Archive for top vampire books
Here’s your vampire book reading list for September 2009:
• 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
The vampire books for August 2009 include some of our favorite writers:
-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!
Take a look at the vampire books slated for release this month:
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
Get a load of the new vampire books for June 2009:
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
Jack de Venezia regrets ever agreeing to throw a bachelor party for his best buddy Ian in an expensive hotel. The event started out just fine but as more and more Blissky (a combination of blood and whiskey) is consumed things start getting out of hand. It’s just his back luck that someone decided to call the cops. On top of that his buddies (the cowards) all teleported to safety leaving him behind to clean up their mess. And there’s blood red Blissky all over the floor. And furniture. And walls.
Enter police officer Laura Boucher. She lives her life based on hard facts: bloody body on the floor + guy in room with bloody body and blood covered swords = crime scene. So you can understand why she’s so intent on arresting said guy with swords.
Fortunately, no foul play is at hand. In fact, the body on the floor isn’t dead. He’s the Undead. So is Jack, the incredibly gorgeous guy who answers the door. So begins Laura’s introduction to the world of the supernatural.
From the very beginning Jack realizes there’s something special about Laura. Not only is she very beautiful, but she’s also immune to his vampire mind control efforts. For some reason he’s unable to get her to leave the hotel room and forget about the police dispatch call. He has to use his charm and wit to get her to believe that no one was harmed and that it’s best for her to simply leave the hotel. Likewise Laura wonders why her partner (who is VERY susceptible to Jack’s mind control) is suddenly acting like a zombie.
This is Book 6 in the Love At Stake adult vampire book series by Kerrelyn Sparks. I’ve read other books in the series and they’re all well written and evenly paced. In this book we go along for the ride while Laura learns more about the world of vampires while working with Jack to investigate a series of recent kidnappings. Turns out the women disappearing have physical qualities in common with Laura, so she eventually agrees to act as bait.
What Laura eventually discovers is that the villian in these kidnappings is a Malcontent, a rogue vampire that still drinks human blood for sustenance. Malcontents also believe it’s their privilege and right to kill humans, since they (vampires) are superior beings. Jack and his friends, who only drink synthetic blood, have pledged to eradicate all of the Malcontents. So he’s especially interested in locating the vampire responsible for the disappearances (and killings) of these young women.
The burgeoning relationship between Jack and Lara is completely enthralling and enjoyable. I found myself forgoing some of my chores in order to continue reading the book, a sure sign that the book is well written. Kerrelyn Sparks does a fantastic job fleshing out the two main characters and making them believable. And as I’ve said in other reviews, if a book makes me care about a character’s well being it’s a good book. That’s the category in which this book falls.
I’d categorize this as a vampire romance book. There’s some steamy sex in the book but it’s not gratuitous. It’s completely appropriate and gives the reader a deeper level of understanding of Jack and Lara’s relationship.
I really enjoyed this book. I’d go so far as to say that this entire series represents some of the best vampire novels for adults. It had just the right mixture of romance, action, and humor to keep me looking forward to each new development. And the good thing about this series is that you don’t have to start at the beginning – each book in the series focuses on a different vampire-to-human relationship. Although each book share a common background Kerrelyn covers that early on so you’re not left in the dark. If you like paranormal romance you’ll love this recent addition to the Love At Stake series.
Check out Secret Life of a Vampire now available in bookstores and online.
These vampire books come out in May 2009:
Sleepers Awake: A Novel by Patrick McNulty
Last Vampire Standing (Paranormal Romance (Berkley)) by Nancy Haddock
Blood Noir (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter) by Laurell K. Hamilton
Vampire Surprise: Book Two of the “It Could Always Be Worse” Series by Noel Lana Tavano
In Zoey’s world, humans and vampires co-exist. So it’s not completely out of the ordinary when Zoey is “marked” by a vampire tracker one day at school. You see, humans with special abilities are selected in their teens to become vampires. Once marked, the teen is removed from human society and taken to a special boarding school called The House of Night. When Zoey is marked she tries to avoid the inevitable, but the longer she puts off going to the new school, the sicker she becomes. Zoey’s home life (in particular, her relationship with her stepfather) isn’t great so she’s not too unhappy to be leaving her old life.
