no one at first noticed they are vamps is just the kind of thing that vampire comics excel at, so we really shouldn’t question it. After all, this is Archie.
So Veronica is hooked into this group of cool-looking dudes and soon we discover there is another group of vampires that are the bad guys. Fun, frolic, mystery and of course cute clothes follow in quick succession. I love that Veronica ends up being homage to Vampirella, that worthy old female vampire comics classic. Betty, of course, becomes a slayer and soon is doing her best imitation of Buffy.
There were some pages posted online so I will pass them on for everyone to enjoy. I don’t know about you but personally I never get too old to enjoy a bit of Betty and Veronica rivalry for the old redhead. I don’t know if seeing this new vampire comics story brought back being a kid and reading Archie comics or if it is just plain fun, but I got a real kick out of it. I hope you do too, because life is too short to miss out on the chance to see Betty and Veronica dressed up for a vampire comics’ adventure!
