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The Strigoi #1
Vampire Origins - Project Ichorous
From the Christian Crusades to the war in Afghanistan, the Vampire Origins series seamlessly weaves historical fact with vampire fiction.
Exploring the origins of five very different vampire tribes - Strigoi, Cambion, Strix, Nosferatu and Bretonnian - the series opens with Book 1 of the Strigoi series; Project Ichorous.
He slaughtered 30,000 in one night in Jerusalem and impaled 100,000 more in Romania in the 1400s. Now Vlad has discovered a way to enslave humans and rule the world - and this time, the death toll will be catastrophic.
Only one thing can put an end to his plans - a Strigoi human. And Vlad will stop at nothing to eradicate every last one.
Scarlett Fraser has no idea she's the very thing Vlad is hunting, or that the castle her dad is renovating is ground zero for Vlad's Ichorous Project and his plans for world domination.
She can stop Vlad and save the world but she must stay human long enough to do so.
As Scarlett is about to discover, staying human is a lot easier said than done.
Exploring the origins of five very different vampire tribes - Strigoi, Cambion, Strix, Nosferatu and Bretonnian - the series opens with Book 1 of the Strigoi series; Project Ichorous.
He slaughtered 30,000 in one night in Jerusalem and impaled 100,000 more in Romania in the 1400s. Now Vlad has discovered a way to enslave humans and rule the world - and this time, the death toll will be catastrophic.
Only one thing can put an end to his plans - a Strigoi human. And Vlad will stop at nothing to eradicate every last one.
Scarlett Fraser has no idea she's the very thing Vlad is hunting, or that the castle her dad is renovating is ground zero for Vlad's Ichorous Project and his plans for world domination.
She can stop Vlad and save the world but she must stay human long enough to do so.
As Scarlett is about to discover, staying human is a lot easier said than done.
377 pages, Paperback
First published April 19, 2013
6 people are currently reading
2290 people want to read
About the author
Riley Banks
3 books240 followers"Creating stories you won't want to leave."
With over fifteen years in journalism and over a decade living overseas, Riley Banks knows how to tell a tale or two. Her fast paced novels hook readers and keep them hooked to the very last word.
Riley creates worlds readers won't want to leave.
Whether she's writing sexy, adult novels or action packed YA, you can rely on her signature to shine through: Fast pace, gripping suspense and characters so rich and bold they will stay with you long after you finish.
Her Vampire Origins series is already being touted as the next big thing in YA literature. Packed full of action, adventure, romance, and evil, Vampire Origins weaves historical fact with fiction to explore the origins of five very different vampire tribes: Strigoi, Cambion, Bretonnian, Strix, and Nosferatu.
Riley's debut novel, The William S Club, is an erotic thriller jam-packed full of passion, corruption, secrets and blackmail. It takes the reader on an edge-of-your-seat ride through France, Italy, Dubai and Australia.
For more information on her work, visit her website: http://www.rileybanks.net
With over fifteen years in journalism and over a decade living overseas, Riley Banks knows how to tell a tale or two. Her fast paced novels hook readers and keep them hooked to the very last word.
Riley creates worlds readers won't want to leave.
Whether she's writing sexy, adult novels or action packed YA, you can rely on her signature to shine through: Fast pace, gripping suspense and characters so rich and bold they will stay with you long after you finish.
Her Vampire Origins series is already being touted as the next big thing in YA literature. Packed full of action, adventure, romance, and evil, Vampire Origins weaves historical fact with fiction to explore the origins of five very different vampire tribes: Strigoi, Cambion, Bretonnian, Strix, and Nosferatu.
Riley's debut novel, The William S Club, is an erotic thriller jam-packed full of passion, corruption, secrets and blackmail. It takes the reader on an edge-of-your-seat ride through France, Italy, Dubai and Australia.
For more information on her work, visit her website: http://www.rileybanks.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
July 1, 2013
Riley Banks has created a YA vampire classic with Vampire Origins - Project Ichorous. She has deftly interwoven our violent history stretching back thousands of years to explain the need for vampires to control our destiny.
I loved the way the story begins with the Romanoffs saving two of their children, Alex and Anna by walling them up. Through a hole in the wall, young Alex witnesses the horrific murder of his royal family by the Bolsheviks.
Alex and Anna are saved, taken to a castle in Romania where they are converted into vampires by the Evil Vlad Strigoi. Vlad is head vampire of the Strigoi clan. He is ruthless, cruel and plans world domination with his Ichorous Project.
But Vlad doesn't expect a sweet 17 year old girl, barely able to handle the intricacies of dating to become his nemesis. And that is exactly what Scarlett becomes as her father takes her and her clan of brothers and sister to Romania to renovate Vlad's castle.
Can Scarlett remain human long enough to stop Vlad's desire for world domination? You will have to read this FIVE STAR masterpiece to find out.
I loved the way the story begins with the Romanoffs saving two of their children, Alex and Anna by walling them up. Through a hole in the wall, young Alex witnesses the horrific murder of his royal family by the Bolsheviks.
Alex and Anna are saved, taken to a castle in Romania where they are converted into vampires by the Evil Vlad Strigoi. Vlad is head vampire of the Strigoi clan. He is ruthless, cruel and plans world domination with his Ichorous Project.
But Vlad doesn't expect a sweet 17 year old girl, barely able to handle the intricacies of dating to become his nemesis. And that is exactly what Scarlett becomes as her father takes her and her clan of brothers and sister to Romania to renovate Vlad's castle.
Can Scarlett remain human long enough to stop Vlad's desire for world domination? You will have to read this FIVE STAR masterpiece to find out.
August 7, 2013
I received a copy of this novel from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Vampire Origins: The Strigoi Book 1 Project Ichorous is a promising new series for all us who still love those bloodsuckers. When I read the blurb, I was first attracted to the historical aspect of the novel. Let’s face it; vampires have been done and done and done ad nauseum, but a novel which takes actual historical characters (and even some pop culture icons) and turns them into vampires is a fresh spin. It would definitely explain a few politicians! However, I was a little disappointed when I realized the novel didn’t explore this in as much detail as I would have liked, but there turned out to be some fantastic characters. My favorites were the shape shifters. ( I’m a sucker for a handsome werewolf.) If you aren’t feeling particularly wolfy, don’t fret. There are multiple types of shape shifters in this house of horrors. As a matter of fact, there is a plethora of nightmare-inducing pandemonium—a la Jonathan Harker—going on in and around Castle Bran; some I found cliché (like the bats and the taboo wolf/vamp relationship) but in that well-worn blanket kind of way.
I’m not sure this novel is entirely YA because a number of the side-plots were very mature both in content and age of the characters. While I enjoyed the many plots, I became frustrated with how short some of the “sections” were. Just as I was getting into the section, it was over. Also, I needed the definition of the Strigoi and the real differences between the Strigoi and the Cambions spelled out much earlier. I finally searched the net for “strigoi” because I needed clarification. The vampire regs didn’t seem firmly spelled out. They all had these unique abilities, and I became confused about who could and couldn’t do what. Though the language isn’t bad, there was a lot of bow chicka wow wow shenanigans but no descriptions of the act.
Overall, a bloody fun time!
4 Stars
Vampire Origins: The Strigoi Book 1 Project Ichorous is a promising new series for all us who still love those bloodsuckers. When I read the blurb, I was first attracted to the historical aspect of the novel. Let’s face it; vampires have been done and done and done ad nauseum, but a novel which takes actual historical characters (and even some pop culture icons) and turns them into vampires is a fresh spin. It would definitely explain a few politicians! However, I was a little disappointed when I realized the novel didn’t explore this in as much detail as I would have liked, but there turned out to be some fantastic characters. My favorites were the shape shifters. ( I’m a sucker for a handsome werewolf.) If you aren’t feeling particularly wolfy, don’t fret. There are multiple types of shape shifters in this house of horrors. As a matter of fact, there is a plethora of nightmare-inducing pandemonium—a la Jonathan Harker—going on in and around Castle Bran; some I found cliché (like the bats and the taboo wolf/vamp relationship) but in that well-worn blanket kind of way.
