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Sonja Blue #1-3 omnibus
Midnight Blue: The Sonja Blue Collection
White Wolf proudly announces the return of Sonja Blue, the powerful and intriguing vampiress chronicled in Sunglasses After Dark and In the Blood. This third novel in the popular series becomes available for the first time in this trade paperback omnibus collection containing all of the award-winning Sonja Blue novels in their entirety.
Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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644 people want to read
About the author
Nancy A. Collins
337 books672 followersNancy A. Collins (born 10 September 1959) is a United States horror fiction writer best known for her series of vampire novels featuring her character Sonja Blue. Collins has also written for comic books, including the Swamp Thing series, Jason Vs. Leatherface, Predator: Hell Come A Walkin and her own one-shot Dhampire: Stillborn.
Collins was born in McGehee, Arkansas, United States. She lived in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1980s; after time in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia she settled in Wilmington, North Carolina in the late 2000s.
Collins has written twenty novels since 1989, many of which refer to and directly include races of creatures the author calls Pretenders, monsters from myth and legend passing as human to better hunt their prey.
Collins has also written a number of highly acclaimed Southern Gothic short stories and novellas, most of which are set in Seven Devils, Arkansas, a highly fictionalized version of her hometown.
Most recently, she has focused her attention onto the Golgotham urban fantasy series,published by Penguin. Golgotham is the 'supernatural' ghetto of New York City, where creatures from myth and folklore--including witches,shapeshifters,leprechauns and centaurs--live and work in uneasy alliance with mankind.
Collins was born in McGehee, Arkansas, United States. She lived in New Orleans, Louisiana in the 1980s; after time in New York City and Atlanta, Georgia she settled in Wilmington, North Carolina in the late 2000s.
Collins has written twenty novels since 1989, many of which refer to and directly include races of creatures the author calls Pretenders, monsters from myth and legend passing as human to better hunt their prey.
Collins has also written a number of highly acclaimed Southern Gothic short stories and novellas, most of which are set in Seven Devils, Arkansas, a highly fictionalized version of her hometown.
Most recently, she has focused her attention onto the Golgotham urban fantasy series,published by Penguin. Golgotham is the 'supernatural' ghetto of New York City, where creatures from myth and folklore--including witches,shapeshifters,leprechauns and centaurs--live and work in uneasy alliance with mankind.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 86 reviews
April 24, 2009
Outside of the fact that the vampire as hero has gotten WAY too overdone, my other complaint is that there just aren't enough female vampire heroines out there to balance the testosterone. It's almost sexist how female vamps get short shrift in popular literature. I mean come on, what's not to like about being forever young without the use of botox, never gaining weight, and being able to have as many lovers as one could ever want without getting a nasty STD or pregnant?
Hence, one of my favorite authors, Nancy Collins to the rescue.
Sonja Blue is trying to find the man who changed her from party-going "it" girl into a bloodsucking avenging angel who preys on other vampires--especially those who target humans as prey. However, that doesn't make her a nice lady. She's fanged and armed with a switchblade and she's not always the reasonable type.
I just love this novel because it's dark and brings back the horror of what vampirism really is. The paranormal vampire romance, in its zeal to make vampires alluring, has pretty much defanged these predators and in a lot of cases put them on a short leash. Sometimes, we need books like this to remind us what Stoker and leFanu were actually trying to tell us.
Hence, one of my favorite authors, Nancy Collins to the rescue.
Sonja Blue is trying to find the man who changed her from party-going "it" girl into a bloodsucking avenging angel who preys on other vampires--especially those who target humans as prey. However, that doesn't make her a nice lady. She's fanged and armed with a switchblade and she's not always the reasonable type.
I just love this novel because it's dark and brings back the horror of what vampirism really is. The paranormal vampire romance, in its zeal to make vampires alluring, has pretty much defanged these predators and in a lot of cases put them on a short leash. Sometimes, we need books like this to remind us what Stoker and leFanu were actually trying to tell us.
August 11, 2008
This is NOT your typical brooding romantic vampire story. Ohhhh, no. This is a gritty urban cyberpunk trilogy that starts off with a young woman left for dead after a vampire attack.
Back in the day, she would have died, only to climb out of her grave a shambling, dull-witted revenant. But here, thanks to modern medicine, she survives. Kind of. But - with all the extra vampire goodies like enhanced strength and night vision, and her brain at full strength, just... traumatized.
She's going to break out of the asylum one of these days, with a new name for the new being she has become. And boy, is she pissed.
Watch out, vampires! Sonja Blue is after you!
Back in the day, she would have died, only to climb out of her grave a shambling, dull-witted revenant. But here, thanks to modern medicine, she survives. Kind of. But - with all the extra vampire goodies like enhanced strength and night vision, and her brain at full strength, just... traumatized.
She's going to break out of the asylum one of these days, with a new name for the new being she has become. And boy, is she pissed.
Watch out, vampires! Sonja Blue is after you!
July 11, 2009
I first read Nancy A. Collins in The Vampire Sextette, and loved her. I got the Sonja Blue collection right after.