Zoey’s first day at the House of Night starts out fairly well. She meets Nefret, a beautiful and extremely kind teacher (and High Priestess) at the school who decides to be Zoey’s mentor. Nefret, although a vampire, also has special intuitive powers. She immediately recognizes that Zoey is a special vampire fledgling and decides to take her under her wing.
Zoey quickly makes friends with several students. However, she soon meets Aphrodite, another student at the school who’s part of the “in” crowd. Do you remember the movies “The Heathers” or “Jawbreaker”? Aphrodite is like the leader of those girl groups. She’s beautiful but extremely cruel to her fellow students. She’s also the president of The Dark Daughters, an elitist group of female vampire fledglings at the school who engage in acts that aren’t completely ethical. Aphrodite initially shows some interest in being Zoey’s friend but eventually turns against her when she thinks a former boyfriend is interested in Zoey. Zoey doesn’t let Aphrodite get to her but she makes it her mission to expose Aphrodite’s actions to the school.
Meanwhile, Zoey quickly adjusts to her new life, classes, and her teachers. She makes new friends, is “chosen” by a temperamental cat to be its new master, and meets a handsome young guy who seems genuinely interested in Zoey as a person. Sure, it seems odd sleeping during the day and attending classes at night but after awhile it becomes second nature.
It’s important to note that not every teen that’s Marked actually becomes a vampire. Some kids don’t survive The Change and die.
Or do they?
I really liked this fantasy book, which is the first installment in the House of Night series. The storyline as written by P.C. and Kristin Cast (mother and daughter respectively) is nicely paced and thoroughly engrossing. It’s clear early on that Zoey is developing unusual powers. We’re not entirely certain what they are, but that’s part of the attraction of this book. It makes us want to learn more about Zoey and what lies ahead for her.
This is very much a young adult, coming of age fantasy book but it written such that it works well for both young and older adults. Because of a graphic scene near the start of the book it’s probably not appropriate for teens younger than 16 but it’s a great read for the older crowd. While reading the book I couldn’t help but think of the Harry Potter series (which also centers around a strong character at a boarding school with special powers, whose fate isn’t entirely known during the first books) however that’s where the similarities end. The book stands alone as a solid new addition to the young adult vampire book category and is sure to appeal to fantasy book lovers at large. Check prices
Okay, I know this is the last day of the month, but I wanted to get this list together before tomorrow. There are some great titles here, including the new Bone Crossed book by Patricia Briggs and the last installment in the Vampire Huntress series by L.A. Banks.
Bone Crossed (Mercy Thompson, Book 4) by Patricia Briggs
Mercy is preparing to marry alpha werewolf Adam Hauptman when an old friend asks her to help fend off a nasty ghost. It’s a good time for Mercy to leave Portland, Oregon because vampire queen Marsilia is after her and her vampire friend Stefan for successfully hunting down a monster that should have killed them. Mercy leaves Adam to negotiate peace with Marsilia and heads to Spokane, Washington to investigate the ghost, an unexpectedly complicated task. Though action supersedes characterization, the preternatural culture of vampire seethes and wolf pack politics is deeply intriguing. Briggs provides plenty of detail about Mercy’s complex world without boring info dumps, satisfying both new and longtime readers.
The Thirteenth (Vampire Huntress Legends) by L.A. Banks
The final story in the now cult favorite Vampire Huntress series. The entire Neteru Guardian team is on the run, having now been labeled as America’s most-wanted terrorists following the gruesome demon battle that felled the Washington Monument and crashed the front doors of the White House. The powers of darkness have released the pale horse of the apocalypse and half the Neteru team is pregnant. Plagues from hell that ravage the country are being cited as stemming from bio-terrorism. The nation is under martial law. The Neterus and their team are underground. If things weren’t bad enough… the Dark Realm breaks the sixth Biblical seal, which plunges the world into perpetual darkness and irrevocably into the Armageddon.
Deader Still by Anton Strout, author of Dead to Me and contributor to The League of Reluctant Adults website.