I’m not sure this novel is entirely YA because a number of the side-plots were very mature both in content and age of the characters. While I enjoyed the many plots, I became frustrated with how short some of the “sections” were. Just as I was getting into the section, it was over. Also, I needed the definition of the Strigoi and the real differences between the Strigoi and the Cambions spelled out much earlier. I finally searched the net for “strigoi” because I needed clarification. The vampire regs didn’t seem firmly spelled out. They all had these unique abilities, and I became confused about who could and couldn’t do what. Though the language isn’t bad, there was a lot of bow chicka wow wow shenanigans but no descriptions of the act.
Overall, a bloody fun time!
4 Stars
September 26, 2013
First I want to thank the Author for giving me this book.
I Loved this book and all it's characters especially Lachlan. Can't wait for book 2.
The Story
Vampire Origins-Project Ichorus is about Scarlett and how she finds herself tangled in vampire affairs. At first I wasn’t sure what to think about this book but I have to say I loved the vampires Riley Banks created.
Scarlett and her family must move to Romania because her dad just scored a job of building a Hotel. Scarlett is one of the two girls in her family and one of four quadruplets, the whole family is very different and Scarlett has trouble getting along with her siblings, especially her younger sister Ruby, who she blames for her mother’s death.
Throughout the story we see how Scarlett’s family becomes involved not only with vampires but also with all types of animal shifters. Apart from seeing things from Scarlett’s point of view we are told things from the points of view of the other characters.
The Characters
Scarlett: Is the main character of the story. I loved her, loved her flaws, the way she interacted with friends and family, her emotions. I’m not going to lie she is difficult to like at first since she is a tad rude to everybody especially her sister Ruby, but as the story goes on we are shown that Scarlett just needs her mother and that she hasn’t been able to get over her death. I think she was written in a very realistic way and the overall development she had in the book.
Lachlan: He is a vampire and one of the bad guys. He was born a vampire not made and was in line for the throne of his clan but he is exiled for turning a human girl into a vampire.
As a villain I loved Lachlan he is cruel, manipulative, stops at nothing to get what he wants and he has no humanity I was not surprised by this since he has never been human, this last part was the thing that made him so believable as a bad guy he is what he is and nothing and no one is going to change him.
Even though he is a bad guy he is my favorite character.
Alexis and Anastasia: The only remaining members of the Romanov family. The only thing I cans say is that I didn’t expect that but I loved them.
The Writing
Riley Banks tells the story in multiple Points of views. At times it is a bit confusing it shows how every character, no matter how small the part, had a very important part in this story.
The way each character was written was very good, they all had personalities and none of them felt like a filler character. This is my only complaint, since at there are many characters the change of point of view was a bit confusing at the beginning characters were great. This book truly captures my interest immediately since the world building was excellent; all the different types of vampires and shifters are very original.
Final thoughts
I would recommend this book to anyone in need of a good vampire story, yes there is romance but it’s not the main focus of this story.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
You can find my full review at my blog
Little Book Pixie
I Loved this book and all it's characters especially Lachlan. Can't wait for book 2.
The Story
Vampire Origins-Project Ichorus is about Scarlett and how she finds herself tangled in vampire affairs. At first I wasn’t sure what to think about this book but I have to say I loved the vampires Riley Banks created.
Scarlett and her family must move to Romania because her dad just scored a job of building a Hotel. Scarlett is one of the two girls in her family and one of four quadruplets, the whole family is very different and Scarlett has trouble getting along with her siblings, especially her younger sister Ruby, who she blames for her mother’s death.
Throughout the story we see how Scarlett’s family becomes involved not only with vampires but also with all types of animal shifters. Apart from seeing things from Scarlett’s point of view we are told things from the points of view of the other characters.
The Characters
Scarlett: Is the main character of the story. I loved her, loved her flaws, the way she interacted with friends and family, her emotions. I’m not going to lie she is difficult to like at first since she is a tad rude to everybody especially her sister Ruby, but as the story goes on we are shown that Scarlett just needs her mother and that she hasn’t been able to get over her death. I think she was written in a very realistic way and the overall development she had in the book.
Lachlan: He is a vampire and one of the bad guys. He was born a vampire not made and was in line for the throne of his clan but he is exiled for turning a human girl into a vampire.
As a villain I loved Lachlan he is cruel, manipulative, stops at nothing to get what he wants and he has no humanity I was not surprised by this since he has never been human, this last part was the thing that made him so believable as a bad guy he is what he is and nothing and no one is going to change him.
Even though he is a bad guy he is my favorite character.
Alexis and Anastasia: The only remaining members of the Romanov family. The only thing I cans say is that I didn’t expect that but I loved them.
The Writing
Riley Banks tells the story in multiple Points of views. At times it is a bit confusing it shows how every character, no matter how small the part, had a very important part in this story.
The way each character was written was very good, they all had personalities and none of them felt like a filler character. This is my only complaint, since at there are many characters the change of point of view was a bit confusing at the beginning characters were great. This book truly captures my interest immediately since the world building was excellent; all the different types of vampires and shifters are very original.
Final thoughts
I would recommend this book to anyone in need of a good vampire story, yes there is romance but it’s not the main focus of this story.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
You can find my full review at my blog
Little Book Pixie
May 13, 2013
Love this book since I first read it and love watching it grow can't wait for more
March 10, 2023
Awesome read
June 10, 2013
I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Outstanding! Finally we are back to vampires that are ruthless (yet still pretty to look at-think Lestat, Anne Rice essence-very attractive luring you in but vicious monsters in disguise). It took me a minute to get all the characters straight but it is Sooooo worth it.
You can get the storyline from the jacket but what you can't get from the jacket is how R.B. manages to give each character SUCH a personality. I've found that a lot of novels that have more than 3-4 "main" characters tend to loose a little outside of 2-3 of those characters but not this book. From the definite 11-12ish would consider critical to the storyline there are also at least 6 more that add flavor here and there AND are just as well developed.
There are layers upon layers in there....sort of like having chocolate cake with chocolate icing on top then you find out-holy shit- there's another layer and it has sprinkles!!
I really enjoyed how R.B. wove legend/myth/her story/funny bits about some familiar faces all together to produce a rather original, fast paced, fun. fun read! The movie selection scence between Scarlette and Lachlan made me snort a bit-funny R.B.
Ahhhh.Lachlan...I love him, I hate him, I need to have him, I need to kill him. He has come the closest to Lestat's vampire hold on my heart. Then there's Caleb, I must say at first I was ready to pout if her turned out to be a Jacob-ite (twilight) but oh how he isn't! He is just as lethal as the others, sometimes killer without remorse-it seems but there's more to him.
So many characters....Lachlan, Caleb and Ryder oh my! Just the tip of the iceberg but those turned out to be my favorite guys.
I just wanted to pop little miss Angeline's head off..and Renee-grrrrr....cut her eyeballs out with a spoon and feed them to her (sadly she'd survive).
Like I said before once you get your head around the characters the whole story just explodes.
I have only 2 issues with this book:
#1-I SOOO wish the Fraser's were older; hence taking this out of the YA arena (why yes I am a selfish bitch)
#2-It ended and I don't have the next book yet!
My first introduction to Riley Banks was through The William S club..I should have know from her creative twist in that story that this one would be outstanding-Jolly Awesome!
Outstanding! Finally we are back to vampires that are ruthless (yet still pretty to look at-think Lestat, Anne Rice essence-very attractive luring you in but vicious monsters in disguise). It took me a minute to get all the characters straight but it is Sooooo worth it.
You can get the storyline from the jacket but what you can't get from the jacket is how R.B. manages to give each character SUCH a personality. I've found that a lot of novels that have more than 3-4 "main" characters tend to loose a little outside of 2-3 of those characters but not this book. From the definite 11-12ish would consider critical to the storyline there are also at least 6 more that add flavor here and there AND are just as well developed.
There are layers upon layers in there....sort of like having chocolate cake with chocolate icing on top then you find out-holy shit- there's another layer and it has sprinkles!!
I really enjoyed how R.B. wove legend/myth/her story/funny bits about some familiar faces all together to produce a rather original, fast paced, fun. fun read! The movie selection scence between Scarlette and Lachlan made me snort a bit-funny R.B.
Ahhhh.Lachlan...I love him, I hate him, I need to have him, I need to kill him. He has come the closest to Lestat's vampire hold on my heart. Then there's Caleb, I must say at first I was ready to pout if her turned out to be a Jacob-ite (twilight) but oh how he isn't! He is just as lethal as the others, sometimes killer without remorse-it seems but there's more to him.