It's sad that Collins gets overlooked as people go for the vampire as romantic hero books. She shouldn't be. The Sonja Blue novels are dark and violent, but more real in that sense. This isn't your child's twilight vampire. This isn't your romantic seducer. This is a predator. They bite. This is an adult vampire novel.
Additionally, the series is nice because Blue is a conflicted woman, but not conflicted over which guy she loves or lusts after. She is conflicted over more serious and deadly issues. I find it interesting that Blue in large part is shaped by the men around her, but than rejects them. In a large sense, the series is about Blue becoming who she wants to be, not what others want her to be. Something many women can identify with.
It's sad that Collins gets overlooked as people go for the vampire as romantic hero books. She shouldn't be. The Sonja Blue novels are dark and violent, but more real in that sense. This isn't your child's twilight vampire. This isn't your romantic seducer. This is a predator. They bite. This is an adult vampire novel.
Additionally, the series is nice because Blue is a conflicted woman, but not conflicted over which guy she loves or lusts after. She is conflicted over more serious and deadly issues. I find it interesting that Blue in large part is shaped by the men around her, but than rejects them. In a large sense, the series is about Blue becoming who she wants to be, not what others want her to be. Something many women can identify with.
August 19, 2009
An interesting take on the vampire genre. Sonja Blue is a vampire hunter... and also a vampire herself. She struggles to keep the human part of her alive, while battling the dark "Other" within. The duality is quite interesting.
Over the course of the three novels in this "horrorpunk" series, Sonja searches for her maker, the powerful ancient vampire who raped and (almost) killed her two decades ago. She doesn't mind ridding the world of a few other vamps and other evil creatures along the way.
In the Sonja Blue universe, many supernatural beings try to pass for human (they are called Pretenders): vampires, seraphs, ogres, ghosts, to name a few. Author Nancy Collins does not glamorize any of them. In fact, the books are quite gruesome. Her imagery is incredibly well-written, to the point where I physically felt sick reading certain scenes. These books are definitely not for weak dispositions. There were a few times I had to put the collection down and read something else for a while. This is real horror fiction and it hits you right in the gut.
I'm not usually a fan of gore (I can't even watch horror films anymore) but these books are so original and the plot is very well-developed. I would recommend reading the entire collection, not just one or two of the three books, for the full story arc.
I definitely appreciate the strong female lead character (finally! in a horror novel!). Imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but a lot less likable and so much more hardcore.
Over the course of the three novels in this "horrorpunk" series, Sonja searches for her maker, the powerful ancient vampire who raped and (almost) killed her two decades ago. She doesn't mind ridding the world of a few other vamps and other evil creatures along the way.
In the Sonja Blue universe, many supernatural beings try to pass for human (they are called Pretenders): vampires, seraphs, ogres, ghosts, to name a few. Author Nancy Collins does not glamorize any of them. In fact, the books are quite gruesome. Her imagery is incredibly well-written, to the point where I physically felt sick reading certain scenes. These books are definitely not for weak dispositions. There were a few times I had to put the collection down and read something else for a while. This is real horror fiction and it hits you right in the gut.
I'm not usually a fan of gore (I can't even watch horror films anymore) but these books are so original and the plot is very well-developed. I would recommend reading the entire collection, not just one or two of the three books, for the full story arc.
I definitely appreciate the strong female lead character (finally! in a horror novel!). Imagine Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but a lot less likable and so much more hardcore.
February 7, 2012
Last but not least I want to mention Midnight Blue: The Sonja Blue Collection by Nancy Collins which was released in 1995. This book is a compilation of three novels(Sunglasses After Dark, In The Blood and Paint It Black) that follow the adventures of the living vampire Sonja Blue. Sonja was only 18 years old when she was raped and fed on by a vampire. She was left on the street to die but miraculously she survived, sort of. She becomes a vampire but she never died, making her a living vampire. Now her goal is to find the vampire that changed her, kill him and get her life back.
In Sonja’s world she not only has to deal with other vampires but she also has to battle ogres, demons and religious zealots. The thing that sets Sonja apart from every other vampire character that I’ve read about, is that she is not conflicted about who she is. She is an anti-hero, she is out to kill vampires she also hurts innocent humans in the process but doesn’t feel guilty about it.
In this book Sonja has opportunities to be happy and falls in love but because she is obsessed with revenge she doesn’t get what she truly wants. The only thing I didn’t like about Sonja Blue was how it ended, but if you want to read a fun, blood soaked vampire book then check out Midnight Blue.
In Sonja’s world she not only has to deal with other vampires but she also has to battle ogres, demons and religious zealots. The thing that sets Sonja apart from every other vampire character that I’ve read about, is that she is not conflicted about who she is. She is an anti-hero, she is out to kill vampires she also hurts innocent humans in the process but doesn’t feel guilty about it.
In this book Sonja has opportunities to be happy and falls in love but because she is obsessed with revenge she doesn’t get what she truly wants. The only thing I didn’t like about Sonja Blue was how it ended, but if you want to read a fun, blood soaked vampire book then check out Midnight Blue.
