Posts Tagged "Vampires"

As vampires from all over the world descend on the Drake farm for the Blood Moon gathering, security is ramped up. Lucy has been temporarily banned, for her own safety—and to allow Solange some time to adjust to her new existence. But their enemies realize how much Lucy means to the family, and plan to abduct her to use her for leverage against the new royal family. Instead, Lucy’s cousin Christabel is kidnapped by mistake—and Connor Drake immediately heads off in pursuit, but isn’t in time to prevent Christabel’s infection by the Hel Blar. He can’t save her human life, but he can still try to save her new vampire life, and is willing to put his own life on the line for the girl he has grown to care so much about. Can he save Christabel, the Blood Moon, and his mother’s newly forged Vampire Alliance?

Teaser Quote: “Okay, yes, I have watched every episode of every Star Trek, Battlestar Galactica, and Stargate ever created, but I have never owned a Star Trek T-shirt. Just saying.“

Savannah Colbert has never known why she’s so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It’s as if he’s a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she’s destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can’t stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences…

Savanahh used to be best friends with the Clann kids, until fourth grade, when they all turned against her. She doesn’t know what made them suddenly hate her, but she moved on and made new friends, doing her best to ignore the bullying of the more vicious Clann kids. The only Clann member she can’t seem to ignore, though, is Tristan Coleman. But he hasn’t even acknowledged her existence since that fateful day in the fourth grade. That is, until Savannah gets mysteriously sick for the first time in her life and returns to school after five days decidedly…different.

Boys can no longer seem to control themselves around Savannah. One look from her and it’s almost as if they’re possessed, love-stricken to the extreme. Savannah can no longer trust that any boy has real feelings for her, which is infuriating as Tristan has finally deigned to talk to her for the first time in years. Is he under the same spell as every other guy or is something different about him?

Darnell puts a really unique and interesting twist on vampire and witch legends in Crave. For those looking for a new vampire series, you should definitely pick up the first book in The Clann series. It reminds me of Twilight, except infinitely better. Darnell tells the story through both Savannah’s and Tristan’s points of view, which is an excellent decision on her part as Savannah and Tristan keep so many secrets that it would impossible to understand each characters’ motivations without the viewpoint switch. It also makes you fall in love with Tristan long before Savannah even realizes how amazing he is.

Darnell puts a lot of effort into grounding Crave in reality. The beginning starts a little slow, but this is necessary as it lets us fully slip into Savannah’s life so that later on, we experience the shock and surprise of her family’s origins just as much as she does. The somewhat slow beginning also gives dimension to Tristan, as well as all of Savannah’s close friends. Unfortunately, her friends sort of fall out of the picture for the entire middle of the book, which seems odd to me. But Savannah does lead a busy life, what with juggling after-school activities, boyfriends, and new friends. Still, I wish we’d see glimpses of her old friends throughout.

There is a lot to this book. It’s long, jam-packed with intrigue and mystery. Darnell does a good job of evenly dispensing necessary information, like Savannah’s and Tristan’s back-story, the history behind Savannah’s relationship with her dad, what the Clann really is, and so much more. There are so many things that need to be explained and Darnell does so effortlessly, never bogging down the story or forcing the issues. And all the answers to the inevitable questions are innovative and fresh, making it impossible to stop reading.

While Darnell’s superior world-building and three-dimensional characters are commendable, the highlight of Crave is the romance between Savannah and Tristan. It’s just so perfectly done — almost every scene involving the two gives me butterflies. This is probably due to how real the two characters feel, like people you might bump into at your own school. And they have history, so their relationship doesn’t spring up out of thin air. It’s almost painful in how slowly it develops, but the anticipation is so, so worth it. This is a relationship that pays off until the very last page, but be prepared for a huge cliffhanger. But this is a cliff you’re going to want to hang off of, eagerly waiting for the second book in The Clann series.

Pages: 416
Publication Date: October 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Challenge: N/A
Rating :

Teaser Quote: “No, no time for guilt right now. I had to focus on passing this test, and then we could go home. Just one test to pass. A test I was genetically destined to fail.“

Richelle Mead is hardly a woman that needs an introduction.