So many characters....Lachlan, Caleb and Ryder oh my! Just the tip of the iceberg but those turned out to be my favorite guys.
I just wanted to pop little miss Angeline's head off..and Renee-grrrrr....cut her eyeballs out with a spoon and feed them to her (sadly she'd survive).
Like I said before once you get your head around the characters the whole story just explodes.
I have only 2 issues with this book:
#1-I SOOO wish the Fraser's were older; hence taking this out of the YA arena (why yes I am a selfish bitch)
#2-It ended and I don't have the next book yet!
My first introduction to Riley Banks was through The William S club..I should have know from her creative twist in that story that this one would be outstanding-Jolly Awesome!
June 13, 2013
Who knew there were different clans of vampires?
Join the world of vampires and live forever. Do you have a choice? Probably not because the lost Romanovs, Anastasia and her brother, Nicholas would surely have turned down everlasting, bloodsucking life if they had a choice. Yes, the Romanovs are now undead and residing in Vlad's castle in Transylvania. Vlad Strigoi is a vile character, sucking the life out of anyone who strikes his fancy, but an innocent teenage girl might be able to destroy him. Scarlett is a beautiful redheaded teenager with three brothers and a younger sister, raised by a single father--because Vlad killed her mother and turned her into a vampire, too. Scarlett's barely able to control her raging teenage hormones and conquer the world of dating. Can she really be the one to kill a vampire who is thousands of years old and one of the original five?
There are five different clans of vampires with different rules of existence, the Strigoi, Cambion, Strix, Nosferatu and Bretonnian. Who knew? The author has created a history for vampires dating back thousands of years. We learn some of that history in this first book of the series, and avid readers will surely learn more in future volumes.
It might be difficult to "like" any of the vampires when they feed on humans regularly, but the author makes us understand their problems and hope they can overcome their blood lust. Some of the vampires fight their tendencies, feeding on volunteers or taking blood from packages, but Vlad Strigoi wants to create an unending supply of blood by enslaving comatose humans and draining them slowly. Humans are just a food source to him. Can Scarlett fulfill the prophecy and rid the world of this evil vampire?
The author fleshes out various characters, delving into the teenagers' relationships with young vampires, and making the readers care about the innocent humans. We cringe as they fall under the spell of their vampire lovers, and pray that they can escape a terrible fate. This is just the first volume, so we'll need to wait to learn the whole story.
Join the world of vampires and live forever. Do you have a choice? Probably not because the lost Romanovs, Anastasia and her brother, Nicholas would surely have turned down everlasting, bloodsucking life if they had a choice. Yes, the Romanovs are now undead and residing in Vlad's castle in Transylvania. Vlad Strigoi is a vile character, sucking the life out of anyone who strikes his fancy, but an innocent teenage girl might be able to destroy him. Scarlett is a beautiful redheaded teenager with three brothers and a younger sister, raised by a single father--because Vlad killed her mother and turned her into a vampire, too. Scarlett's barely able to control her raging teenage hormones and conquer the world of dating. Can she really be the one to kill a vampire who is thousands of years old and one of the original five?
There are five different clans of vampires with different rules of existence, the Strigoi, Cambion, Strix, Nosferatu and Bretonnian. Who knew? The author has created a history for vampires dating back thousands of years. We learn some of that history in this first book of the series, and avid readers will surely learn more in future volumes.
It might be difficult to "like" any of the vampires when they feed on humans regularly, but the author makes us understand their problems and hope they can overcome their blood lust. Some of the vampires fight their tendencies, feeding on volunteers or taking blood from packages, but Vlad Strigoi wants to create an unending supply of blood by enslaving comatose humans and draining them slowly. Humans are just a food source to him. Can Scarlett fulfill the prophecy and rid the world of this evil vampire?
The author fleshes out various characters, delving into the teenagers' relationships with young vampires, and making the readers care about the innocent humans. We cringe as they fall under the spell of their vampire lovers, and pray that they can escape a terrible fate. This is just the first volume, so we'll need to wait to learn the whole story.
May 14, 2013
“Vampire Origins-The Strigoi Book 1” by Riley Banks
Genre: YA Paranormal and aimed at the upper teens from 15-18. The story begins with our main character Scarlett as her family moves to Romania for a new job opportunity for her father. It is a huge family with Scarlett being the only girl of quads at the age of 17 and their baby sister Ruby who is five. Their mother died after giving birth to Ruby. While Romania is known with the history of vampires no one believes they do exist. As the siblings make friends with the people around them their father starts to work for a man by the name of Vlad. Things start to get interesting as the supernatural stories of their youths are being played out behind the scenes in real life.
The older children sense things are not as they should be they could not possible imagine what is the truth behind the many lies that is being told too them. Vlad for instance is a vampire an old one at that who plans to run the world. His family are told to stay away from the humans to not bite or turn them. The answer is simple. He needs Scarlett and Ruby if needed to complete his plans. While Vlad needs Scarlett she is also the only one who can kill Vlad if she is taught how to do so. But it is not only vampires that exist around this family.
Intertwine in this story is romance between the quads and who they are puppy eyed over. No one is safe and the family best be careful o who they trust if they can trust anyone.
The pace of this book was really good. With the cast of characters being long I did not get confused. The characters were developed well. This book is not for those who are not into the supernatural. It is also not for those who rather not read about teenager and their sexual encounters for this is a presence in this book. If you have no problem with either then you will enjoy this book and how it is woven together.
Genre: YA Paranormal and aimed at the upper teens from 15-18. The story begins with our main character Scarlett as her family moves to Romania for a new job opportunity for her father. It is a huge family with Scarlett being the only girl of quads at the age of 17 and their baby sister Ruby who is five. Their mother died after giving birth to Ruby. While Romania is known with the history of vampires no one believes they do exist. As the siblings make friends with the people around them their father starts to work for a man by the name of Vlad. Things start to get interesting as the supernatural stories of their youths are being played out behind the scenes in real life.
The older children sense things are not as they should be they could not possible imagine what is the truth behind the many lies that is being told too them. Vlad for instance is a vampire an old one at that who plans to run the world. His family are told to stay away from the humans to not bite or turn them. The answer is simple. He needs Scarlett and Ruby if needed to complete his plans. While Vlad needs Scarlett she is also the only one who can kill Vlad if she is taught how to do so. But it is not only vampires that exist around this family.
Intertwine in this story is romance between the quads and who they are puppy eyed over. No one is safe and the family best be careful o who they trust if they can trust anyone.
The pace of this book was really good. With the cast of characters being long I did not get confused. The characters were developed well. This book is not for those who are not into the supernatural. It is also not for those who rather not read about teenager and their sexual encounters for this is a presence in this book. If you have no problem with either then you will enjoy this book and how it is woven together.
August 2, 2013
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Let me start out by saying I loved this book for so many reasons. I won't go into the whole list but here are the main reasons. The author seamlessly weaves historical facts and legend into a great storyline. She keeps vampires true to form, killers, pure and simple. There were plenty of plot twists and surprises to keep me turning pages well into the night. There are quite a few characters in the book and I must admit in the beginning it's a little hard to keep track of them and where in time/place you are, but that wasn't a big deal, definitely not enough to deter me from reading. Speaking of characters I quickly adored Caleb, he's kind of the underdog/outcast of the family. I also liked Anna, Alex, Rose, Scarlett, Nataschia and Angeline (even though I hated her through at least half the book). The characters I loved to hate were Lachlan, Renee, Veronika and of course Vlad. They are all just so mean, devious and ruthless. One of my favorite scenes actually has Veronika in it....I don't want to give away too much but she turns someone into a rat. Her whole thought process for the action actually made me grin (she's just so mean). The ending of the book is definitely a cliff hanger which made me immediately check to see if book #2 was out (not yet by the way). I've read many vampire books lately and this is by far my favorite of those. I can't wait to read book #2 to find out what happens next and to learn more about the other vampire tribes. So, would I recommend this book? YES! Who would I recommend it to? Vampire lovers, YA lovers, or just anyone who is looking for a fresh take on an over written topic. Go get yourself a copy of Vampire Origins: Project Ichorus.... you won't be disappointed!