October 12, 2017
Quando ultimamente as prateleiras das livrarias estão recheadas de vampiros sensuais, "perigosos" e um tanto "xoninhas" (sendo o Edward de "Crespúsculo o expoente máximo de "vampiro xoninhas"), é refrescante encontrar criaturas que, apesar de sensuais e inteligentes, são realmente monstruosas e com uma humanidade a rondar a inexistência.
Certo que o género em questão é datado. O Horror Punk esteve em voga nos anos 90, até alguns dos principais autores do género (entre os quais a Nancy A. Collins) decidirem explorar paisagens mais agradáveis. No geral, eram histórias urbanas, violentas e com uma forte componente "gore". Embora esta série tem todas estas características, vai um pouco mais longe.
Sonja Blue é uma protagonista forte, brutal e carismática, que carrega esta série aos ombros, coadjuvada por personagens secundárias cativantes e vilões absolutamente deliciosos. A violência não chega a ser gratuita, mas está bem presente ao longo dos três livros, o que não é de estranhar se tivermos em consideração que a protagonista é uma caçadora de monstros. Mas não é pelo “blood & gore” que não aconselho esta série aos fracos de estômago, mas pelo sentimento de ausência de esperança que se vai, inevitavelmente, formando no espírito do leitor. Sonja Blue é um monstro que caça outros como ela. Ela tenta, a todo o custo, manter a sua humanidade, o que não é uma tarefa fácil quando todas as suas esperanças são destruídas juntamente com aqueles que ela ama ou poderia ter amado. No fim, Sonja está sozinha, entregue a si própria e em conflito consigo mesma (de uma forma bastante literal!).
A protagonista movimenta-se entre a escória da Humanidade, mas também do sobrenatural, nas zonas mais decadentes das cidades. Se estão à espera de glamour, esqueçam. O cenário é escuro, sujo e pesado, onde o humor negro e personagens com um charme muito especial têm espaço para brilhar. O mundo criado pela autora (o The Real World) é povoado por todo o tipo de criaturas: vampiros, lobisomens, vários tipos de demónios, serafins... cada uma delas com as suas tradições e segredos.
O que todas estas criaturas têm em comum é o facto de se esconderem da Humanidade. São “Pretenders”, ou seja, tentam passar por humanos para melhor poderem caçar as suas presas e escaparem aos caçadores. Mesmo hoje, a abordagem que a autora faz dos vampiros, e das outras criaturas sobrenaturais, consegue ser original.
As personagens secundários são muito cativantes, mas a cereja no topo do bolo são os vilões. É raro encontrar vilões consistentes e este são-no, especialmente quando percebemos o que os motiva. A doentia relação de amor-ódio que a Sonja mantém com o seu criador é muito bem explorada, especialmente no terceiro livro. E sim, há romance... Mas não esperem os típicos romances dos vampiros do século XXI, porque também o romance acaba por ser sugado pela espiral de desesperança do mundo criado por Nancy A. Collins.
É uma pena que esta série não seja mais conhecida, mesmo entre os fãs de vampiros. Recomendo a todos aqueles que estão fartos de vampiros “vegetarianos” e anseiam por um reencontro com os verdadeiros monstros.
Certo que o género em questão é datado. O Horror Punk esteve em voga nos anos 90, até alguns dos principais autores do género (entre os quais a Nancy A. Collins) decidirem explorar paisagens mais agradáveis. No geral, eram histórias urbanas, violentas e com uma forte componente "gore". Embora esta série tem todas estas características, vai um pouco mais longe.
Sonja Blue é uma protagonista forte, brutal e carismática, que carrega esta série aos ombros, coadjuvada por personagens secundárias cativantes e vilões absolutamente deliciosos. A violência não chega a ser gratuita, mas está bem presente ao longo dos três livros, o que não é de estranhar se tivermos em consideração que a protagonista é uma caçadora de monstros. Mas não é pelo “blood & gore” que não aconselho esta série aos fracos de estômago, mas pelo sentimento de ausência de esperança que se vai, inevitavelmente, formando no espírito do leitor. Sonja Blue é um monstro que caça outros como ela. Ela tenta, a todo o custo, manter a sua humanidade, o que não é uma tarefa fácil quando todas as suas esperanças são destruídas juntamente com aqueles que ela ama ou poderia ter amado. No fim, Sonja está sozinha, entregue a si própria e em conflito consigo mesma (de uma forma bastante literal!).
A protagonista movimenta-se entre a escória da Humanidade, mas também do sobrenatural, nas zonas mais decadentes das cidades. Se estão à espera de glamour, esqueçam. O cenário é escuro, sujo e pesado, onde o humor negro e personagens com um charme muito especial têm espaço para brilhar. O mundo criado pela autora (o The Real World) é povoado por todo o tipo de criaturas: vampiros, lobisomens, vários tipos de demónios, serafins... cada uma delas com as suas tradições e segredos.
O que todas estas criaturas têm em comum é o facto de se esconderem da Humanidade. São “Pretenders”, ou seja, tentam passar por humanos para melhor poderem caçar as suas presas e escaparem aos caçadores. Mesmo hoje, a abordagem que a autora faz dos vampiros, e das outras criaturas sobrenaturais, consegue ser original.
