Selena Blake: Fangs, Fur and Mistletoe

Christmas reads are fun. I usually read them one year in advance for you (at Christmas though) and expect absolutely nothing of them since they are free and I'm just killing time between various chores connected to this time. So I need a no-brainer which wouldn't let me think and which I wouldn't have problems abandoning at any time when someone needed me in the kitchen or around the house.

That's why this short story from a festive time on a mysterious island where only supernaturals can go was the right choice. Once sworn enemies who couldn't kill each other in a war one hundred years ago and who didn't forget each other though they spent only a brief moment together, a vampiress (is it word already?) and a werewolf, meet on this island where supernaturals go only to scratch an itch.

Will it be like that for them or will they develop some feelings despite being labeled as enemies even in the time of peace, and against the vampiress's coven's prejudiced opinion of werewoles?

The story is short so it doesn't really explain a lot of stuff that happened between vampires and werewolves (which I'd appreciate) but then again, it's not a saga about that. It's a hot read which is supposed to make you feel good because the love at first sight exist.

GENRE: hot romance

FANGS OUT: it's a holiday read, okay?
FANGS RETRACTING: it's not innovative enough and the characters' behaviour needs more background
TOTAL SCORE:

Robin McKinley: Sunshine

A girl living in the maybe not so far future where the humankind knows about the creatures of the night and then some meets a guy who happens to be a vampire (her enemy in general) but their common enemy unites them and they start bonding. How is it it different from the gazillion books with the same topic I've (and I bet even YOU HAVE) read?
The writitng style - is absolutely excellent and it reads fast and leaves you craving for more. It's entertaining and funny.
The protagonist - even though the "hidden prodigy" theme is here, she's so normal. She failed at school, winded up in a bakery, fights with her mom constantly, has moods etc. And all she asks of life is to feed people. And to be in as much sun as possible (her nickname is, after all, Sunshine).
The romance - is very subtle and well executed. Sunshine has a cool biker boyfriend who might be threatened by the arrival of the "other" one but you don't really want her to pick sides or leave one for another. It's not even complicated. Just almost nonexistent.
The universe - oh boy, I absolutely adored the setting after the Voodoo Wars with bad spots where nothing could thrive, those living protection tattoos, the charms and wards and all those inanimate objects with life and all those people with some demon or were blood in them.
All in all, it's dark and thrilling, those who like sarcasm here and there will find it, those of you who like action will see it, those of you who like supernatural elements will be surprised and those of you who like romantic element will probably have to go somewhere else since it's a different kind of romance (I'm saying this because the blurbs on the cover describe it as romantic). If I think of it, I've read books like this but none of them was so good. All these clichés which are in every vampire book well so well-balanced in here that it made a perfect story.

GENRE: dark tale of believable characters

FANGS OUT: the story reads so well
FANGS RETRACTING: let's not retract them, okay?
TOTAL SCORE:

Antony J. Stanton: Twice Bitten, Twice Die

Okay, let's take a deep breath and plunge right in. You knew it was coming. Those who follow me on certain social media or read my blog know I can't but give it five vampire kisses. Why? If you are an unsuspecting person, then I'm gonna keep you in the dark. But let's say I have my selfish reasons to promote this book. Just joking, I'm gonna spill it out. I won a contest a few months ago and became a character in this book. Yeah, I'm still living from that. You, who have never become a character, can't probably understand the feeling (I don't mean it in some snobbish way, it's a genuine thing) but whoa! It's better that drugs. I think. I don't do drugs.
This book is a last piece of a trilogy (I guess, the word "series" on the cover probably gives the author open doors should he ever feel like writing more) and we finally get to see who of our favourite characters gets to live and how it all turns out for those rare few in the zombie-infested world.
Meanwhile, in the vampire camp things don't go smoothly either and authorities are questioned and deaths occur even in the immortal world. But at least the humans already know for sure the blood-suckers exist and can stop questioning their own sanity and start acting. Because vampires are just another threat since they have a very specific diet, right? Or can they help with the zombies? Should humans eliminate one enemy at a time or kill them all at once?