Let me start out by saying I loved this book for so many reasons. I won't go into the whole list but here are the main reasons. The author seamlessly weaves historical facts and legend into a great storyline. She keeps vampires true to form, killers, pure and simple. There were plenty of plot twists and surprises to keep me turning pages well into the night. There are quite a few characters in the book and I must admit in the beginning it's a little hard to keep track of them and where in time/place you are, but that wasn't a big deal, definitely not enough to deter me from reading. Speaking of characters I quickly adored Caleb, he's kind of the underdog/outcast of the family. I also liked Anna, Alex, Rose, Scarlett, Nataschia and Angeline (even though I hated her through at least half the book). The characters I loved to hate were Lachlan, Renee, Veronika and of course Vlad. They are all just so mean, devious and ruthless. One of my favorite scenes actually has Veronika in it....I don't want to give away too much but she turns someone into a rat. Her whole thought process for the action actually made me grin (she's just so mean). The ending of the book is definitely a cliff hanger which made me immediately check to see if book #2 was out (not yet by the way). I've read many vampire books lately and this is by far my favorite of those. I can't wait to read book #2 to find out what happens next and to learn more about the other vampire tribes. So, would I recommend this book? YES! Who would I recommend it to? Vampire lovers, YA lovers, or just anyone who is looking for a fresh take on an over written topic. Go get yourself a copy of Vampire Origins: Project Ichorus.... you won't be disappointed!
September 11, 2013
Vampire Origins - Project Ichorous by Riley Banks was absolutely amazing! I was fortunate enough to win this novel from LibraryThings.com in an exchange for an honest review. Many of the e-books that I have won lately have not been very good and just complete let downs for me. I was shocked when I found myself engrossed in every page and I could not put this book down.
The story involving these vampires/shape-shifters/humans was a nice change from my normal paranormal series I read. Although it was a paranormal romance book, there were plenty of history, tall tales, and suspense woven into the story. I really liked the fact that there was an integrated cast system. In most novels vampires and shape-shifters are usually on the same level but just not getting along too well. Oh believe me there was no love between the two species, except for a forbidden taboo romance that no one was to know about.
Each character I feel had a suiting personality, and fit into the story nicely. Sometimes there is an overabundance of characters and it throws people off the story and has people wondering - "why is this person here again? They have no real part and clearly did not even need to be mentioned." I can say that in Vampire Origins that was not case at all. Every person made sense in their role to create the story.
I want to read the second book right now! However is has not yet been finished so I will have to patiently await it. I hope Riley Banks writes as fast as possible. Anyone how enjoys a good romance/ YA/ suspenseful vampire book will love Vampire Origins - Project Ichorous.
The story involving these vampires/shape-shifters/humans was a nice change from my normal paranormal series I read. Although it was a paranormal romance book, there were plenty of history, tall tales, and suspense woven into the story. I really liked the fact that there was an integrated cast system. In most novels vampires and shape-shifters are usually on the same level but just not getting along too well. Oh believe me there was no love between the two species, except for a forbidden taboo romance that no one was to know about.
Each character I feel had a suiting personality, and fit into the story nicely. Sometimes there is an overabundance of characters and it throws people off the story and has people wondering - "why is this person here again? They have no real part and clearly did not even need to be mentioned." I can say that in Vampire Origins that was not case at all. Every person made sense in their role to create the story.
I want to read the second book right now! However is has not yet been finished so I will have to patiently await it. I hope Riley Banks writes as fast as possible. Anyone how enjoys a good romance/ YA/ suspenseful vampire book will love Vampire Origins - Project Ichorous.
May 2, 2013
When I saw that this book was about vampires, I was instantly hooked. Loving paranormal fiction (vampires/witches mostly), I was very interested in reading this story. When I first got into it I could draw some parallels to other vampire novels I’d read, but that didn’t distract from my enjoying the story. My one major critique would be that there are a lot of characters involved. It was necessary to have that many in order to show how they all correlated and how their stories mingled, but I had trouble at first keeping up with who was who...human, vampire, shifter. The book centers largely around the nature of vampires while giving the back story of a major vampire tribe and its leaders. I’ll admit that I kept waiting for a few things that never happened, but again, that didn’t necessarily make me enjoy the story any less. The book contains more about vampires in general and the intrigue surrounding their overall intentions in situations than it does about romance and love affairs between species. Overall, I enjoyed reading it and think the author did a very nice job.
~ Crystal
~ Crystal
April 29, 2013
Vampire Origins - The Strigoi Book 1 - Project Ichorous (Riley Banks)
The story begins with five different vampire tribes Strigoi, Cambion, Strix, Nosferatu and Bretonnian. Scarlette along with her brothers, baby sister and father moved to Romania for her fathers construction project.
She knows of vampire stories but doesn't think much of them. She and her brothers make new friends and she even gets a boyfriend. But things are not always what they appear to be.
Vlad, the man her father is working for is an ancient vampire and his plan is to dominate the world. This plan will only work with one girl, and that is Scarlett. Soon she and her family are in great danger and it is up to her to try to put an end to this before Vlad puts and end to her and all of mankind.
A fantastic Vampire story. Had a lot of nail biting moments and I was hooked from the first page until the last. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
The story begins with five different vampire tribes Strigoi, Cambion, Strix, Nosferatu and Bretonnian. Scarlette along with her brothers, baby sister and father moved to Romania for her fathers construction project.
She knows of vampire stories but doesn't think much of them. She and her brothers make new friends and she even gets a boyfriend. But things are not always what they appear to be.
Vlad, the man her father is working for is an ancient vampire and his plan is to dominate the world. This plan will only work with one girl, and that is Scarlett. Soon she and her family are in great danger and it is up to her to try to put an end to this before Vlad puts and end to her and all of mankind.
A fantastic Vampire story. Had a lot of nail biting moments and I was hooked from the first page until the last. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
August 21, 2013
I like my vampire stories and have read many of them. Riley Banks' Vampire Origins- Project Ichorous is truly different from the rest. You get a little bit of everything, love, lust, deceit, revenge, death and of course lots and lots of blood. There are many characters involved; each with its own spin and role in the overall theme of the story. If you can manage to push through the few instances where you feel there is a lot going on, further down it all makes sense. I personally liked the fact that there was so many characters to choose from. There is an underdog for everyone. I was rooting for at least 6 different characters during different points in the story. It even has some underground humor. Without spoiling the plot, I love how Veronika turns a "disrespectful" human into a rat. The ending leaves you gasping for more. I highly recommend this read. I am glad I was able to review this book through goodreads. Five stars all the way.
August 8, 2013
I RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS BOOK FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
This is my first review so bear with me here...I really enjoyed this book it contains a mix of historical events and fiction that entwine really well together. However there are a lot of characters and i found it difficult at times to keep up with who i was reading about, i thought it would have been easier to follow had the author devoted a chapter to the character or just put there name ahead of there section. The events characters and surroundings i found to be wonderfully described and could almost imagine being there myself. The book ends with a "cliff hanger" although it seems the book just stops it would have been nice to finish with a ... or even advertising the next installment it did leave me waiting for the next installment though. I recommend this book to lovers of Russian history and also vampire lovers and cant wait to see what happens next.
This is my first review so bear with me here...I really enjoyed this book it contains a mix of historical events and fiction that entwine really well together. However there are a lot of characters and i found it difficult at times to keep up with who i was reading about, i thought it would have been easier to follow had the author devoted a chapter to the character or just put there name ahead of there section. The events characters and surroundings i found to be wonderfully described and could almost imagine being there myself. The book ends with a "cliff hanger" although it seems the book just stops it would have been nice to finish with a ... or even advertising the next installment it did leave me waiting for the next installment though. I recommend this book to lovers of Russian history and also vampire lovers and cant wait to see what happens next.
October 31, 2013
First I would like to thank the author Riley Banks for giving me the book for an honest review. The constant scene changing through-out the book was a little off putting for me. But the overall story was great. I love the characters Alex, Anna, Caleb and a few more. Scarlett was an angry teenager who blames the birth of her little sister Ruby for their mothers death. There are many types of vampires explained in the story. Vlad is the main bad guy and his wife is just as bad he is. The sudden ending leaves you wanting more. I am looking forward to the next book to find out what is going to happen to everyone.
May 16, 2013
This book would have to be one of my fastest read books of all time. I couldn't put it down. The characters are believable, some I loved and of course some I hated. The storyline was easy to follow and the ending certainly left me wanting more. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone especially those that are a fan of this genre.