As personagens secundários são muito cativantes, mas a cereja no topo do bolo são os vilões. É raro encontrar vilões consistentes e este são-no, especialmente quando percebemos o que os motiva. A doentia relação de amor-ódio que a Sonja mantém com o seu criador é muito bem explorada, especialmente no terceiro livro. E sim, há romance... Mas não esperem os típicos romances dos vampiros do século XXI, porque também o romance acaba por ser sugado pela espiral de desesperança do mundo criado por Nancy A. Collins.
É uma pena que esta série não seja mais conhecida, mesmo entre os fãs de vampiros. Recomendo a todos aqueles que estão fartos de vampiros “vegetarianos” e anseiam por um reencontro com os verdadeiros monstros.
October 20, 2016
LOVE this book. Discovered it a long time ago, while still high school. I've read it SO much, that the binding finally broke & I ended up losing approx 100+ pages right in the middle.
March 25, 2009
I had my kids read this after the hullabaloo over Twilight series. I'm old school I guess and like the vampiric tale to be a bit dark. You'll be hard pressed to find darker than Sonja. Been a while since I read it but I certainly enjoyed it. Not high literature and it is is what it is but the author is inventive and her stories evolve the character and were creative. I give her credit to not just simply grind out stories to appeal to her fan base and thereby diluting the strength of her take on the vampire concept. She has only 4 full lengths books of which this is a collection of the first 3. After the fourth she felt she had taken it as far as she could and has moved onto other works.
Sonja's tales are more in the Punk/Gothic vein - a visualization of Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's Dead" song. Take that starting point and add some special effects movie stylings and you pretty much have the Sonja Blue effect. Pretty bloody and crazed at times and not at all romantic, shedding all that swooning and opting for carnage. At the same time, typical in this day she is conflicted and strives to keep the devil inside her controlled - not always successful I should say. Smart mouthed and cynical she carries on the tradition of the world-weary survivor in dangerous creepy environment. And will she ultimately succumb to her Chaotic Animus?
Well even though I read these several years ago they were quite enjoyable and her character is memorable. When you want a bit of horror, some Grand Guinol humor and a bit of punk/gothic mannerisms you can do no better than with Miss Blue.
Date Read is simply a guess - but it was around when the collection was available in science fiction book club
Sonja's tales are more in the Punk/Gothic vein - a visualization of Bauhaus' "Bela Lugosi's Dead" song. Take that starting point and add some special effects movie stylings and you pretty much have the Sonja Blue effect. Pretty bloody and crazed at times and not at all romantic, shedding all that swooning and opting for carnage. At the same time, typical in this day she is conflicted and strives to keep the devil inside her controlled - not always successful I should say. Smart mouthed and cynical she carries on the tradition of the world-weary survivor in dangerous creepy environment. And will she ultimately succumb to her Chaotic Animus?
Well even though I read these several years ago they were quite enjoyable and her character is memorable. When you want a bit of horror, some Grand Guinol humor and a bit of punk/gothic mannerisms you can do no better than with Miss Blue.
Date Read is simply a guess - but it was around when the collection was available in science fiction book club
November 4, 2011
Kick-ass female vampire/vampire slayer. What's not to like? Dark, dangerous, at times violent...and nobody sparkles.
That's a pretty short review, and I know it doesn't do this collection justice (Midnight Blue contains 3 of Collins' 4 novels featuring Sonja Blue). Collins' series has been described as "a gritty urban cyberpunk trilogy," and I'd say that's pretty accurate.
Sonja was 18 years old when she was raped and fed on by a vampire. She was left on the street to die but she survived, sort of. She doesn't die and come back to life, but she takes on most vampire traits and becomes a living vampire (hybrid?). And now, armed with a switchblade and fangs of her own, her goal is revenge -- to find the vampire that changed her and kill him. Along the way she also kills other vampires (especially those who prey on humans) and supernatural beings (seraphs, ogres, ghosts, etc.), as well as the occasional human.
What I like about the character is she's not conflicted about who she is. Though she struggles to keep the human part of her alive while battling the dark "Other" inside her, she doesn't let this duality get in the way of kicking some ass, and she doesn't feel guilty about any of it.
Note: Collins pulls no punches -- these books are not for the weak of heart or disposition.
That's a pretty short review, and I know it doesn't do this collection justice (Midnight Blue contains 3 of Collins' 4 novels featuring Sonja Blue). Collins' series has been described as "a gritty urban cyberpunk trilogy," and I'd say that's pretty accurate.
Sonja was 18 years old when she was raped and fed on by a vampire. She was left on the street to die but she survived, sort of. She doesn't die and come back to life, but she takes on most vampire traits and becomes a living vampire (hybrid?). And now, armed with a switchblade and fangs of her own, her goal is revenge -- to find the vampire that changed her and kill him. Along the way she also kills other vampires (especially those who prey on humans) and supernatural beings (seraphs, ogres, ghosts, etc.), as well as the occasional human.