The author's writing skill is amazing, too. I know that some people hate adjectives but those are exactly what gives the reader the right description of stuff. I could really imagine the characters and scenes in the book. Just perfection :-)=
It's a roller-coaster ride without seatbelts since so many die but hey that's what the apocalypse is about. I advise you not to get attached to characters much. :-)=

GENRE: postapocalypse now

FANGS OUT: thrilling, well-built
FANGS RETRACTING: keep them out
TOTAL SCORE:

Antony J. Stanton: Once Bitten, Twice Live

In the first book, the apocalypse was introduced to the world and a couple of survivors had to come to terms with it - and with the fact that their beloveds may have turned into hungry zombies and they might actually need to kill them.
This book picks up where the first one left off, of course. So we see our survivors again, we see their attempts at making some kind of order in chaotic world and we also develop feelings for some because only times of trouble show who your friends are.
Aaaaaand the vampires! Finally! They were in the first book, too, but only a little bit for my taste. Here, however, they finally take up more space and start interacting and interfering. Within the clan two fractions appear and no one knows which stand to take. Oh, the decisions. Enslave the humanity and treat them like cattle or keep hidden in the shadows..
Except some of them haven't got the "we are not decided, do not act now" memo and showed their true nature to some survivors. So not only are the survivors scavenging for supplies and walking on tiptoes so that they don't wake up the zombies, now they have to face the fact that they're going crazy because surely vampires... that's too much for this crooked world, right?
This book is just as thrilling and adventurous as the first one. It develops the characters more and brings cruel plot twists so it's definitely a wild ride.

GENRE: postapocalyptic-thriller ride

FANGS OUT: vampires are finally out in the open
FANGS RETRACTING: not so many important things happened plot-wise (I mean, a lot of people died but you kinda get used to that)
TOTAL SCORE:

Robert Tomoguchi: The Scribbled Victims

I'm getting Anne Rice vibe here and I'm not mad. On the contrary. I haven't read a book about morality of vampire life in a while. Way to go Rice lovers, I wish there were more of you to pick up her tradition.
I got this book from the author to write a review and I'm always happy (because free books, duh!) as well as scared of this because the authors who send me their stuff are so enthusiastic that they can get their books out there in the world and have people talking about them but, honestly, I dread the day I get a shitty piece and have to write about it. For them, the books are like children. Try to tell them their beloved child they put so much effort in sucks. But fortunately today is not the day.
The story follows Yelena, a beautiful immortal, who is plagued by guilt and often starves herself. She kills in order to sustain her own life but she feels bad because she doesn't see people as cattle. And before you ask, no, there are no sparkly vampires in here so feeding off animal blood is a no go. One day, she meets a child cancer patient who can see evil in people through her scribbles. That cheers Yelena up a little now that she can kill criminals who do horrible things to others.
But many questions arise - how long till the girl dies? Can she even start contemplating turning a child and doom her to an eternal life in a small body? Can she replace the love of a lover gone with that for a child? Isn't she making the child a murderer when she takes the scribbles from her? And way more. I loved the philosophical aspect of the story. It was thought-provoking and refreshing.
It's true that the story is centred on Yelena but other vampires with different life views are introduced to contrast what she feels and to show the reader what the average vampire looks like.
All in all, it was great! If you like to think a little while reading, this is it - your next vampire read. ;-)=

GENRE: personal horror story

FANGS OUT: Rice's tradition is very prominent
FANGS RETRACTING: out the fangs go
TOTAL SCORE:

Silvia Moreno-Garcia: Certain Dark Things

In an alternative world, where all kinds of vampires exist (basically all folklore myths apply here), many countries decided to get rid of them. That's how Mexico became a host for these creatures and how they got their hands on the drug trade. And when two drug lords fight for their turf, it's always messy.
The story follows a young vampire Atl who wasn't supposed to get into the mess. Her women-oriented family put effort into her older sister who was supposed to get the hang of things since she was the better and older warrior. Alt was ever the care-free party girl. But somehow Atl finds herself on the run and tries to hide in a vampire-free zone Mexico City where an old ally should reside. But that's where it gets worse. It is another drug territory so once she is spotted, she must be eliminated. With the help of a naive boy (of almost her age *eyeroll*) from the streets she tries to evade her not so pretty future.
I loved the variety in vampires- there were vampires from old European myths, there were the ones from Americas and so on. And each subspecies had qualities from the particular place of their origin. I personally find that "counting" trait very funny in vampires though this book is anything but funny. It's adventurous, it's dark and it's full of blood... and other body parts.
Oh, and one more thing - there were glimpses of Renfields' lives - those are the people who serve or are controlled by vampires. It was nice seeing what happens to the or how they feel. If it weren't for the general lack of je ne sais quoi, it would be a five-star read.