June 13, 2013
Take a castle full of vampires and their shapeshifting servants and throw in a family of humans. This was an excellent story. With real characters from history, you learn what really happened to the the Romanov children in Russia, I'll give you a hint, Vlad Tepes. With a cliffhanger ending, I will absolutely be picking up book 2 the day it comes out!
January 13, 2016
This book is quite good.
For a YA.
Notes for Riley.
* Come to Romania and visit Rasnov & Bran castle. I could recommend to you the Black Church too.
* I laughed my ass off when you wrote zece leu. Actually it's zece lei (plural)
* I want the next book. So you have my email to send it to me :D
Great work, my dear.
-xo
For a YA.
Notes for Riley.
* Come to Romania and visit Rasnov & Bran castle. I could recommend to you the Black Church too.
* I laughed my ass off when you wrote zece leu. Actually it's zece lei (plural)
* I want the next book. So you have my email to send it to me :D
Great work, my dear.
-xo
March 31, 2013
I want more!
Well that was a sudden high ending, I can't wait for the next instalment to this series. The characters sucked me in with all sorts of feelings of love and grrr hate :) book 1 has some great twists and turns most of which shocked me - I didn't see them coming! A great read.
Well that was a sudden high ending, I can't wait for the next instalment to this series. The characters sucked me in with all sorts of feelings of love and grrr hate :) book 1 has some great twists and turns most of which shocked me - I didn't see them coming! A great read.
May 8, 2013
Wonderful Read!!! loved all of the characters and the story line...way to keep the reader wanting more..can't wait for book two
August 28, 2013
This book wasn't what I expected. I guess I didn't really read the summary very well, because I expected a gritty historical based vampire novel, and got a young adult paranormal romance with a lot of blood and gore. That's not a bad thing, I like blood and gore, but the combination was disconcerting I guess. I thought it was a bit much for young adult, but I'll set that aside and just look at the book as a novel.
Pros: I was never bored. The opening scene with Alexei and Anastasia Romanov right before the Bolsheviks killed the entire family was fascinating and sucked me in immediately (no pun intended). The different vampire types were also interesting and found myself wanting to know more about them and what made which vampire what kind. The relationships between Scarlet and her family members seemed natural (although she was 1 of a set of quads) and her wavering between boys she liked seemed real. I loved the lycanthropes and wanted to know more about them. This author did well in not treating her audience like idiots. She let us discover things about the characters and the types of creatures they were. Which I like, but I am also going to fault her for not giving enough explanation later on.
Cons:This seems to be a problem I've noticed from other readers as well, but the point of view changes were confusing. I don't mind them, but they need to be made clear. Sometimes I thought I was reading one character and found out down the page it was someone else, then I'd have to go back, re-read, and put it into context. I don't have time for that when I'm reading fiction for fun.
Next, the summary promises an origin story for different vampire types listed in the book. The Strigoi (I finally discovered these are Vlad the Impaler's human descendents),Cambion (all I can tell is that they have a rule against turning humans), Bretonians (wannabes)who have big parties and suck each other's blood although few are 'real' vampires, Strix, and Nosferatu (no idea what these two do). Plus mixtures and lycanthropes. I can wait for their histories and such, but I wanted to know what the powers were for at least the Strigoi and Cambions. In this story, why was Vlad so powerful, why did some vamps change into animals, how did lycanthropes come to be and why or how did vampires make them and lots of other stuff that was just confusing and not explained. Plus, 'Alex' and 'Anna' who were the exciting start of the book really needed more playing time and more of a link back to their past. We read the exciting beginning, they are part of the story, but their past and their 'royal-ness' doesn't matter to the story. It needs too.
Since the vampires are posing (not well) as a big happy family, some clarity about who they really were and how they were connected to Vlad may have been nice. Things were mentioned, but it was impossible to keep straight (I'm still not sure who Renee is other then a sex starved sex kitten who likes to eat men). Why are the lycanthropes slaves? Where do the lycanthropes come from? It's hinted that some can be bred and some are made by vampires, but this may be a misreading on my part. I want to know! This book needs some added structure, severe revision and a good editor.
Overall, I was entertained, I liked the characters (even Lachlan had his psychotic charms)and I wanted to know what happened at the end (although it literally ended in the middle of an action sequence). I would recommend it to people who like dark urban fantasy and vampires that revolve around young adults. I'm not sure I would want kids under 17 to read it because of adult themes, violence, sex and sexual violence. Also, if I were the author I'd do some cleaning up of the above problems before a second publishing.
Pros: I was never bored. The opening scene with Alexei and Anastasia Romanov right before the Bolsheviks killed the entire family was fascinating and sucked me in immediately (no pun intended). The different vampire types were also interesting and found myself wanting to know more about them and what made which vampire what kind. The relationships between Scarlet and her family members seemed natural (although she was 1 of a set of quads) and her wavering between boys she liked seemed real. I loved the lycanthropes and wanted to know more about them. This author did well in not treating her audience like idiots. She let us discover things about the characters and the types of creatures they were. Which I like, but I am also going to fault her for not giving enough explanation later on.
Cons:This seems to be a problem I've noticed from other readers as well, but the point of view changes were confusing. I don't mind them, but they need to be made clear. Sometimes I thought I was reading one character and found out down the page it was someone else, then I'd have to go back, re-read, and put it into context. I don't have time for that when I'm reading fiction for fun.
Next, the summary promises an origin story for different vampire types listed in the book. The Strigoi (I finally discovered these are Vlad the Impaler's human descendents),Cambion (all I can tell is that they have a rule against turning humans), Bretonians (wannabes)who have big parties and suck each other's blood although few are 'real' vampires, Strix, and Nosferatu (no idea what these two do). Plus mixtures and lycanthropes. I can wait for their histories and such, but I wanted to know what the powers were for at least the Strigoi and Cambions. In this story, why was Vlad so powerful, why did some vamps change into animals, how did lycanthropes come to be and why or how did vampires make them and lots of other stuff that was just confusing and not explained. Plus, 'Alex' and 'Anna' who were the exciting start of the book really needed more playing time and more of a link back to their past. We read the exciting beginning, they are part of the story, but their past and their 'royal-ness' doesn't matter to the story. It needs too.
Since the vampires are posing (not well) as a big happy family, some clarity about who they really were and how they were connected to Vlad may have been nice. Things were mentioned, but it was impossible to keep straight (I'm still not sure who Renee is other then a sex starved sex kitten who likes to eat men). Why are the lycanthropes slaves? Where do the lycanthropes come from? It's hinted that some can be bred and some are made by vampires, but this may be a misreading on my part. I want to know! This book needs some added structure, severe revision and a good editor.
Overall, I was entertained, I liked the characters (even Lachlan had his psychotic charms)and I wanted to know what happened at the end (although it literally ended in the middle of an action sequence). I would recommend it to people who like dark urban fantasy and vampires that revolve around young adults. I'm not sure I would want kids under 17 to read it because of adult themes, violence, sex and sexual violence. Also, if I were the author I'd do some cleaning up of the above problems before a second publishing.
July 30, 2013
I was honored with a free copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.
The Fraser family is unique. Simon is a single father and has been for the past several years, ever since his wife died after giving birth to their second miracle child. Ruby, a stillborn daughter somehow returned to life, however Simon's beloved wife didn't. The other children in the family - Scarlett, Max, Nate, & Seth, born several years earlier, are quadruplets. Scarlett was the first of one to be delivered and she too was stillborn, but miraculously returned to life. With her shock of red hair and her blue eyes, she looked very much like her mom, which would come back to haunt both sisters. Scarlett knows she is wrong, but she holds Ruby responsible for their mother's death, and treats her younger sister poorly. Like all siblings the Fraser kids bicker and fight with each other, but they will always present a united front against any outside threat, be it real or perceived.
After their mother's death the family moved around a lot, where ever their father's jobs would take him. And this latest job takes them to Castle Bran in Romania. When they meet the man running the show, Alex Roman, Simon is taken aback. Simon was expecting to meet with Vlad Roman, but it seems he had urgent business elsewhere, forcing Alex to return home to oversee everything and be in charge. Being one of the five original vampires, Vlad is thought to be impossible to kill, and he intends to keep it that way. But he has enemies, closer than he things, and stronger than could ever expect.