What I like about the character is she's not conflicted about who she is. Though she struggles to keep the human part of her alive while battling the dark "Other" inside her, she doesn't let this duality get in the way of kicking some ass, and she doesn't feel guilty about any of it.
Note: Collins pulls no punches -- these books are not for the weak of heart or disposition.
May 27, 2015
Since I don't normally write reviews unless I have something specific to say, here's the break down of how I rate my books...
1 star... This book was bad, so bad I may have given up and skipped to the end. I will avoid this author like the plague in the future.
2 stars... This book was not very good, and I won't be reading any more from the author.
3 stars... This book was ok, but I won't go out of my way to read more, But if I find another book by the author for under a dollar I'd pick it up.
4 stars... I really enjoyed this book and will definitely be on the look out to pick up more from the series/author.
5 stars... I loved this book! It has earned a permanent home in my collection and I'll be picking up the rest of the series and other books from the author ASAP.
August 7, 2020
Sunglasses After Dark-
“I wear my sunglasses at night
So I can, so I can
Watch you weave then breathe your story lines”
The first thing that comes to my head is Corey Hart’s Sunglasses at Night lyrics. It just fits.
Now that I’ve thrown your attention off…
If you are looking for a vampire story, you sure found the right book. Full of blood, gore and plenty of action this series is not your typical full-on romance story telling fantasy. Fare warning, if you do not like horror, sexual references and drug mentions this is not the book for you.
Denise Thorne is a young rich girl looking to step her foot into an adult world. It all happens in a club in London, with music blaring form the speakers and champagne in hand Denise is having the time of her life dancing with Lord Morgan.
Thinking all of her dreams are coming true, Morgan asks Denise to go out and enjoy the perfect night. So the get into his Rolls Royce and it off to lovey dovey fantasy land. Wrong. Denise quickly finds herself being driven by a vampire and then Morgan shows his true intentions, brutally raping Denise and leaving her for dead on the side of the road.
Unbeknown to Morgan, Denise survives however a new other is born insider her as well. This struggle of human and demon inside her create a difficult push and pull of viciousness and remorse throughout the entire series. Sonja finds herself at odds with herself and having difficulty accepting what she has become. In this story we learn about her struggle to survive this change and the evangelist queen Catherine Wheeler.
The book started of with a nice amount of gore and blood spilled. This kept me intrigued as well as the pages turning. Unraveling the story of Sonja Blue was interesting as she is different from other vampires. My initial interest and connection is the Thirst series by Christopher Pike. But these are very different vampiric chicks.
The powers both psychic and physical are well played out and flowed well through this first book. Sonja is tough as nails, pretty much immortal. Even the sun and silver do not affect her unlike other vampires.
Book Two: In the Blood:
This book Sonja Blue is out again and solely focused on finding her creator, the monster who forcibly raped and left her for dead unknowingly creating something with the power to destroy him as well.
With the help of a private detective, Palmer, sent to her by a ancient noble vampire who turns out to be her grandpa in a sense. She is able to learn more about Morgan as well as herself. The journey to the final battle is long and while it is lengthy, it comes quick jumping some gaps in the story that I would have enjoyed more depth in. The world of pretenders and these different beings co-existing under our very noses is such a great concept. We meet very few other pretenders, mostly ogres and the few other vampires that mostly Sonja just kills.
Throughout the book we see Sonja go back and forth with herself, and see her struggle with herself and Palmer slowly accept his place as well. He doesn’t like to admit it but he knows he is a renfield. He finds himself quickly in love with Sonja and I enjoy his story and where he ends up in the end.
Sonja on the other hand, in a way begins to not make much sense. She begins losing her toughness and showing emotion but end up being too much emotion and less action. Towards the end the final battle with Morgan is great, the ending is kind of hmmppphh but I will let you decide for yourself.
Book 3: Paint it Black -
The third book in the Sonja Blue series. This book begins with Palmer looking after Lethe and Sonja on the hint for Morgan who somehow survived the last battle. The hunt for Morgan and the killing of The Wretched Fly was entertaining. There is action and blood to keep the pages turning.
Sonja again goes back and forth within herself with what she wants to do and who she is and this ends up changing the story in a very dramatic way. At least for me. We are introduced to Judd at some point and he could have easily been forgotten and moved on and kept the drama with Palmer and raising Lethe while hinting Morgan or figuring out her other self but instead we get the rape of Judd and this guilt trip of Sonja hating herself. This causes a shift in the story where Sonja begins losing it again and Palmer begins to lose it as well.
We lose a lot of monstrous vibes, lets herself off guard way more than she should as such a strong vampire. Pangloss and his loss was interesting and really puts into perspective death and the purpose of life. The idea of living forever and immortality may seem like the greatest thing but in a way it takes away our mortality. We lose sight of any goals and ambition and only watch other come and go with no real purpose. The purpose of life cannot be measure by time or power but with being present.