GENRE: drug-lord's noir future

FANGS OUT: the folklore mix
FANGS RETRACTING: not action-packed enough
TOTAL SCORE:

James Fahy: Crescent Moon

You guys know how much I love vampires. And you know I love postapocalyptic worlds. And if we add dystopia, what do we get? Heaven for our eyeballs and minds? Yup!

This is a second book in Phoebe Harkness series and I must say that the author has outdone himself. The book number one was very good but oh my goodness the places we go in the second one!

The wallflower-ish doctor from a paratoxilogy lab, who wants nothing more than to be left alone with her research, gets tangled up in some GO politics and instead of doing her regular job, she kinda has to work as a bridge between the species of New Oxford. Ever heard of not shooting the messenger? Well, you are probably among the rare few ;-)=

Phoebe is a very realistic character and is very easy to like immediately but what I found surprising, however, was the positive feelings I developed towards Cloves - she's one tough cookie with a sailor mouth who does everything for her personal gain only yet I grew fond of her. She works for the story really well.

Furthermore, the humour of the book is amazing and the allusions to our pop culture as well as to classic pieces of art are woven into the text seamlessly so that you start cracking up in the least likely situations and you even start googling stuff because you're sure you've already heard of the Voynich Manuscript before but was it in the supernatural context? *headscratch* (see, it will effortlessly make you smarter).

But don't get the idea that this is a funny book. Or a romantic one (as in, ohhh, the vampire is having a shower right behind this wall, those suds sliding down.... *headshake* hello reality!) Far from it - it's actually as scary as hell. As I mentioned in the review of the first book, the bonewalkers are terrifying and I'm not going to change my opinion. Give me an angry shape-shifter or a creepy faceless girl any day but those robed masked weirdos supposedly doing everyone's bidding are the most suspicious crowd.

The book doesn't end on a cliffhanger so you can choose if you continue reading the books or not but I sure want to because something far bigger is coming and I can't wait to see it!

GENRE: postapocalyptic dystopian horror goodness with fun as a cherry on top

FANGS OUT: dark and clever
FANGS RETRACTING: keep them out, you'll need them
TOTAL SCORE:

Beverley Lee: The Making of Gabriel Davenport

Instagram ruined me. I've ever read books. We already know that. But my research of what to read next always included google. Now? I log in and the barrage of pictures attacks my feed and there's just everything. To say nothing of the bookstagram-friendly authors who actually communicate with their followers. Without this particular social medium I'd never know they even exist! This book was an instabuy. Yup, even vampire-friendly authors don't shy away from bookstagram community.

This was bloody brilliant (oh, the puns) for a debut novel - writing this in the middle of snowy winter I regret reading it in the fall. Because it's so atmospheric and had I read it in winter, I would have been more spooked. That's the only regret I have. Because even thought the book spans many years, the main twists and deadly things happen during winter or very cold weather conditions. So I recommend you read that in winter to get the right feeling. And by that I mean get ready for a fright.

Ever since Pandora people know to avoid opening mysterious boxes. I guess someone in Britain didn't get the memo and ruined many a life because of it because somehow something very dark, ancient, and incorporeal got its hands on freedom and wants a human child.

I can't tell you much more without spoilers because it's quite short and powerful read. And the vampires? Well, the story isn't primarily focused on them so they play a small (yet important) role. And I believe the sequel will explain more about their nature.

So if you want to read a good winter horror with an occasional fang, I suggest you grab this. Before the tables turn and it grabs you.

GENRE: horror

FANGS OUT: dark and gloomy
FANGS RETRACTING: need more info about vamps
TOTAL SCORE:

Felicity Heaton: Vampire for Christmas

Wow, he's grabbing her boob! Is this porn?
And shouldn't be there an article in the title?