The different factions of Vampires and Shapshifters in the castle can barely tolerate each other, and this is before they add humans into the mix. Among the vampires changed by being bitten are the Strigois clan, led by Vlad & his 'family', Alex, Anna, Rose, and Renee; then there are the Cambions, who are vampires from birth, never having been human. The Cambions consider themselves to be superior to all other factions, which is why it is so surprising that Vlad's wife Veronika, her son Lachlan, and daughter Angelique, are all Cambions. Even Tash - a vampire that Laclan created by biting her, is still tolerated as a Cambion.
Lachlan has a half-brother named Caleb. He is a shapeshifter, and as such is considered no better than a slave, even though his father was a Cambion prince. Caleb's parents were exectued once caught, for they had broken the most serious taboo. Caleb would have met the same fate if he hadn't shifted at that moment. It may be due to his Cambion blood, but Caleb is different than any other shapeshifter.
There are several smaller stories taking place within the main story, and that made things fascinating. The story unfolds from the four groups points of view, which made it a bit challenging to follow at times. It was challenging for roughly the first the quarter of the book, but stick with it, as it is well worth the effort, for the individual and overarching story lines are creative and entertaining, as are the characters. The main characters get to do some growing throughout the story, and the inter-relationships are well thought out. I will be watching for the next book in this series, as well as other works by Riley Banks.
The Fraser family is unique. Simon is a single father and has been for the past several years, ever since his wife died after giving birth to their second miracle child. Ruby, a stillborn daughter somehow returned to life, however Simon's beloved wife didn't. The other children in the family - Scarlett, Max, Nate, & Seth, born several years earlier, are quadruplets. Scarlett was the first of one to be delivered and she too was stillborn, but miraculously returned to life. With her shock of red hair and her blue eyes, she looked very much like her mom, which would come back to haunt both sisters. Scarlett knows she is wrong, but she holds Ruby responsible for their mother's death, and treats her younger sister poorly. Like all siblings the Fraser kids bicker and fight with each other, but they will always present a united front against any outside threat, be it real or perceived.
After their mother's death the family moved around a lot, where ever their father's jobs would take him. And this latest job takes them to Castle Bran in Romania. When they meet the man running the show, Alex Roman, Simon is taken aback. Simon was expecting to meet with Vlad Roman, but it seems he had urgent business elsewhere, forcing Alex to return home to oversee everything and be in charge. Being one of the five original vampires, Vlad is thought to be impossible to kill, and he intends to keep it that way. But he has enemies, closer than he things, and stronger than could ever expect.
The different factions of Vampires and Shapshifters in the castle can barely tolerate each other, and this is before they add humans into the mix. Among the vampires changed by being bitten are the Strigois clan, led by Vlad & his 'family', Alex, Anna, Rose, and Renee; then there are the Cambions, who are vampires from birth, never having been human. The Cambions consider themselves to be superior to all other factions, which is why it is so surprising that Vlad's wife Veronika, her son Lachlan, and daughter Angelique, are all Cambions. Even Tash - a vampire that Laclan created by biting her, is still tolerated as a Cambion.
Lachlan has a half-brother named Caleb. He is a shapeshifter, and as such is considered no better than a slave, even though his father was a Cambion prince. Caleb's parents were exectued once caught, for they had broken the most serious taboo. Caleb would have met the same fate if he hadn't shifted at that moment. It may be due to his Cambion blood, but Caleb is different than any other shapeshifter.
There are several smaller stories taking place within the main story, and that made things fascinating. The story unfolds from the four groups points of view, which made it a bit challenging to follow at times. It was challenging for roughly the first the quarter of the book, but stick with it, as it is well worth the effort, for the individual and overarching story lines are creative and entertaining, as are the characters. The main characters get to do some growing throughout the story, and the inter-relationships are well thought out. I will be watching for the next book in this series, as well as other works by Riley Banks.
August 8, 2013
I received a copy of this in e-book format from the author in exchange for an honest review, and let me tell you how lucky I am to be among the few who did!
& Writing this review is turning out to be much more complex then I'd anticipated. There's so much to say. First I want to say overall I loved this story and simply can not wait till the next part comes out. I mean I'm legit biting my nails in anticipation. That being said I'm going to list the "cons" followed by the "pros" ( and cons are my option only posted in the review for the authors benefit... Constructive criticism some things may have simply been over looked during the creation of the story and sometimes an outsider pointing things out brings a new perspective. I am simply a reader giving my opinion & I implore anyone reading this review to read the book and decide your opinion for yourself)
When I first began reading I felt like there was a lot of characters to keep up with. I often felt confused during the introductory phase. Not so much in the prolog but when they went back to present day.
The second thing I personally found fault with was the separation of chapter/scenes. Quite a few times we would be in the middle of a scene with one character and the next sentence would be a whole different scene entirely and it would take me 2-4 sentences to figure out where we jumped to. It may be easier to follow with some clarification or even the ****** break up between scenes.
I still don't understand what exactly a strigoi is..
Often times Max& Nate seemed like the same character.
There were a lot of missing backgrounds. Like why was Ivan brought back in randomly and a few other minor things like that.
NOW ON To THE GOOD stuff!!!!!
The story itself was wonderful! With ample description and great world building. This story was nothing like a twilight or vampire diaries .... It was legit scary. Scary to the point of me turning the hall light on at 2am to run to the bathroom & then back to my book! It is not very often I actually find a book frightening. It was grand!
Scarlett was a doll! I loved all of the characters ...Simon, Jackson , Alex,Anna ,Tash, Renee & Caleb sigh.
Though I was confused with all the tossing around of scar ...if ya know what i mean.... 3 really it was a lot.
Um Bear was excellent and a complete shock Brovo on that one!
Lets see what else.... I loved that this,though being YA was not so innocent and child friendly like so many other YA books lately that don't have bad words and all the teenagers decide to keep their virtue. This was much more realistic.
It was easy to get sucked in and read for hours on end, I may have even read a chapter or two at work... :) it was fun and scary and enthralling a brilliant read! This story is Especially good when you take into account how tiresome the "vampire YA book" has become over the past two years. It's a new perspective with just enough scare involved to make it distinctive.
All that being said I am very beyond pleased with this book and I hope to get the opportunity to review the second installment. I'm already beyond eager to get my paws on it.
& Writing this review is turning out to be much more complex then I'd anticipated. There's so much to say. First I want to say overall I loved this story and simply can not wait till the next part comes out. I mean I'm legit biting my nails in anticipation. That being said I'm going to list the "cons" followed by the "pros" ( and cons are my option only posted in the review for the authors benefit... Constructive criticism some things may have simply been over looked during the creation of the story and sometimes an outsider pointing things out brings a new perspective. I am simply a reader giving my opinion & I implore anyone reading this review to read the book and decide your opinion for yourself)
When I first began reading I felt like there was a lot of characters to keep up with. I often felt confused during the introductory phase. Not so much in the prolog but when they went back to present day.
The second thing I personally found fault with was the separation of chapter/scenes. Quite a few times we would be in the middle of a scene with one character and the next sentence would be a whole different scene entirely and it would take me 2-4 sentences to figure out where we jumped to. It may be easier to follow with some clarification or even the ****** break up between scenes.
I still don't understand what exactly a strigoi is..
Often times Max& Nate seemed like the same character.
There were a lot of missing backgrounds. Like why was Ivan brought back in randomly and a few other minor things like that.
NOW ON To THE GOOD stuff!!!!!
The story itself was wonderful! With ample description and great world building. This story was nothing like a twilight or vampire diaries .... It was legit scary. Scary to the point of me turning the hall light on at 2am to run to the bathroom & then back to my book! It is not very often I actually find a book frightening. It was grand!
Scarlett was a doll! I loved all of the characters ...Simon, Jackson , Alex,Anna ,Tash, Renee & Caleb sigh.
Though I was confused with all the tossing around of scar ...if ya know what i mean.... 3 really it was a lot.
Um Bear was excellent and a complete shock Brovo on that one!
Lets see what else.... I loved that this,though being YA was not so innocent and child friendly like so many other YA books lately that don't have bad words and all the teenagers decide to keep their virtue. This was much more realistic.
It was easy to get sucked in and read for hours on end, I may have even read a chapter or two at work... :) it was fun and scary and enthralling a brilliant read! This story is Especially good when you take into account how tiresome the "vampire YA book" has become over the past two years. It's a new perspective with just enough scare involved to make it distinctive.
All that being said I am very beyond pleased with this book and I hope to get the opportunity to review the second installment. I'm already beyond eager to get my paws on it.