Throughout this story Lethe has grown sleeps with Palmer and jumps on a quest to sleep with 25 other qualified men to start a new race of beings balancing the races between supernatural and human. I can see how this adds more to the story; it definitely opens up space for more books. But I found this part lacking. I would have enjoyed more detail and dialogue from Lethe. She just kind of cocooned, Palmer lost it, Sonja lost it and then she starts preparing for a new race. It just seemed a little rushed,
Finally we arrive at the final battle. The creator himself Lord Morgan. With the advantage of manipulating Sonja while she is lost within herself, he has a pretty good opportunity to take the upper hand. I was kind of disappointed at how easily he was able to over power her and not really see to much action between them. The fight between Sonja and the Other was great. Seeing the other for the first time and in turn watching Sonja transform herself was detailed and exciting. The ending was rather another bittersweet disappointment leaving me wanting more action.
“I wear my sunglasses at night
So I can, so I can
Watch you weave then breathe your story lines”
The first thing that comes to my head is Corey Hart’s Sunglasses at Night lyrics. It just fits.
Now that I’ve thrown your attention off…
If you are looking for a vampire story, you sure found the right book. Full of blood, gore and plenty of action this series is not your typical full-on romance story telling fantasy. Fare warning, if you do not like horror, sexual references and drug mentions this is not the book for you.
Denise Thorne is a young rich girl looking to step her foot into an adult world. It all happens in a club in London, with music blaring form the speakers and champagne in hand Denise is having the time of her life dancing with Lord Morgan.
Thinking all of her dreams are coming true, Morgan asks Denise to go out and enjoy the perfect night. So the get into his Rolls Royce and it off to lovey dovey fantasy land. Wrong. Denise quickly finds herself being driven by a vampire and then Morgan shows his true intentions, brutally raping Denise and leaving her for dead on the side of the road.
Unbeknown to Morgan, Denise survives however a new other is born insider her as well. This struggle of human and demon inside her create a difficult push and pull of viciousness and remorse throughout the entire series. Sonja finds herself at odds with herself and having difficulty accepting what she has become. In this story we learn about her struggle to survive this change and the evangelist queen Catherine Wheeler.
The book started of with a nice amount of gore and blood spilled. This kept me intrigued as well as the pages turning. Unraveling the story of Sonja Blue was interesting as she is different from other vampires. My initial interest and connection is the Thirst series by Christopher Pike. But these are very different vampiric chicks.
The powers both psychic and physical are well played out and flowed well through this first book. Sonja is tough as nails, pretty much immortal. Even the sun and silver do not affect her unlike other vampires.
Book Two: In the Blood:
This book Sonja Blue is out again and solely focused on finding her creator, the monster who forcibly raped and left her for dead unknowingly creating something with the power to destroy him as well.
With the help of a private detective, Palmer, sent to her by a ancient noble vampire who turns out to be her grandpa in a sense. She is able to learn more about Morgan as well as herself. The journey to the final battle is long and while it is lengthy, it comes quick jumping some gaps in the story that I would have enjoyed more depth in. The world of pretenders and these different beings co-existing under our very noses is such a great concept. We meet very few other pretenders, mostly ogres and the few other vampires that mostly Sonja just kills.
Throughout the book we see Sonja go back and forth with herself, and see her struggle with herself and Palmer slowly accept his place as well. He doesn’t like to admit it but he knows he is a renfield. He finds himself quickly in love with Sonja and I enjoy his story and where he ends up in the end.
Sonja on the other hand, in a way begins to not make much sense. She begins losing her toughness and showing emotion but end up being too much emotion and less action. Towards the end the final battle with Morgan is great, the ending is kind of hmmppphh but I will let you decide for yourself.
Book 3: Paint it Black -
The third book in the Sonja Blue series. This book begins with Palmer looking after Lethe and Sonja on the hint for Morgan who somehow survived the last battle. The hunt for Morgan and the killing of The Wretched Fly was entertaining. There is action and blood to keep the pages turning.
Sonja again goes back and forth within herself with what she wants to do and who she is and this ends up changing the story in a very dramatic way. At least for me. We are introduced to Judd at some point and he could have easily been forgotten and moved on and kept the drama with Palmer and raising Lethe while hinting Morgan or figuring out her other self but instead we get the rape of Judd and this guilt trip of Sonja hating herself. This causes a shift in the story where Sonja begins losing it again and Palmer begins to lose it as well.
We lose a lot of monstrous vibes, lets herself off guard way more than she should as such a strong vampire. Pangloss and his loss was interesting and really puts into perspective death and the purpose of life. The idea of living forever and immortality may seem like the greatest thing but in a way it takes away our mortality. We lose sight of any goals and ambition and only watch other come and go with no real purpose. The purpose of life cannot be measure by time or power but with being present.
Throughout this story Lethe has grown sleeps with Palmer and jumps on a quest to sleep with 25 other qualified men to start a new race of beings balancing the races between supernatural and human. I can see how this adds more to the story; it definitely opens up space for more books. But I found this part lacking. I would have enjoyed more detail and dialogue from Lethe. She just kind of cocooned, Palmer lost it, Sonja lost it and then she starts preparing for a new race. It just seemed a little rushed,
Finally we arrive at the final battle. The creator himself Lord Morgan. With the advantage of manipulating Sonja while she is lost within herself, he has a pretty good opportunity to take the upper hand. I was kind of disappointed at how easily he was able to over power her and not really see to much action between them. The fight between Sonja and the Other was great. Seeing the other for the first time and in turn watching Sonja transform herself was detailed and exciting. The ending was rather another bittersweet disappointment leaving me wanting more action.