I tried to get as much as possible from my Kobobooks experience and found out that there are free books in there as well! I typed in the word "vampire" and suddenly was flooded by a plethora of free e-books. That's very cool if you ask me. So now my e-book reader is full of who-knows-what. And I'm going to read it all and tell you about it. Since it's Christmas, I grabbed this story (and just like yesterday, I read it one year in advance).

There are two demon/vampire slayers who hang around in the cemeteries with stakes in their hands. One of them is a vampire and one of them is just a bad-ass woman. Sounds familiar? I know! My pubescent obsession with Buffy is back here! Fortunately, there are some dissimilarities. No Chosen One for us this time. 

And these two have been hanging around together for two years and while the vampire is too scared to say anything about his stalkerish obsession with the woman, the woman is slowly realising he is the one. Even though he is of the species who butchered her family. Oh, the conflicts. Never forget the stakes in the back pockets of their jeans. I mean, they work for an agency which keeps demonish vermin at bay and all they have is stakes? Really? I forgot to take a look when it was published. Maybe guns and more potent stuff was out of question back then.

Anyway, these two seem to speak volumes with their eyes. I bet you all had that moment (way too often) in your lives when you looked into someone's eyes and had no frickin' idea about what the other person was thinking. Well, here you see everything. You don't need dialogue when you have eyes. If life was so simple. 

Add some cheesy eye-staring and kisses while slimy demons are attacking with slime (really, that's all you got demon?) and you are in for some flashbacks. I loved this kind of shows when I was growing up. I don't find them so amusing now but for the nostalgia it brought I'm gonna be lenient in my rating.

GENRE: The Buffy-ish Genre

FANGS OUT: oh, the sweet memories of our teenage years
FANGS RETRACTING: out of date and kinda pathetic when you think about it too much
TOTAL SCORE:

Cynthia Eden: A Vampire's Christmas Carol

It's kinda spooky to write this since Eden gave her readers a free e-book for Christmas but I already had a post for that day which means I'm writing this post one frickin' year in advance. Merry Christmas from the past and present and future!

But it matches the book's tone because it was written based on Dickens's idea of three Christmas visitors who want to redeem a person. 

This time, we have a vampire who accidentally caused death of his loved one and turned into a crooked avenger. It's not like he kills innocent people, or wait... how can he be so sure? Being someone's judge, jury and executioner may alter the way he sees the world. His not-so-dead-as-we-thought beloved tries to sacrifice everything she has once she learns of his future. 

So, through three people (I use this term loosely since I don't want to tell you about all the supernatural shocks you are gonna get) he is shown his past, can glimpse what he has become and scarily enough sees what the fate may have for him in stock if he doesn't change. Well, that's the whole point of those visitors. To torture him what he already knows and to scare him away from his fate.

But will love be enough to redeem one soul? Will the sacrifices made be enough to help? Just read and you will see. I mean, it's a short Christmas read, do you really think this piece will crush your emotions, destroy your Christmas mood, and make you stop reading vampire romance? ;-)=

GENRE: Christmas Romance

FANGS OUT: Well, if you like that magical time around Christmas, it's for you!
FANGS RETRACTING: I'm not a fan of "magical" Christmas time.
TOTAL SCORE:

I'm in a book! *squee* How did that happen? AKA One life Goal Achieved

*squeeeeeeeee* Sorry about that but I've know this for a couple of months now and yet I still totally fangirl about it. It's not every day you meet a character bearing your name. And it's not everyday you were the reason for the character to be named that way.

Because how can I not freak out?! There was a contest I found on the Instagram at @oncebittentwicedie where the author was offering to name a character after you (or give a name of your choice) in exchange of some very cool picture of you reading his book. That was a challenge I couldn't resist. Because postapocalyptic world with vampires! That's why!

At first I took two lame pictures of me being very chill with a glass of blood or just reading the book with my mouth open (not the very smartest-looking thing but how else can you see the fangs?!) but later I came out with a better idea.

I wanted to win so I was hesitating whether quantity or quality would be a better approach. So I did both. 