June 10, 2014
I felt this book was without a doubt an AMAZING book!!!
The plot was well structured, the characters were life-like and displayed a lot of emotion and there were a lot of plot twists.
For example: I had originally thought Scarlett would be in the center of attention- caught in a love-triangle between Lanchlan and Alex but I was wrong- it was Caleb!
The cover was also pretty good and the blurb too- It was this very blurb that caught my attention in the first place. Before I knew it I was addicted- full time. As soon as I got home I would click on that little PDF icon on the corner of my Laptop's desktop just to see what my FAVOURITE characters were facing. There were also the witty comebacks, hilarious dialogues and unique thoughts which lingered in my mind and sent me sprawling on the floor in fits of laughter!
Here are my fav's ( Just so that you could enjoy too!)
SCARLETT :"Act your age and not your shosize."
MAX: "God, Scar you're such an emo. Build a bridge and get over it".
RUBY:" I hate you Scar. You're rubbish and you stink."
SCARLETT:" Feeling mutual kid", Scarlett said in retaliation.
I loved a lot of other lines too.. but the list is endless and so I'm gonna stop there though I also like these thoughts( they were very funny):
ANNA: they (the vamps) were among the nastiest most evil creatures that stalked the planet, oh they were beautiful to behold, but their coldness could plunge the world into its next ice-age...
ALLYSON (a teacher): Alyson knew it was wrong to dislike a child but Angeline was not an averge child. She was the spawn of Satan himself...
Though the abrupt change of P.O.Vs were annoying you soon get used to it, so there's no problem in that, however, I feel a little more details should be provided about the history of the shape-shifters. They were a vague and so, confused me a bit.
I really loved this description:
Scarlett knew she was going to die, and with that realization came a strange fatalistic peace. Time slowed until Scarlett felt as if she were swimming through toffee.
I would recommend this book to those who would like something thrilling with suspense and mystery, along with just the right amount of romance.
The sad part however was when
As I read through I came to love all the characters because of their compelling and entirely different personalities- yes even Vlad *shudder*
Ok and with that I conclude my review because my hands are getting tired but I really loved this " Heart- stoppingly" AWESOME BOOK!!!!
I can't believe how many love's I've used...
This was my reaction as I read the book:
:) AMAZING AUTHOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!AMAZING READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Recieved this book for an honest review
The plot was well structured, the characters were life-like and displayed a lot of emotion and there were a lot of plot twists.
For example: I had originally thought Scarlett would be in the center of attention- caught in a love-triangle between Lanchlan and Alex but I was wrong- it was Caleb!
The cover was also pretty good and the blurb too- It was this very blurb that caught my attention in the first place. Before I knew it I was addicted- full time. As soon as I got home I would click on that little PDF icon on the corner of my Laptop's desktop just to see what my FAVOURITE characters were facing. There were also the witty comebacks, hilarious dialogues and unique thoughts which lingered in my mind and sent me sprawling on the floor in fits of laughter!
Here are my fav's ( Just so that you could enjoy too!)
SCARLETT :"Act your age and not your shosize."
MAX: "God, Scar you're such an emo. Build a bridge and get over it".
RUBY:" I hate you Scar. You're rubbish and you stink."
SCARLETT:" Feeling mutual kid", Scarlett said in retaliation.
I loved a lot of other lines too.. but the list is endless and so I'm gonna stop there though I also like these thoughts( they were very funny):
ANNA: they (the vamps) were among the nastiest most evil creatures that stalked the planet, oh they were beautiful to behold, but their coldness could plunge the world into its next ice-age...
ALLYSON (a teacher): Alyson knew it was wrong to dislike a child but Angeline was not an averge child. She was the spawn of Satan himself...
Though the abrupt change of P.O.Vs were annoying you soon get used to it, so there's no problem in that, however, I feel a little more details should be provided about the history of the shape-shifters. They were a vague and so, confused me a bit.
I really loved this description:
Scarlett knew she was going to die, and with that realization came a strange fatalistic peace. Time slowed until Scarlett felt as if she were swimming through toffee.
I would recommend this book to those who would like something thrilling with suspense and mystery, along with just the right amount of romance.
The sad part however was when
As I read through I came to love all the characters because of their compelling and entirely different personalities- yes even Vlad *shudder*
Ok and with that I conclude my review because my hands are getting tired but I really loved this " Heart- stoppingly" AWESOME BOOK!!!!
I can't believe how many love's I've used...
This was my reaction as I read the book:
:) AMAZING AUTHOR !!!!!!!!!!!!!AMAZING READ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
*Recieved this book for an honest review
November 20, 2013
I would like to state that i received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have never been so conflicted on how to rate a book in my life. I ended up going with 4 stars since there is just so much that i love in this story. There is also somethings that really didn't work well for me. Overall this one crazy ride.
First of all let me be the first to say this is how i like my Vamps, most of them are mean, vindictive, and hold grudges for centuries. They can manipulate humans like marionettes, some with just a single thought, which all feeds into the suspenseful drama filled pages. These are so not your sparkly blood suckers. Even the youngest (by youngest i mean 300) gets in on the action. These are ruthless killers.
I cant even begin to break into the characters since there is so many but i really loved how the historical times lines were woven early on, Alex and Anna being the infamous Romanov children was a great touch. Vlad's history was interesting as well except i never really seemed to grasp his master plan. I thought the way the different vampire families were broken down and explained was extremely clever since it provided you a ton of information and still allowed the story to flow, it wasn't just a strait information feed.
The only downfall in my opinion was felt through out the book and i also believe that this is more personal preference. I appreciate what was trying to be done with the multitude of view points but i felt that is was more a a distraction then anything else. The storyline was great and every time i got into it it would pretty much end abruptly . It was great for the suspense but i think i lost a lot of information that was since i feel like i have many many unanswered questions. There was always so much going on due to so many characters i had to reference the list of people in the front to keep track. Also the ending wasn't quit what i expected either. It felt supremely rushed and then stopped so i was like GRRRRRRR!
But like i said this is just me. Other than the formatting i really liked how things went and cant wait to learn more in the upcoming books.
I have never been so conflicted on how to rate a book in my life. I ended up going with 4 stars since there is just so much that i love in this story. There is also somethings that really didn't work well for me. Overall this one crazy ride.
First of all let me be the first to say this is how i like my Vamps, most of them are mean, vindictive, and hold grudges for centuries. They can manipulate humans like marionettes, some with just a single thought, which all feeds into the suspenseful drama filled pages. These are so not your sparkly blood suckers. Even the youngest (by youngest i mean 300) gets in on the action. These are ruthless killers.
I cant even begin to break into the characters since there is so many but i really loved how the historical times lines were woven early on, Alex and Anna being the infamous Romanov children was a great touch. Vlad's history was interesting as well except i never really seemed to grasp his master plan. I thought the way the different vampire families were broken down and explained was extremely clever since it provided you a ton of information and still allowed the story to flow, it wasn't just a strait information feed.
The only downfall in my opinion was felt through out the book and i also believe that this is more personal preference. I appreciate what was trying to be done with the multitude of view points but i felt that is was more a a distraction then anything else. The storyline was great and every time i got into it it would pretty much end abruptly . It was great for the suspense but i think i lost a lot of information that was since i feel like i have many many unanswered questions. There was always so much going on due to so many characters i had to reference the list of people in the front to keep track. Also the ending wasn't quit what i expected either. It felt supremely rushed and then stopped so i was like GRRRRRRR!
But like i said this is just me. Other than the formatting i really liked how things went and cant wait to learn more in the upcoming books.
February 13, 2014
I received this book for free as a part of Goodreads’ Shut Up and Read Group. Thank you to the author for her generosity.
The Pros:
-Interesting and plentiful characters
-lots of action and emotion
-an original premise
The Cons:
The book is billed as a blending of historical fact with vampire fiction. Unfortunately, there seems to be confusion about what that term means, as one of the ‘facts’ is actually part of Historical Data. (yes, there is a distinction.)
Fact 1: Anastasia and Alex Romanov did not escape the execution of their family. This is easily found out with a minimum of research. They died, along with their family. This is proven via DNA, there were no substitutes that died in their place.