As the author of the HUGELY successful Vampire Academy series, one that has taken a firm place in many readers ‘all time favorites’ lists, she is considered a YA celebrity.

When she’s not working on her two other highly popular adult series, Richelle is busy with a Vampire Academy spin-off that is already well under way. With only 48 hours to go till the eagerly anticipated release of Last Sacrifice, Richelle sat with us for a quick chat.

The release date for Last Sacrifice is fast approaching – are you nervous about the fan reaction to the series’ conclusion?

I’m nervous about every book!  I’m kind of a perfectionist because I always think, “Oh, if I could have just gone back one more time, that book could have been even better!”  And yeah, there’s definitely a lot of pressure with the last book in a series.  There’s no way every person will be happy with any series ending, especially when there’s a love triangle involved.  Someone’s going to lose!  That being said, there’s a lot of great things going on in the book, and I’m hoping that even if some people’s guy doesn’t get the girl, they’ll still be happy with the way story wraps up.

Since the success of Vampire Academy, how has your life changed? Do you get recognized on the street?

No, I’m never recognized.  I don’t think authors have as much star power as authors and actors.  Sometimes my name doesn’t even get recognized, though fans of the genre almost always know the series title when they hear it.  But it’s still been a life changer.  It’s heady knowing that what you write reaches and affects so many people, and every day, I get a lot of email from readers talking about the series.  Knowing that so many people are waiting for the next book certainly puts a lot of pressure on me, but I’m really grateful do what I do for a living.  I love my job.

You tweet quite regularly – what is it about twitter that you like?

I like the way Twitter can quickly and easily reach so many readers.  It’s nice to be able to give last-minute updates about a book or signing and know they’re getting to people in time.  I also like that it gives me a chance to be casual and communicate to readers about the daily goings-on in my life.  It’s unfortunate that I’m unable to answer all my email, but with Twitter, I hope I’m still able to share myself with readers and help them know me better.

If you could spend a day with one of your characters from Vampire Academy, which would it be?

Oh, man.  I don’t know if I’d want to hang out with them.  Bad things are always happening!  We’d get attacked by Strigoi or stumble into some wacky mishap.

Do you have a favourite scene or moment  from the series?

I think the ending of Shadow Kiss is my favorite.  It’s terrible and heart-breaking, but it’s probably one of the most powerful pieces I’ve written in any of my books.  People were so devastated by the ending, but I had always envisioned that happening, from the very first day I started the series.  So, it’s really amazing as an author to be able to have written something like that and have it deliver exactly the impact I wanted.

How does it feel to be saying goodbye to characters you’ve spent so long creating?

It’s bittersweet.  In some ways, it’s nice to have the opportunity to move onto something new.  As much as I love these characters, I’m not sure I could write about them for the next fifty years.  But, as an author, it’s also really nice being able to write characters you know so well.  It makes it easy to jump right into a book, so I’ll lose a little of that now.  The great thing about keeping the world alive with a spin-off series, however, is that I can always pull any of these characters back if I miss them too much.

Is there something or someone in particular we should watch out for in Last Sacrifice?

I think by the end of this book, readers should have a pretty good idea of which characters are going to be in the spin-off series.

——

I’m personally going crazy with excitement, I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy. A big thank you to Richelle and the always lovely Erin at Penguin.

If you haven’t already, pre order your copy of Last Sacrifice at your nearest bookshop or online store. Last Sacrifice will be released December 7th. (Be on the look out for our review!)

“For more than 500 years Lenah has been a vampire – a life of seduction, blood and destruction. But she is sickened by her dark powers and longs to be a human again. To feel the sun on her skin; the grass under her feet; the warm breath of a human kiss. But that requires a great sacrifice, for the soul of a vampire is not easily shed…”

When sixteen year old Lenah Beaudonte walked out into her father’s orchard in the 15^th century, the last person she thought she’d encounter was Rhode Lewin. In a matter of seconds Rhode’s teeth have sunken deep into her neck and she too becomes a vampire.