I came up with this cool idea of hanging upside down and reading so I managed to persuade my friend to do a photoshoot with me. It was hell. Vampires are overdressed for summer I must admit. I was sweating before I got out of my house (try putting on pantyhose on sweaty legs!) and then in my vampire glory I had to go to a very populated area with those swings and merry-go-rounds for kids. There were kids. I scared them away. And assumed my position on one of their metal construction. My skirt didn't defy gravity. There were people watching. My friend had to pin my skirt to my pantyhose (and accidentally to my thigh). The stockings get slippery on metal stuff by the way. As I was hanging upside down all I could see were those blocks of flats around and more and more people on their balconies watching. I started getting sick from all that blood in my head and thought I might faint. I didn't but it was a close call. 

So I'm really proud of the picture because after almost dying, everyone seeing my underwear and scaring everyone within one kilometre radius, I got chosen to be a book character. *squeeeeeeee*

I'll include a proper review with a ton of quotes about the mysterious Czech girl in postapocalyptic Britain of TWICE BITTEN, TWICE DIE after I'm exhausted from boasting about it. So far I carry it around and shove it into every face I meet :-D= Because it is, hands down, the coolest thing to happen to me this year.
I think you should go and buy it. No, honestly, until now it was a good series but now that it has a character with a weird name in it, it's  just excellent :-)=

Christopher Buehlman: The Suicide Motor Club

If you were a driver in the US back in the 60's, consider yourself lucky for being here. There were undead things roaming all over the place, hiding in abandoned mines or houses near the highway, stealing the fastest cars and feeding on innocent passers-by. Or maybe you have encountered them but don't remember. If there is a night on Route 66 you remember in a haze, then you've been spared. They let you go.

But the thing is that someone noticed. Not all the people are susceptible to being brain-washed by them so when a woman survives a car wreck, she remembers her son being snatched away by them. And despite her attempts to tell herself it was all just a bad dream and trying her career in a cloister to forget her awful past, the destiny chose different path for her. She isn't the only one to know about them. So when a secret club of vampire slayers asks her to come along and avenge her little son, she agrees.

I loved the story and its twists. It was terrifying and gruesome. The characters kept slowly uravelling their secrets so that I was constantly saying "aha! wow! what the.." and so on ;-)= I'm happy that the idea of the evil undead is still alive and hasn't disappeared from literature just yet. And even though a charming character appears, the protagonist can see through him and doesn't get swept away.

GENRE: horror on the road

FANGS OUT: scary, full of sharp twists and turns
FANGS RETRACTING: keep them out, the blood will be spilt
TOTAL SCORE:

James Fahy: Hell's Teeth

I ever thought I wasn't influenceable when it comes to social media. I know the ads around are customised to compel me to buy the kind of stuff I search for on the net and that nothing is as it seems but somehow ever since I joined bookstagram, there are people I can easily talk to about books and what more - there are authors who talk to us lowly humans :-)= And that's how I've got this book. I had to buy it because a) vampires and b) the author actually interacts with his followers. Big thumbs up just for that alone. 

So, this is a first book in a series BUT it doesn't end on a cliffhanger. That's sweet. You already know I like the series where I can decide whether I'll keep on reading or not. Cliffhangers are too pushy. 

Somehow people created these human devouring pale creatures (originally to be supersoldiers) who turned on them and when they thought everything would be lost, supernatural creatures stepped out of the shadows and helped them keep the pale ones at bay. But somehow they still aren't treated equally with humans despite their abilities. 

The story takes place in what was saved of Oxford and follows a doctor working in a lab (to find the cure or basically anything to help the battle against the pale creatures). Somehow while working on a cure which doesn't really work (as in exploding rats) she gets to work for Cabal (a weird version of the ruling body which wants to make everything visible for its citizens) to solve some unusual situation. Just because she once talked to a vampire who was standing across a whole room from her. That made her an expert on supernatural beings - and this absurd world and turn of the events is spiced up by her sarcastic side which shows up during deadly situations.

It was entertaining, adventurous and I appreciated the lack of romantic element - yeah, there was mild flirtation with the hot vampire but it wasn't distracting from the main story so that doesn't count. Yeah, I liked it a lot. It was fast-paced and there were many twists.