This major mistake which was made in the first few chapters of the book made me wary as to how the rest of it would read. The scene of the execution itself, viewed through the eyes of Alex was also hard to believe. Because according to the book the boy is peering through a hole in the wall “only big enough for the tip of her little finger.” (Their mother’s finger.) Sorry, but the descriptions of the way he saw what happens next through a hole that size is impossible.
Other problems I ran across were formatting issues which changed through out the book, some awkward sentence structure, missing words, and lots of technical mistakes about how certain real world items work in the real world. Again, all of which could have been easily corrected with a little research.
As others have noted, the viewpoint changes come without warning. Given the formatting issues, it made it frustrating to understand without going back and re-reading that a change had taken place, which IMO, disturbs the flow. I also found the heavy, unrelenting reliance on metaphors (pages and pages) a disappointment as well.
I think Ms. Banks has a wonderful, and original premise for a story, but the execution leaves much to be desired. If the problems can be corrected, it will make a great addition to the genre.
The Pros:
-Interesting and plentiful characters
-lots of action and emotion
-an original premise
The Cons:
The book is billed as a blending of historical fact with vampire fiction. Unfortunately, there seems to be confusion about what that term means, as one of the ‘facts’ is actually part of Historical Data. (yes, there is a distinction.)
Fact 1: Anastasia and Alex Romanov did not escape the execution of their family. This is easily found out with a minimum of research. They died, along with their family. This is proven via DNA, there were no substitutes that died in their place.
This major mistake which was made in the first few chapters of the book made me wary as to how the rest of it would read. The scene of the execution itself, viewed through the eyes of Alex was also hard to believe. Because according to the book the boy is peering through a hole in the wall “only big enough for the tip of her little finger.” (Their mother’s finger.) Sorry, but the descriptions of the way he saw what happens next through a hole that size is impossible.
Other problems I ran across were formatting issues which changed through out the book, some awkward sentence structure, missing words, and lots of technical mistakes about how certain real world items work in the real world. Again, all of which could have been easily corrected with a little research.
As others have noted, the viewpoint changes come without warning. Given the formatting issues, it made it frustrating to understand without going back and re-reading that a change had taken place, which IMO, disturbs the flow. I also found the heavy, unrelenting reliance on metaphors (pages and pages) a disappointment as well.
I think Ms. Banks has a wonderful, and original premise for a story, but the execution leaves much to be desired. If the problems can be corrected, it will make a great addition to the genre.
August 3, 2013
In Book One of Riley Banks' Vampire Origins the author manages to create a whole back story not just for one vampire, but for the entire race of vampires. Mixing historical fact with her re-imagining of well known legends, she gives us five families or tribes of vampires, each with their own goals and ways of life. They don't all get along, especially when it comes to how each group deals with humans, and the constant need to feed on blood. What is particularly enjoyable is that the book returns to the origins of all vampire tales, a mysterious castle in the Transylvanian Mountains of Romania. In that classic horror setting, a very modern story is told. An extended family of vampires, led by the ancient and powerful Vlad, lives there. They are served by a number of werewolf and other shape-shifter slaves who, every full moon, break free of their bondage and run wild in the forest. Vlad wants to renovate his castle and turn it into an upscale hotel in order to attract humans that he needs for his mysterious Icharous Project. To run the massive reconstruction Vlad hires a human architect who arrives with his five children in tow, none of whom suspect the kind of people they'll be living with. What the humans walk into, and soon get involved with, is a world of inter-species love affairs, power struggles, betrayals and families torn apart by jealousy and hatred. It is a minor miracle that Banks succeeds in juggling this large cast, so that each character is easily distinguished from the others, and each has his or her own role to play in the story. The intersecting plot lines make for a complex story which nevertheless moves at a breakneck pace before coming to a screeching halt on the edge of disaster, where the reader is told he will have to wait patiently until the arrival of Book Two.
September 17, 2013
I got this book from the author, free of cost, in exchange of an honest review from my side.
firstly I would like to thank Riley Banks, author of Vampire Origins, for giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
Ah, this was really great, I mean the experience of reading this fabulous book. Well, in one word it's just awesome and would recommend it to ya all, vampire fan or not.
The way the author entwined the vampire genre with the history genre is remarkable and unique as well and I'm really glad that I signed up for this book.
wow, the whirlwind through which this book takes you is really great and you'll be jumping up and down at the edge of your seat in shock and anticipation as the story progresses.
Well, the author really shocked and surprised me with the end but also left me totally anxious for a sequel as well.
The touch and hint of humor, betrayal, love, lust and power-packed action really spiced it up for me and the writing style of the author was like a strawberry on top of chocolate cake, yum!
A must read for ya all if you love some serious vampire action with lots of blood and totally intriguing suspense and mystery thrown at you then this is the perfect book for it, grab it right now!
firstly I would like to thank Riley Banks, author of Vampire Origins, for giving me this wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this fabulous book.
Ah, this was really great, I mean the experience of reading this fabulous book. Well, in one word it's just awesome and would recommend it to ya all, vampire fan or not.
The way the author entwined the vampire genre with the history genre is remarkable and unique as well and I'm really glad that I signed up for this book.
wow, the whirlwind through which this book takes you is really great and you'll be jumping up and down at the edge of your seat in shock and anticipation as the story progresses.
Well, the author really shocked and surprised me with the end but also left me totally anxious for a sequel as well.
The touch and hint of humor, betrayal, love, lust and power-packed action really spiced it up for me and the writing style of the author was like a strawberry on top of chocolate cake, yum!
A must read for ya all if you love some serious vampire action with lots of blood and totally intriguing suspense and mystery thrown at you then this is the perfect book for it, grab it right now!
August 1, 2013
I was given this book for an honest review by the author.
At first I wasn't sure I would like this book, but the more I read the more I got pulled in by the characters, there are so many vibrant characters in this book. I actually had a hard time liking some of them, but the more of the story that was revealed made you realize and understand why some of them did the things that they did, but there were some that I just did not like....Lachlan, Veronika, Angie and Renee to name a few.
I really loved the Fraser family a lot, it was hard not to like them, they were really down to earth and trying to cope with everything going on around them.
I actually really enjoyed that the story was intermingled with real historic events, I loved that the author used two of the biggest events in history for the basis of the story. I always enjoy books that weave history and storytelling into a journey of adventure. And believe me you don't get through this book without one thrilling roller coaster ride!!!!
Good job, Riley, I can't wait to read the next installment, and thank you for letting me join you on this journey!!!!
At first I wasn't sure I would like this book, but the more I read the more I got pulled in by the characters, there are so many vibrant characters in this book. I actually had a hard time liking some of them, but the more of the story that was revealed made you realize and understand why some of them did the things that they did, but there were some that I just did not like....Lachlan, Veronika, Angie and Renee to name a few.
I really loved the Fraser family a lot, it was hard not to like them, they were really down to earth and trying to cope with everything going on around them.
I actually really enjoyed that the story was intermingled with real historic events, I loved that the author used two of the biggest events in history for the basis of the story. I always enjoy books that weave history and storytelling into a journey of adventure. And believe me you don't get through this book without one thrilling roller coaster ride!!!!
Good job, Riley, I can't wait to read the next installment, and thank you for letting me join you on this journey!!!!
May 13, 2013
There are a lot of characters in this story which made it a little confusing at first, especially with some fast-paced scene/time changes...but it captured my attention and each chapter had me wanting to read more. I loved how the author incorporated historical facts and personalities into her storyline and I enjoyed her explanation of how vampires that are "born" vs. vampires that were "changed" differ characteristically. I actually found the secondary characters to be most interesting (particularly Alex) and am looking forward to the next in this series to learn more about them.
Merged review:
There are a lot of characters in this story which made it a little confusing at first, especially with some fast-paced scene/time changes...but it captured my attention and each chapter had me wanting to read more. I loved how the author incorporated historical facts and personalities into her storyline and I enjoyed her explanation of how vampires that are "born" vs. vampires that were "changed" differ characteristically. I actually found the secondary characters to be most interesting (particularly Alex) and am looking forward to the next in this series to learn more about them.
Merged review:
There are a lot of characters in this story which made it a little confusing at first, especially with some fast-paced scene/time changes...but it captured my attention and each chapter had me wanting to read more. I loved how the author incorporated historical facts and personalities into her storyline and I enjoyed her explanation of how vampires that are "born" vs. vampires that were "changed" differ characteristically. I actually found the secondary characters to be most interesting (particularly Alex) and am looking forward to the next in this series to learn more about them.
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