A Dozen Black Roses

Sonja Blue #4

by Nancy A. Collins

In a city called Deadtown, a vampire sets out to destroy her own

As the convenience store doors close behind him, DeShawn can already hear the sirens. He sprints down the street, clutching his meager haul, but the police are gaining on him. He turns the corner onto a cobblestoned alley and the sirens stop. The police have turned back, and for a moment, DeShawn feels lucky. It doesn’t last. A crawling man leaps up from the shadows, wraps his arms around DeShawn’s neck, and feeds on his blood. Welcome to Deadtown.
 
A city within a city where the undead roam free, Deadtown is dangerous for humans and vampires alike. As a gang war rages between the old guard and the new, Deadtown’s innocents are caught in the crossfire. Only Sonja Blue can save them. A vampire with a sense of justice, she will play both ends against the middle to save Deadtown—or else burn it to the ground.  

Genres: Horror, Vampires, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Supernatural

248 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 1, 1996

About the author

Nancy 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.

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read about Sonja Blue a few years ago when I read the book Sunglasses After Dark. Sonja Blue is the female version of Blade with her Corey Hart sunglasses, leather biker jacket, blue jeans, and boots. She is a vampire/vampire slayer whose only goal in life is to kill all the kindred ( that's the term for vampires in the Sonja Blue universe ) and destroy the one who stripped her of her humanity all those years ago. Walking into Deadtown, she brings chaos in her wake. Sonja is determined to send the undead denizens of the town straight to Hell. Can she keep the humans out of the bloodbath? Read A Dozen Black Roses and find out. I reccomend this book to all horror and vampire lovers.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yay! This book was really a pure delight to indulge in!
I purchased this on a whim from a 2nd hand store, as the cover was just GORGEOUS, and it reminded me of the 90s The Crow Comics that I collect.
Now I want to read and own the entire series!
Our main character Sonja is an amazing force to be reckoned with, I completely idolize her! Sonja is the female version of Blade, and she is SO beautifully wicked! She isn't standing around waiting for some man to help save her, nope, she is kicking ass, taking notes all on her own! Which is exactly the type of female lead character I LOVE to read about! <3
This is heavy on the evil Vamp culture from the 90s, and it was written before our beloved fanged creatures turned all pretty, sparkly and popular. I sure missed these evil Vamps! There is gore, and violence to the max, so this is not for the faint of heart. No sparkly pretty fanged teenagers here, these are ancient cruel evil gods. So move along Twilighters. haha.
This was such a delicious treat, I can't wait to pick up the others.
A true hidden gem, I recommend to all fans of the original Vampires!

[Ivana]

Sonja Blue was fun as an idea. However, forcing it into VtM universe, and making the entire thing a lousy Yojimbo (or A Fistful of Dollars, or Last Man Standing, if you're more familiar with those) retelling gave a, well, lousy result.

Still, people who have never heard of Yojimbo or A Fistful of Dollars, let alone watched them, might find this book fun.

[Cecile · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the only book in the series I read and I fell so in love with sonja blue.... I'm trying to find the rest; if anyone knows were i can buy them let me know..

[teacupsandunicorns · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

I love the character Sonja blue. She really carries the books.
I personally did not like the plot here. Just not my thing. It’s only a 200~ page book and yet there were places this book felt like filler and slowed the book down. Some exposition for the bad guys I didn’t care about. I thought this was a cool crossover, and more of a companion novel instead of a part of the Sonja Blue series.
It was a fun book. However there were some places I found the dialogue unbelievable and awkward and kind of useless.
I would still recommend this book to any Sonja Blue fan, or just someone who wants a horror-style badass Blade-esque or even a little Buffy-ish and Anne Rice-ish vampire and not the more recently romantic ones. A fun horror novel. It has dark stuff but usually there’s a lot of sarcastic and biting humor (usually from Sonja Blue) as relief. But do keep in mind this isn’t a part of the series and is more of a companion novel in the same universe and Sonja Blue is on a side quest separate from the main plot.

[Evan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read the trilogy in the 90’s and remember liking it, this one escaped me way back when, but after picking it up cheap, I gave it a try, and although I really wanted to like it, I think I may have grown up a bit since it was released. Some of the references I did enjoy, like Crowley, the critique or rap, quickly supplanted by Diamonda Galas, free masonry vs the larger occult universe gave me a tickle, and there was a fair amount of blood and guts but the world of darkness references seem forced, and I know that there is a version of this divorced from this collaboration, which speaks to the clumsiness of this pairing. Sonja blue is the only character you care about so it ends up pretty bland, the old cover art is way better than the newer ones I’ve seen online, that’s all.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

A DOZEN BLACK ROSES is the fourth novel in the Sonja Blue series about a half-vampire who hunts over vampires. This book has an unusual history in that it was originally commissioned for the Old World of Darkness series with Sonja Blue suddenly fighting Tremere and other nasties. It has since been rewritten and re-released without any World of Darkness content. Having read both versions, it's probably better this way. The book is basically A FISTFULL OF DOLLARS or YOJIMBO with two feuding vampire lords and Sonja trying to play them off against one another. There's some minor issues with the Kindle version but I really enjoyed it, even more so than other books in the series.

