Best Book Quote: “I’d never given much thought to how I would die – though I’d had reason enough in the last few months.”

If you are one of those “Twilight” fans who can’t get enough of the Twilight book, the Twilight movie, the Twilight t-shirts or anything else related to this phenomenon, then boy, do I have a treat for you. It’s called Twilight: The Graphic Novel and it’s written by Stephanie Meyer and illustrated by Young Kim. I have totally enjoyed all of the Twilight series books and movies released to date, so to see the content presented in a new format was a real thrill.

If you don’t know the basic premise of the Twilight series (where have you been?), the story follows a young woman, Isabella Swan, who moves to the overcast and cloudy town of Forks, Washington, to live with her father. There she meets Edward Cullen, a mysterious student at her high school who fully captures her interest and imagination – she can’t seem to figure him out. The storyline follows the development of their relationship and the issues that occur with having a vampire as your high school boyfriend.

The graphic novel presents essentially the same storyline except that illustrations replace the descriptive paragraphs of the book. I’ve never read a graphic novel before and I found that I liked it. Being new to this style of presentation, there were a couple of techniques that took me a couple of pass-thrus to understand but that was fine. Young Kim’s artwork is very detailed and well done. The majority of it is in black and white but her use of color for selected scenes added significantly to the reader’s experience.

This is Volume One but it doesn’t end where the first book ends. That tells me there will be a Volume Two which I will certainly purchase. For any devoted Twilight fan (or graphic novel fan), Twilight: The Graphic Novel is a must have. It will look awesome on your bookshelf next to all the other books and DVD’s that you’ve already likely purchased as a Twilight aficionado.

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.

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.

•  Night’s Cold Kiss: A Dark Brethren Novel by Tracey O’hara
•  Must Love Hellhounds by Ilona Andrews, Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, and Meljean Brook
•  Biting the Bullet (Jaz Parks) by Jennifer Rardin
•  Vampyres of Hollywood by Adrienne Barbeau and Michael Scott
•  Night Pleasures (Dark-Hunter Novels) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
•  Bite Marks: A Vampire Testament by Terence Taylor
•  Darker Angels (The Black Sun’s Daughter, Book 2) by M.L.N. Hanover
•  Cursed to Death (Crimson Moon, Book 4) by L. A. Banks
•  Born of Night (A League Novel) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
•  Blood Bargain (Blood Lines) by Maria Lima
•  Dawnbreaker (Dark Days, Book 3) by Jocelynn Drake

-Chris Marie Green
-Sherrilyn Kenyon
-Jeanne C. Stein
-Maria Lima
-Adrian Phoenix

Here’s this month’s lineup:

Bloody Right by Georgia Evans
Another One Bites the Dust (Jaz Parks) by Jennifer Rardin
The Path of Razors: Vampire Babylon, Book Five by Chris Marie Green
Bad Moon Rising: A Dark-Hunter Novel (Dark-Hunter Novels) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Retribution (Anna Strong Vampire Chronicles, Book 5) by Jeanne C. Stein
Nice Girls Don’t Date Dead Men (Jane Jameson, Book 2) by Molly Harper
Matters of the Blood (Blood Lines) by Maria Lima
In the Blood: Book Two of the Maker’s Song by Adrian Phoenix

Enjoy!

Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks) by Jennifer Rardin
Bloody Awful by Georgia Evans
Summer Knight: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
Poltergeist (Greywalker, Book 2) by Kat Richardson
Blood Colony: A Novel by Tananarive Due
Friend of the Undead: A My Life Among the Undead book by Camara M. Bragdon
High Bloods by John Farris
Sixteen Going on Undead by Yvette Ford
Unclean Spirits: Book One of the Black Sun’s Daughter by M.L.N. Hanover
Speak of the Devil (Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist, Book 4) by Jenna Black
Monster Hunter International by Larry Correia
Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, Book 4) by Jeaniene Frost
Silent Screams: A Forbidden Bloods Novel by Grace and Charlton and Evelyn Burdette

Bloody Good by Georgia Evans
Skin Trade (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 17) by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Shadows: A Vampire Huntress Legend (Vampire Huntress Legends) by L. A. Banks
Greywalker (Greywalker, Book 1) by Kat Richardson
Soulbreaker by Ciaran Corby
A Whole New Trend by Samantha C. Thomas
The Year of Disappearances: An Ethical Vampire Novel (Ethical Vampire Novels) by Susan Hubbard
Crimson Nights by Britt Summerlin
Vicious Circle by Linda Robertson
Staked by J. F. Lewis
Midnight Reign: Vampire Babylon, Book Two by Chris Marie Green
Dying Bites: The Bloodhound Files by D. D. Barant

Hey ladies! Listen, I just read this book called Dark Lover by J.R. Ward and let me tell you, my panties are still steaming. Dark Lover is the first book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. The Brotherhood is made up of 6 super hunky vampire brothers who protect humans and other vampires from a group of evildoers called the “lessers.” The Brotherhood vamps are all superhuman and kick butt. Dark Lover focuses on Wrath, the head honcho over the Brotherhood.

Okay, so this woman named Beth is a reporter and lives alone with her cat. She discovers that her father is a full fledged vampire, which means she’s half-vampire/half-human. Her father asks Wrath to take Beth in under his wings because he knows it’s almost time for her transformation into a vampire. Well, Beth is having none of that. First off, where the hell has her deadbeat father been all of these years? Second, who’s he to tell her how to live her life? And third, everybody knows vampires don’t really exist.

Well, Wrath isn’t too pleased with this assignment either. He’s got better things to do with his time than babysit some new vamp. But he eventually agrees and lo and behold, when he meets Beth he realizes that she’s his life mate. Okay, you’d think the dude would be happy about this but he’s not. He’s a loner and likes his life the way it is thank you very much.

So we have two people who don’t want to deal with one another. One of them happens to be a hot, muscular, superhuman vampire. The other is an independent, stubborn woman who’s having a hard time dealing with her new life.

Oh and by the way, the guys in the Brotherhood are all BIG. Everything about them is larger than normal.

And I do mean EVERYTHING. Ahem.

All I can say is that Beth better start acting right because Wrath isn’t your average guy. You ladies know how hard it is to find a good man. We’ve all had our share of losers.

Check out Dark Lover by J.R. Ward to find out what happens to Wrath and Beth. And to read the steamy love scenes.

Later,

Vampire Librarian