It’s hard to defeat evil on a budget. Just ask Simon Canderous. It’s been 737 days since the Department of Extraordinary Affairs’ last vampire incursion, but that streak appears to have ended when a boat full of dead lawyers is found in the Hudson River. Using the power of psychometry (the ability to divine the history of an object by touching it) agent Simon Canderous discovers that the booze cruise was crashed by something that sucked all the blood out of the litigators. Now, his workday may never end – until his life does.
Darkling (Sisters of the Moon) by Yasmine Galenorn (Audiobook)
In this third entry in Yasmine Galenorn’s bestselling Sisters of the Moon series, the spotlight is on Menolly, who must face the demons haunting her memories when humans begin turning into vampires.
Many Bloody Returns Multiple Authors: Charlaine Harris, Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, and others. Edited by Toni L. P. Kelner. Now available in paperback.
From cakes to stakes, a celebration of everyone’s favorite bloodsucking subculture by a baker’s dozen of favorite authors. Each of these thirteen original stories offers a fresh and unique take on what birthdays mean to the undead. From Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse attending a birthday party for Dracula to Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden battling bloodsucking party crashers, these suspenseful, surprising, sometimes dark, sometimes humorous stories will ensure paranormal fans will never think of vampires or birthdays quite the same again.
Grave Sins (A Cin Craven Novel) by Jenna Maclaine
The latest in a bold, magical new series that spans the ages, from historical England to modern day America and beyond. Welcome to the legend of Cin Craven—witch, vampire and immortal warrior. In the arms of her lover Michael, Cin Craven has found satisfaction for her most primal longings, reaching heights of pleasure no mere human could ever imagine. She has also found a purpose for her unearthly powers. Cin is a member of The Righteous, a band of slayers that hunts down vampires who inflict evil upon the world. With Michael by her side, Cin’s latest mission brings her face-to-face with Marrakesh, a beautiful, half-mad vampire queen charged with slaughtering humans. If she’s found guilty, Marrakesh will pay with her life. But Cin is convinced that someone (or something) far more ruthless is trying to steal the queen’s throne. It’s a mission that will pit Michael and Cin against each other for the first time, awakening their darkest instincts and testing their love like never before.
Spell Games by T.A. Pratt
Mad sorcerers, psychic vampires, an army of vengeful demons, Marla Mason would rather face them all than a flesh-and-blood ghost from her dysfunctional family past: her con artist brother, Jason. As a chief sorcerer, Marla would ordinarily consider it her duty to protect her town from such an unscrupulous ne’er-do-well. As his sister, things are a lot . . . trickier. Now, as Marla attempts to train an apprentice oracle whose magical wires have gotten crossed, Jason is setting up an elaborate scheme and drawing her ever-so-corruptible partner Rondeau into the ruse. Their patsy is a filthy-rich wannabe mage and their bait is something so valuable, so dangerous, so sought after, it probably doesn’t exist. But now word’s gotten out that it does. It’ll be the mother of all bad trips unless Marla can pull off the ultimate magical switcheroo . . . and somehow live to tell about it.
A Rush of Wings: Book One of The Maker’s Song by Adrian Phoenix
Set in the brooding New Orleans area long established as the best location for all things vampiric, Phoenix’s lively debut has it all: Rogue FBI agents, Bureau-ordered hits, mad-scientist experiments in psychopathology, vampires and fallen angels and a slicing-dicing serial killer. Smart, sexy FBI Special Agent Heather Wallace has been trying to catch the Cross-Country Killer for three years when the trail leads to New Orleans and Club Hell, where Dante Prejean performs with the Inferno, an industrial/goth rock band. Dante is a Cajun and a born vampire whose memories of his terrible past have been erased, leaving him vulnerable to the psychopathic killer, E, who knows all that Dante has forgotten. As E begins targeting Dante’s loved ones, Heather must swallow her skepticism and work with Dante’s vampiric friends and family to save him. Phoenix alternates romantic homages to gothdom and steamy blood-drinking threesomes with enough terse, fast-paced thriller scenes to satisfy even the most jaded fan.
See also: Best Vampire Books of 2008