September 28, 2020
I am shocked at how quickly this 500+ page book went for me. This is not only a book about the hierarchy of vampires, but also the many different races of unusual creatures sharing the earth with us. This writer is very talented at painting pictures and setting scenes. I could see what was happening as though I was watching everything in a movie. But this movie would cost milions in CGI and special effects. It is a VERY GRAPHIC, VERY GORY, very dramatic story. Don't get attached to her boyfriends.
I enjoy Anne Rice a lot because she has created her very own intricate theology about how being a vampire works, but Nancy Collins blows that out of the water, using much more an action/adventure than romance. It was a very different type of book for me. I enjoyed it, but I don't know if I'd read another.
I was very glad that all three works were combined in the same book so I didn't have to tear up Amazon looking for the next one. Pure good against evil indulgence. But is Sonja really good?
I enjoy Anne Rice a lot because she has created her very own intricate theology about how being a vampire works, but Nancy Collins blows that out of the water, using much more an action/adventure than romance. It was a very different type of book for me. I enjoyed it, but I don't know if I'd read another.
I was very glad that all three works were combined in the same book so I didn't have to tear up Amazon looking for the next one. Pure good against evil indulgence. But is Sonja really good?
May 25, 2019
These vampires don't sparkle. This is a pre-Twilight vampire novel collection pretty much set in the 1980s and 1990s. If you're a fan of vampire novels (you know, with the non-glittery bloodsuckers), you'll want to try this one out.
August 10, 2023
We've had this book in our house for many years and I can't believe it took me so long to read it. It's outstanding! Sonja's story is brutal, at times poignant, and I have a need to read all I can about her.
January 20, 2024
Super weird series. I feel like I'm up for a lot of weird twists and turns, but this was high up there. I read the first book in the series, but was not interested enough to keep going with it. High horror content.
August 14, 2025
Really a great surprise. Started off weird and kinda slow given the first book is mostly flashbacks. book 2 was my favorite, but 3 keep me interested as well. I've already purchased the sequels to continue!
January 27, 2022
I love this collection!
July 4, 2025
This collection of vampire novels is brilliant but not for the faint of heart.
January 5, 2025
This is the... fourth or fifth time I've read this, I'm not sure. It's very good.
As it's a collection consisting of three different books, the tone of it changes somewhat with each book, and I have to say that of the three, I probably like In The Blood, the middle book, most of all.
Sunglasses After Dark is a very good stand alone novel, but it feels like it was written before Collins knew she would be writing more in the series. You could very happily read only that and be content. But because of that, it's slightly disconnected from the other two stories, given that they very much feed into one another.
The final book, Paint It Black... I don't like as much. It's written in a different style, it jumps around in space and between characters and in perspective a little more. And... yeah, it's not my preference. Not that it's bad. I just don't vibe with some of the choices. I do, however, quite like parts of it (the little sidebars with the "bridegrooms" and the babies), and I quite like the way the ending pulls everything together but still leaves room for more (and I just discovered there are two more books in the series, one of which is a World of Darkness crossover).
That's one of the things I like about these books, they're dark, they're gritty, they get right into the horror in a "things that are horrible in the real world, but ramped up to 11), and while this was published by White Wolf, they're not bound up in the "rules" of the World of Darkness universe books, which can get a little lore heavy at times.
An all round, solid set of vampire novels.
As it's a collection consisting of three different books, the tone of it changes somewhat with each book, and I have to say that of the three, I probably like In The Blood, the middle book, most of all.
Sunglasses After Dark is a very good stand alone novel, but it feels like it was written before Collins knew she would be writing more in the series. You could very happily read only that and be content. But because of that, it's slightly disconnected from the other two stories, given that they very much feed into one another.
The final book, Paint It Black... I don't like as much. It's written in a different style, it jumps around in space and between characters and in perspective a little more. And... yeah, it's not my preference. Not that it's bad. I just don't vibe with some of the choices. I do, however, quite like parts of it (the little sidebars with the "bridegrooms" and the babies), and I quite like the way the ending pulls everything together but still leaves room for more (and I just discovered there are two more books in the series, one of which is a World of Darkness crossover).
That's one of the things I like about these books, they're dark, they're gritty, they get right into the horror in a "things that are horrible in the real world, but ramped up to 11), and while this was published by White Wolf, they're not bound up in the "rules" of the World of Darkness universe books, which can get a little lore heavy at times.
An all round, solid set of vampire novels.
July 15, 2012
This is a great trio of books collected for convenience: Sunglasses After Dark, In the Blood and Paint it Black.