GENRE: postapocalyptical dystopian adventure

FANGS OUT: awesome leading character, nice twists
FANGS RETRACTING: I'd like to know more about the society since it's quite important
TOTAL SCORE:

Morgan Rice: Turned

Yeah, I downloaded another free e-book because I'm incorrigible. And because this one had some nice reviews over the years I've been avoiding it and everyone seemed to have read it, I naturally had to read it too.

So, it's a romance. No wait, it's an action book. No, horror? Romance again? I honestly don't know because the story kept changing it's tone. Which is good, you never know how it's going to turn out. 

Basically there is this girl whose father is unknown (yay, haven't we seen this before) and she starts to get these cravings for more than food. You probably guessed what she is then. Except she doesn't know and when she gets into her vampire mode she rarely remembers what she's done the first days. 

At first I was repelled by the potential love story (she comes to a new school, meets a new guy kinda scenario) but I liked that she got abusive mother and her high school she moved into was literally hell where the policemen had to roam all day long. That's a good thing - no boring small towns but harsh urban reality. 

I even started to like the story more as the vampire clan whose territory this new girl threatened appeared. Their lair and the sheer mass of them sounded spectacular and the story picked up the horror/action vibe.

But then my dreams were crushed by a knight in shining armour. It turned toward romance again but really cheasily so. Nothing can crush a good story as premature I-love-you's.

I was tempted to take a look at the rest of the books but then I learned there were 12 of them (as of now when I'm writing this, maybe there already is next one by the time you are reading this). Too much commitment. No no no. So I have to judge by just one story which had really good twists in the horror area but lacked reason in the romance department.

GENRE: romance? horror? action? who knows?!

FANGS OUT: good pacing, great settings
FANGS RETRACTING: premature i-love-you-ing, the romance part is bad
TOTAL SCORE:

Erica Stevens: Captured

So, imagine that about one hundred years ago the vampires won the war with humans and now you are either their slave (living in relative comfort, having a job, food to eat but also blood to let) or you are a part of rebellion (so you live like a savage in the woods with empty belly, trying to figure out how to put the vampire kingdom down, hoping the raids will not catch you because that would make you a blood slave).

The story follows a 17-year-old girl (mental eyeroll) who gets captured and by a miracle isn't passed on to be a slave to some lowly cruel vampire but to a very old (over 900 years) old vampire prince. He represents everything she hates, she represents lowly creature designed only for his cruel play. But somehow they become caring for one another (mental eyeroll). Honestly, I'm sick of these virgins who are basically still children to play main roles. I find it disturbing that such an old vampire would like a child. And have more that fatherly feelings for a child. Can't someone just write something more logical? Why can't we shrug off the virgins and unicorns cliché? It's been put into so many books that a change is definitely needed. This would have been such a good read otherwise!

And then the cliffhanger. Pardon me if I'm not into never-ending series but I'm just not gonna sit here and wait for a trilogy which will later be prolonged into pentalogy and more. Just no. 

If the world it's set in was more elaborated on, it would have been a great piece. It's scary and dark and I love it but need more info about it. But as you can see, I've used way to many IFs so it's not going to get better rating than three vampire kisses.

GENRE: cruel romance

FANGS OUT: it reads so well but lacks further descriptions to be awesome
FANGS RETRACTING: cliffhanger, way too cliché-ish
TOTAL SCORE:

Kathy Love: Any Way You Want It

This was definitely a beach read. I mean, anyone can say that just by the look of the cover but I wanted to make it clear. It's either for holiday or that time of the month when you need romance with good end. That's exactly what the cover suggests and what you'll get.

 New Orleans with its swarms of tourists attracts a lot of creatures and no one really notices the absence of aging, right? So, in one bar there is a vampire band. But don't think cool vampire band. Just a good band.. they play covers of cheesy hits after all. And the lead singer used to be a very good pianist until he wasn't and now he only sings (I'm not gonna spill the only twist of the story, so read for yourself why). BUT he gets this urge to play his very own old piece on the piano and BAM! that attracts a visitor who needs a break after a bad break-up and who got her tea leaves read and, of course, she is to meet a hot dude. The music reminds her of one piece she was to verify (and thinks no one else should know the melody) before her departure for her deserved break so it's exactly that what draws her in.