Five hundred years on Lenah has risen to become one of the most ruthless and lethal vampires of her kind – and queen to her coven. However life as a vampire has driven her to madness and not even feeding on the innocent stops the feeling of pain and sorrow that comes with a vampire’s existence.

After begging Rhode to find a way to bring her human existence back she hibernates for a hundred years and wakes up to find he is successful – she is human. Her life is restored at the price of Rhode losing his own. Lenah must now blend into the crowd at Wickham – the exclusive boarding school Rhode enrolled her in and keep her new life a secret from her coven who will stop at nothing to bring their queen back.

The concept of Infinite Days is definitely unique in the flood of vampire stories already written.  I loved the insight we got into a vampire’s daily torment – being cut off from your soul, not being able to feel anything other than anger and despair – even a love bond isn’t enough to stop the pain of your existence. It makes you appreciate your own senses and humanity. At any given moment you can smell, touch, taste, hear your heartbeat, cry freely and love without restraint.

I loved flashbacks into Lenah’s life as a vampire and head of her coven and the flashes we got of her coven trying to find her in the present time. I also loved the idea of a badass vampire queen trying to adjust to the 21^st century, but Lenah manages to do it with ease (maybe a bit too easily).

Most books lately have featured love triangles, but in Infinite Days, we’ve got a love pentagon, with not just one, but 4 guys vying for Lenah’s affection. Though her vampire loves, Rhode and Vicken (who I loved), made sense and were believable, her human loves, Justin and Tony, were not.

Tony is Lenah’s first friend at Wickham after her transformation, and he takes her under his wing and guides her around. A cute friendship is formed between them though Tony clearly feels more for Lenah than just friendship. Poor Tony seems to become just an afterthought in Lenah’s life once Justin becomes settled. As Justin starts actively pursuing Lenah, Tony is practically forced to come along to whatever Lenah’s invited to (“But only if Tony goes”) then is mostly ignored on said outings.

What killed this book for me was Lenah and Justin’s relationship, and since it featured so prominently it tainted the whole experience. Why? Because their love is based on nothing. All it took was a look on a sunny day – him being the gorgeous jock and her being the new, pale girl with an accent, and BAM, true luv for like, ever! Justin’s pursuit of Lenah (oh, while he still had a girlfriend) was almost at a stalker level, with him appearing around every corner, ready with a deep, searching gaze and an inexplicable want, no, need to make Lenah happy after seeing her sad in the rain. Geez.

Considering her previous relationships were with Rhode, her maker and Vicken, a member of her coven, who are smart, strong willed and passionate, Justin has the personality of a biscuit in comparison.

If you can look past Lenah and Justin’s relationship you will probably love this book, since I couldn’t, part one of this book was disappointing. Part two, the flashbacks and the ending were much better and made up for a lot of part one’s flaws. It’s got a great concept, well written and leads us into an exciting sequel.

Pages: 395
Publication Date: August 2010
Rating: :

Teaser Quote: “The instant the sun rises, it also begins to set. The moment we are born, we begin to die. All of life is a cycle, Tony.”

Infinite Days was our Bookclub pick of the month, head on over to the forum to join in the discussions

“When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray arrives in England during the reign of Queen Victoria, something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gas lit streets.  Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters, a band of warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons. Drawn even deeper into their world, she finds herself fascinated – and torn between- two best friends and quickly realizes that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.”

Clockwork Angel is the first novel in the Infernal Devices series and is the prequel to the highly successful Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. Over the past few weeks I’ve been hearing reviews mostly to the tune of “ZOMG, SO GOOD”, in regards to this book. So, not that I needed much encouragement, having already been a die-hard fan of The Mortal Instruments, I decided to see what all the fuss was about.

The story is set in Victorian London and centers on Tessa Gray who has just arrived from New York to join her brother Nate after the death of their Aunt. Tessa barely sets foot on English soil before she’s kidnapped by The Dark Sisters – a wicked pair of warlocks who have hidden Nate and taken him hostage. In return for her brother’s safety Tessa is tortured into uncovering a shape shifting ability she never knew she had.

The Magister knew of it though. He is the leader of the Pandemonium Club, a mysterious club where humans and Downworlders (vampires, warlocks, faeries, werewolves) mix and he wants control of Tessa’s unique ability.