Sonja Blue is not a typical vampire. She's really only about half-way there. She's technically still alive, but technically drinks blood. She tends to come back to life after being shot, only to complain that her perfectly good leather jacket now has a hole in the back. She hunts ghouls, talks to ghosts, fights werewolves, and despises vampires. She also has a personality identification problem. There are at least three of her in her own head. Sometimes, you don't know which one you're talking to until she grows fangs and hisses.
Sonja Blue is not a typical vampire. She's really only about half-way there. She's technically still alive, but technically drinks blood. She tends to come back to life after being shot, only to complain that her perfectly good leather jacket now has a hole in the back. She hunts ghouls, talks to ghosts, fights werewolves, and despises vampires. She also has a personality identification problem. There are at least three of her in her own head. Sometimes, you don't know which one you're talking to until she grows fangs and hisses.
September 12, 2012
This book includes the entire Sonja Blue trilogy. I like the character Sonja and I found one of her boyfriends to be super-likable. These books are a bit too violent and focus a bit too much on humans' bad side than I'd prefer. The first book was a bit hard to get into, as books often can be when they're introducing a new "world" with new kinds of beings in it. The vampire stuff was pretty ok, in terms of the different kinds of powers that vampires happen to have based on circumstance and what one might call genetics. There's a lot about battles between good and evil, and a bit of outdated (racist) white views of people of color and their cultures.
April 1, 2025
I first ran into Collins's books in 1990 and found them a wonderful diversion. However, like many novels that enjoy popularity (especially for women dark fantasy authors of that decade), there seemed to be pressure from the publishing company to smother the initial creativity into a repeatable formula. There were sections of rebellion in her later work with the Sonja Blue character, where I thought "she's going to push it to a higher level," but then, too soon, predictable, blood-soaked, dreary chapters of "phoning it in." Unfortunately, phoning it in for Collins is top-flight writing for many of her rivals in the industry of punk-pulp. So what can you do?
September 3, 2007
I was mesmerized into reading yet another vampire/vampire slayer story. It must be that bat flitting around the balcony. Sonja Blue is a cranky punky nasty girl vampire, out to crack some nightmare skulls. Lots of fetishy scenes, but a bit too violent for my taste. The oppressiveness of the idea that the world is actually more mean and evil than it seems bummed me out a little too. One book has been done as a comic book, that I haven't looked at yet. I'll see how my stomach's feeling before I do. (February 11, 2004)
September 16, 2012
Sonja Blue was made into a vampire but wasn't killed. She has the urges of a vampire for blood and the strength. She has a need to find the man who made her into a vampire and to wreak a revenge on him.
It's full of the angst of the typical Wolf Vampire and with an underlying plot of change for the world. Sonja is very alone in the world and she is quite a hard person to like.
It contains the books Sunglasses After Dark; In the Blood and Paint it Black. The best are Sunglasses after Dark followed by Paint it Black.
It's full of the angst of the typical Wolf Vampire and with an underlying plot of change for the world. Sonja is very alone in the world and she is quite a hard person to like.
It contains the books Sunglasses After Dark; In the Blood and Paint it Black. The best are Sunglasses after Dark followed by Paint it Black.
August 5, 2008
Sonja Blue is the original punk vampire story that has never been equaled. Where some stories, hit at the beast lurking to pounce, Nancy Collins puts you right there with a young woman learning to live with the monster she has become.
She's a tangible character that tries hard to make something positive out of her situation but the reader is never allowed to forget that she's not completely in control. This ads an extra dimension to every relationship Sonja has, but you'll never know if she's going to keep them save or kill them herself.
I highly recommend any of the Sonja Blue stories.
She's a tangible character that tries hard to make something positive out of her situation but the reader is never allowed to forget that she's not completely in control. This ads an extra dimension to every relationship Sonja has, but you'll never know if she's going to keep them save or kill them herself.
I highly recommend any of the Sonja Blue stories.
July 1, 2011
KICK A** ANTIHERO!
I loved the main character she's crazy, vengeful and destructive with a sweet side which also doesn't take any crap from anyone. I was drawn into her world of vampires, the ogres tobacco demons and zealots. I read a lot of vampire books but this was the 1st dhampire book I ever read. The way she was infected was so unique and bleak.
I owned the 3 books individually and bought the omnibus because they were falling apart from the # of time I read them and loaned them out.
Every vampire fan must read.
I loved the main character she's crazy, vengeful and destructive with a sweet side which also doesn't take any crap from anyone. I was drawn into her world of vampires, the ogres tobacco demons and zealots. I read a lot of vampire books but this was the 1st dhampire book I ever read. The way she was infected was so unique and bleak.
I owned the 3 books individually and bought the omnibus because they were falling apart from the # of time I read them and loaned them out.
Every vampire fan must read.
April 9, 2009
Nancy Collins is a fabulous author and while she does not write as often as this reader would like, her books are absolutely amazing. This particular book is obviously a collection of several of her previous books. While I loved this book from cover to cover (and have read it at least 20 times), it may not by suited for all readers. It does have some off beat, graphic (so to speak) violence in it that might put some readers off. This author is definately not afraid to dig deeper and darker then most. It is a true treasure in my library.
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