They hit it off and say it's going to last only a week (her vacation is to be over then). Well, you know that there will be steamy passages and that the fling will grow into something more and then the secrets will come up. It's the usual set up for a romantic piece. 

What I disliked, however, was the ending. It was too rushed and some things were forgiven on the spot despite the person's previous behaviour. But hey, holiday! So whatever...

GENRE: romance

FANGS OUT: if you like hot scenes, you'll get your fill
FANGS RETRACTING: not much of an ending and the twist could be more elaborate
TOTAL SCORE:

R. T. Truehall: Not Dead

I'm doing my silly dance around the room again. Because I was asked by THE AUTHOR to take a look at her book again. I feel so proud that people ask me for this. A) it makes me feel important in the vampire literary circles ;-)= B) it saves me money - don't judge, I'm a teacher - our salaries are a joke C) free stuff makes me as happy as a "sale" sign on the cute shoes I've been oggling for months. So, let's get professional and start with the review.

It's official. Aussies have a totally unique voice in vampire literature. I think I stated my suspicion when I was reviewing the Australian books in the past and now it got confirmed. This was so unexpected! The European vampire tradition is quite clear - vampires are to be feared, we love the Gothic elements. I think we've already overcome the shock after what the Americans did to the genre - the whole romanticization thing. And now the people from "down under" are showing us their twist to the genre. The impotent and useless vampires.

The story follows Ullysses, a total douche bag I wouldn't want to be friends with and honestly it seems that those few friends he has stay with him because of inertia (or any other power that keeps you going or not going because it's ever been so) rather than for his cheerful personality. He works a few days a week as a pizza delivery boy and his life centers about a bar called BAR. No other hobbies apart from sleeping with friends detected. There is nothing nice to say about him so when he gets turned into a vampire after a mature decision by a very very old vampiress (has this word finally reached the dictionaries or do I still have to use female vampire?), it comes as a shock. Who the hell would like to spend the next hundred years (that's how long you keep your creation with you) with this man (those of you who are familiar with Russian literature will surely know about "useless person, лишний человек")?!

But his creator tries to educate him in vampire matters (sometimes in a not so nice way - those of you who are sensitive to abuse shouldn't probably read this book) and even wants him to find a job. Because no, he hasn't miraculously got any superpowers overnight. It doesn't happen that way. Even blood is introduced slowly. And one's position in vampire society is gained painfully.

The fascinating thing about this is that vampires basically run the world - they decide who lives and who dies (they secretly control the population) and even in what way the person dies. That totally creeped me out! You can guess that one of the worst crimes is for a greenie to kill a human who wasn't supposed to die. So when Ullyses does that, he and his maker get in hell of a trouble. 

I tremendously enjoyed the book since it was different from the stuff I normally encounter. I must admit I didn't even mind when Ullyses was mistreated by his maker - somehow this happening to a character I didn't like didn't make me cringe in the least. The incident at the end however... if rape is a sore subject for you, avoid it. But if you are a tough cookie, like unusual things and want to see how a character who you instantly hate can keep you turning the pages, grab it. You won't regret your decision.

Oh, and I've nearly forgotten! The book I got is a paperback but the pages are so thick that it screams quality - and I was really reading it with my fingers pressed to its spine so that I woulnd't break it and mar the book :-)= Also, the cover is so shiny and reflective that when I was trying to take a picture of the book, all I could see was me with a camera on the cover, hence the weird angle I'm sporting here because no matter how many lights I turned on or off and where I went I can always see the person with the camera.

GENRE: Is there a genre for giving a total loser a go at eternity?

FANGS OUT: sarcastic, unusual, so different 
FANGS RETRACTING: I'd prefer more twists
TOTAL SCORE:

Tanya Huff: Blood Price

So, while I was on holiday in Hungary I had to have a book with me (it's not like I can count on my phone to have enough battery life to let me read when neccessary) and I actuallly read about a half of it in the meantime. No, the holiday wasn't boring but I tend to wake up before the others and must keep quiet so I read in the mornings.