While uncovering murders linked to the club, Tessa is discovered and rescued by the Shadowhunters – Nephilim who are the children of Angels and humans who have sworn to protect humans from demons. Taking refuge at the London Institute Tessa enlists the help of the Shadowhunters to find her brother while she helps them uncover the dark plan to wipe out their kind…

When Clockwork Angel arrived in the mail I did a bit of a dance, I was that excited. I was Shadowhunter starved! A year had passed since her last book release and I was missing the sarcasm that Cassandra Clare does so well, and she definitely delivered. It took a bit of time in the beginning to adjust to the new time period and things took a bit of time to get going because a whole lot of groundwork needed to be laid before the story was able to gain some speed.

There’s no shortage of action in this book and can be quite creepy at times thanks to the evil clockwork minions of the Magister, made from the bodies of the dead. That, plus London’s notoriously bleak weather give the book quite a dark quality.

For me, Cassandra Clare’s standout talent as a writer is her ability to create such loveable, dynamic characters. The new characters we meet in this story are no exception. We see a few familiar last names – Herondale, Lightwood, Wayland, all being the ancestors of the characters were knew and loved from The Mortal Instruments (including Magnus Bane!) We’re also presented with a bunch of new characters as well.

It probably wasn’t until Magnus showed up though that I realized just how much I had missed the Shdowhunter world. He was his charming self as always and even though in this book his appearance was briefer than I’d have preferred, he was still great. Plus, it’s Magnus that leaves us with a great cliffhanger right at the end.

Our main character, Tessa, definitely has spunk.  She’s a lady with all the politeness and proper manners that go hand –in-hand with the time period, but when it comes down to it she puts up a hell of a fight and has a comeback for any snarky comment Will throws her way.

Speaking of Will; this guy is badass. His only downfall is that he’s also an a-hole. With his dark hair and blue eyes he’s beautifully sexy and has the kind of wit and classic one-liners that we’ve come to love from Jace in TMI. As Jace’s ancestor it’s clear that’s one of the character traits he’s passed down. Like most characters in this book, Will has a dark and mysterious past, which is apparently the reason he’s a jerk to most people and keeps them at arm’s length. Everyone except his best friend and parabatai, Jem.

Jem though, has dark secrets of his own, secrets which are destroying him from the inside out. He’s the only one who’s been able to get close to Will and balances out Will’s snark with his calm, soothing demeanor. With his silver hair and musical skills Jem’s a charmer simply by being a gentleman. He catches your attention with his subtleties.

The blurb hypes the three of them to be caught in a fierce love triangle but it’s not really the case – at least not in this book. It seems clear which of the two boys Tessa prefers (but if she was smart she wouldn’t…) but we’ll see how that’ll unfold in the next books.

There’s no denying there’s a well thought out plot here. Though it seems the plot moves Tessa rather than her driving the plot, it still twists, turns and weaves brilliantly, especially at the end – right when you think you know where everyone stands, it gets turned on its head which was really great. It was also great to see Shadowhunters from the perspective of a Downworlder, at times it made them appear very elitist and superior.

We also get to see the role of women during the period from different angles from each of the ladies we meet in the book. From Jessamine who wants a more traditional life, to Charlotte who is bending the rules and pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable for a lady to do (and without a corset too!)

By the end there are still so many questions left hanging you double check the last page to see if there’s even a sentence or two more to answer at least one, but no such luck.

This is a stunning novel and it’s going to be an agonizing wait for the next book but I know it’ll be worth it. It’s a fresh take on a period piece so expect action, many lines of great, quotable dialogue, a bit of romance and plenty of Shadowhunter mystery. A huuuuuuge thumbs up!

Pages: 488
Publication Date: August 31^st 2010
Rating: :

Teaser Quote:  “That was enterprising,” Will sounded nearly impressed.

Nate smiled. Tessa shot him a furious look. “Don’t look pleased with yourself. When Will says ‘enterprising’ he means ‘morally deficient.’”

“No, I mean enterprising,” said Will. “When I mean morally deficient, I say, ‘Now, that’s something I would have done.”