Some people may be upset with the content, though, like the fact one of the vampires is a pedophile.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good enough story but oddly disconnected from the last one considering the changes Sonja went through. Editing errors are still there too.

This is definitely more a stand alone tale than any big story arch and doesn't really bring anything new to the world but still enjoyable to read if you like Sonja's adventures.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent merging of the Sonia Blue series with White Wolf's Vampire the Masquerade rpg mythos, a part of White Wolf's fiction line. Sonia is always good reading and this was no exception. Collins has a few series that I like a lot.

[Benjamin Linzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first read this in the mid-90s. It really captured the vibe of the Vampire the Masquerade game in a way that the meta-fiction of the clan novels didn't. I really should try and read the rest of the series.

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty standard stuff now but I know it was more surprising back when it was written. Collins had a stretch to meld her Sonja Blue mythos with the WoD Kindred canon but she did a pretty nice job of it. Visceral descriptions, some interesting characters, a definite dirty punk-rock feel to it.

[Jean Savage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good vampire novel but wasn't expecting the ending of this book.

[Adrienne Yee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the Sonja Blue series and thought this was an excellent installment.

[Rachel Von hindman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weirdly written jumbled mess.

[Francisco Becerra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read through and through, but nothing very special about the character and her adaptation to WoD.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

really enjoyed this installment!

[David Watson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dozen Black Roses takes place in part of a large U.S. city called Deadtown. The citizens of Deadtown are made up of drug addicts, alcoholics, gang members and vampires. There are two vampires that are fighting for control of Deadtown. One is Lord Esher who was good friends with a certain horror author from the 1800’s. The other is Lord Sinjon who founded Deadtown and is a much older vampire then Esher.

Everyone in Deadtown lives in fear of Esher and Sinjon but things change when Living vampire and monster hunter Sonja Blue comes to town to put an end to both vampires. Sonja soon discovers that destroying the vampires may not be as easy as she thinks when she meets a boy named Ryan whose mother is being brainwashed into marrying Lord Esher. Sonja promises to save Ryan’s mother but Esher practices black magic and has power that may be to much for Sonja to handle.

A Dozen Black Roses is a bloody good time. There are some great characters in this book, including an alcoholic priest with a troubled past and an aging hippie that doesn’t take crap from anyone. I really enjoyed the backstory on Esher and Sinjon. Both vampires even when they were human only cared about having power over others but their personalities are very different. Also the way they gained their power is different as well as how they conduct themselves. Esher has plans on expanding outside of Deadtown and through black magic has a more loyal following then Sinjon. Sinjon on the other hand is satisfied being the drug lord over Deadtown and still dresses and acts as he did in the 1700′s. Nancy Collin’s vampires have very unique peronalities but all have the same motivations which to me makes them more interesting.

My favorite part of the book was how Eddie and Sonja became surrogate parents for Ryan. These two characters don’t have any experience with children but when Eddie finds Ryan eating out of a dumpster he does what he feels he has to do by taking Ryan in. Sonja on the other hand makes the promise to get Ryan’s mother back and shows a different side to herself when Ryan shows his feelings for her.

I also enjoyed the action scenes in this book. One scene I didn’t see coming was when the townspeople have decided they’ve had enough of hiding in fear and go through “changes” as they decide to rid Deadtown of lowlifes. Another good one was when two gang members are forced to fight to the death naked, while suspended in a cage above an audience of bloodthirsty vampires. This scene will hurt to read if you are a guy. I also liked the suspense that buils towards the end as Sonja prepares to take on Esher. A Dozen Black Roses is definitly worth your time.

[Oro Brno · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is fabulous, i can't stop reading it, highly recommended 10/10

[Michele Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of my initial love of A Dozen Black Roses was that it came out when I was LARPing and so I gleefully imagined some of the characters I had to deal with getting into a show down with Sonja Blue. Now Biting Dog has released a White Wolf-free version of A Dozen Black Roses, which makes it less like a shoe horned effort to keep a star writer like Collins while also pushing the White Wolf RPG line, and more like an actual Sonja Blue novel.

Collins' vampire hunting vampire Sonja Blue was one of my first loves in horror (now though it might fit more in Urban Fantasy). She's different, from her creation story, to her split personality, to her punk rock attitude. And Collins' style is different as well. Known for loving descriptions of ultra violence Collins easily keeps up in a genre that seems to be boy territory. In fact Sonja shaking up the old boy's network is a key theme in this book, making it all the more fun. Sonja faces down the two vampire lords of Deadtown, vicious vampires who barely even notice humans as pawns in their quest for power and personal indulgence. And thought she's not exactly a superhero she's definitely the good guy come to make the (other) vampires pay.

Highly recommended for public and private collections, here's your chance to read the book as it should have been, without rules and dice and power gamers.

Contains: violence, language, drug use, rape

[denudatio_pulpae · Rating 2 out of 5]

Książka ta stała na mojej półce już od dawna i czekała na swoją kolej. To było moje drugie spotkanie z autorką i niestety wypadło gorzej niż pierwsze. Może dlatego, że wolę wilkołaki niż wampiry.

Fabuła jest prosta: dwa klany wampirów (o przepraszam, Spokrewnionych) walczące ze sobą o władzę w Umarłym Mieście, do którego przybywa tajemnicza nieznajoma i ze znanych tylko sobie powodów postanawia zmniejszyć drastycznie populację obydwu klanów. Boleśnie zmniejszyć.

Dalej jest jeszcze prościej - zaczyna się krwawa jatka.
Tylko trochę razi w oczy, kiedy wampiry "atakują sforą" lub "ryczą jak wilkołaki". Od przybytku głowa nie boli, ale dla mnie wampir to wampir, a wilkołak to wilkołak i każdy z nich powinien pozostać sobą. Plus przez część książki zastanawiałam się jak nazwać wampira wysysającego krew z innego wampira? Wampir do kwadratu? :)(chociaż moje wątpliwości wynikają pewnie z tego, że nie jestem znawczynią tematu).

Jeżeli ma się ochotę na niewymagającą lekturę z wampirami w tle, to ta książka jest w sam raz. Przestraszyć nie przestraszy, ale też nie zanudzi na śmierć.
5/10

[Yvonne Boag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deadtown is the centre of a turf war between two vampires of different houses. The scarce population knows to go into hiding when the sun goes down, aside from a five year old boy who is trying to reach his mum, whom the monsters have stolen. In the midst of this a stranger arrives into town with an agenda of her own. Since rescuing the mother of the little boy fits in with her plans she agrees to do so. She enters the house of Escher and swears fealty and he accepts not knowing the consequences of that decision.

Sonja Blue is one of my favourite characters and Nancy A. Collins is the amazing author who brought her to life. The story is fast paced, very violent and wicked fun. You don't have to read the books set before to enjoy this story, it is very self contained. If you like the female leads in Lilith Saintcrow's stories you will love this series.

[Dharia Scarab · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book bears a heavy resemblance to the stories of Blade as well as Vampire Hunter D. it was pretty well written, very dark and graphic. sensual. all the hallmarks of a well written, eroticized, vampire hunter story.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've never read the Sonja Blue series, though this was entertaining on its own.
It felt a bit forced to see the author bending their characters to fit the VtM universe, but there was something I liked about that as well. Hard to explain.

An entertaining read, even if you've never read anything else from the VtM-verse, or the Sonja Blue-verse.

[R J Royer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be a fun read. I must say that I did think that there where some issues with the story, almost as if the author had to force herself to write within the restrictions of VtM. It is not a very bad book, I actually enjoyed it very much though I would like to see more by Nancy Collins done in the same manner. The better the practice the better the book.

[Jolene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book when i was in secondry school, borrowed it from the school library, i fell in love with this book, i loved the style of writing and the character sonja, i really thought that the illustrations in the book added alot and i also liked the little bits of poetry at the start of the chapters.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun, gritty and gripping little book to read. A deliberate and successful mashup of, Sonja Blue and the World of Darkness, universes.

The obvious wink winks, to Yojimbo, and A Fistfull of Dollars, are both obvious and delightful.
You will most likely be saying, "Now let me think, what happens next in the movie."

Enjoy!!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this book it good. It's so gory which makes the story surprising and great!!! This author goes to extremes that I have never read with any other. but it is definitely not for the weak stomached.

[Angel Jenkins · Rating 3 out of 5]

the story itself was pretty good. I didn't like the mixing of the two universes though. She did well, but I feel like she betrayed the canon of her own novels to fit Vampire: the Masquarades rules in.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story for years

I remember when it first came out, an happy to reread this updated version. I still have friends who play Vampire and LARP. This story is pretty solid without the Vampire the Masquerade connection. Sonja is such a fun bada**.