This book was quite fast paced and interesting. I haven't read a horror in a while - all my free stuff is either funny or romantic - so I was happy. It's not really a chilling horror which would make me look over my shoulder but it was decent. 

The vampire in the book (just one) is Henry VIII's bastard son and he needs to help a private detective with what appears to be vampire murders. They are actually done by a demon summoned by a nerd who needs power but since the victims have their throats open and are bloodless, it sheds bad light on all the people who lead nocturnal life. Including vampires. So to avoid any suspiction and keep low profile, the vampire must reveal himself to one person who can actually solve the stuff. It doesn't matter that the dectective is obviously very choleric person and had to quit her job with the police because she got some kind of eye condition which prevents her to see at dark. 

The book was a mild horror thingy which proved to be entertaining and perfect for holiday. There was nothing elaborate which would divert your mind from the exploration of foreign places. What I didn't like, however, were the pieces of the vampire's former life - they were put into a text so that it looked as if it belonged to the main story. Some kind of divider would be helpful - just like with the vampire's writing (he's a writer) because that was in coursive so it was easy to tell apart. 

GENRE: horror

FANGS OUT: gruesome enough
FANGS RETRACTING: nothing to keep you guessing
TOTAL SCORE:

Elizabeth Kostova: The Historian

I don't know why but it's always difficult for me to write a review of something I absolutely loved reading. The great books leave big impression on me but the things they are great for are usually difficult to grasp. They lie hidden in the moments when I cannot put the novel down, they appear days later when I'm walking with a big fat book hangover, they pop up years later when I think I'm good to move on but realize they shaped me more than I'd ever dare to admit.

Such a book is here in front of you (or me, you may not own it). It looks inconspicuous since I bought it in a second hand book store without the dust jacket (or maybe its power is hidden in the haphazard anonymity) and maybe it seems a bit intimidating for some with its more than six hundred pages. But it is a masterpiece.

At first (during the first couple of chapters) I saw the book as a nice mild touristic guide to Europe but shortly after I realized it was more than that. The scope of one's search for the truth can be very large. The story follows a father whose daughter accidentally finds that her daddy may have a thing for Dracula. But we are talking history here, so think Vlad the Impaler, not Bela Lugosi. The worst thing is that Vlad seems to roam the Earth still. 

The tale is put together through memories, letters, ancient journals and talking to witnesses. It takes place during a couple of decades (but our narrator meticulously tries to take things chronologically) and basically it's an effort of more people to put the puzzle pieces together. What looks like a mild fascination with the dark matter soon becomes an obsession, a tale of tremendous loss, of revenge, a futile (maybe) hunt to stop the great evil and way more. 

If you can't appreciate this book then I have no idea what you are doing here. This belongs to the best novels ever written about vampires and you MUST read it. Do it. Just now. Go to a bookstore and buy it. But don't put it somewhere on your TBR pile. Read it immediately!

GENRE: adventurous tourists face the greatest evil in medieval history

FANGS OUT: it has the famous je ne sais quoi
FANGS RETRACTING: keep the fangs out, there is nothing wrong with the novel
TOTAL SCORE:

Eve Newton: Forever

So, I've been reading e-books again because right now I'm also reading a very heavy book which is amazing in its 600+ pages' glory but it is also tought-provoking stuff and I have to chill every now and then. My now and then turned out to be a free read again.

This time we have a strong female character who build herself from a naive poor girl over the span of 500 years. She is devoted to her maker who lost her trust when he started sleeping around (apparently the vampires here have big appetite and don't sate it only with their beloveds) so she started running away from him, drank her fill of fear and blood and turned a man to be with her. They are best friends with benefits and live together.

And to this unusual setting she leads a man she is drawn to from the very first sight of him. There is a conflict when to tell him, when to turn him yadda yadda yadda. 

I would have like the story if a) there was less sexual action since it was repetitive and leading nowhere, and b) it didn't stop when it started to be interesting. There were some unravelled mysteries and old prophecies and all those lies and promises of love that it would have made a cool story otherwise.  

GENRE: romance

FANGS OUT: well-written and surprising in places
FANGS RETRACTING: too much repetitive sex and too much unjustified prolonging of the story
TOTAL SCORE: