Forever Richard

Thirsting for Blood #2

by Sue Dent

A new vampire inhabiting Richard's castle, a stranger with the alleged knife of the Akedah, a malevolent werewolf stalking Ceese, and the impossible-to-kill Dr. Henderson. Now mortal once again, Richard and Ceese thought their troubles were behind them. What will they do when they learn that isn't true? And how will they survive the new evil that threatens to destroy them all?

Forever Richard. A vampire, a werewolf, a madman . . . again.

"Sue Dent's characters lept off the page and into my mind, as alive as the viewer reading them." --Horrorphilia

"Insightful, thought provoking . . . Well worth the wait!" Maryann Boo, British Fantasy Society reviewer.

"Forever Richard continues to showcase Dent's clever storytelling and witty dialogue." - Jake Chism/Christian Manifesto

Made the 2009 British Fantasy Society Long List

Genres: Vampires, Fantasy

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 5, 2009

About the author

Sue Dent hails from Mississippi and is the author of Never Ceese and Forever Richard the first two installments in her Thirsting for Blood Series. Her debut novel Never Ceese appeared on the 2007 preliminary ballot for a Bram Stoker Award. Her second book in her Thirsting for Blood Series, Forever Richard, made the 2010 long-list at the British Fantasy Society.
Both Never Ceese and Forever Richard made the 2009 Pluto Award long-list with Never Ceese moving onto the top three books short-listed. Never Ceese was also Book Club Choice of the month at the American Christian Fiction Writers Association in May of 2007 when Sue was a member. Sue no longer pays to be a member due to the fact that the ACFW is a writer's group designed to help author's find homes with CBA niche market publishers. Sue is currently a member of HWA, Horror Writer's of America.
Dent’s stories continue to appeal to general market readers with surprise appeal to the denominationally discriminative (niche market CBA member publisher's serve. Ms. Dent likes to point out that though her work appeals to readers of this niche market, she does not write specifically for that market which is why you won't find her work in CBA member bookstores or rather on any shelf at any Christian Retailer or even listed on-line at member on-line bookstores such as Christianbook.com

Reviews

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: The saga of redemption and spiritual triumph readers enjoyed in Never Ceese continues in Forever Richard. Cassie Felts, graduate student and reluctant believer of such things as vampires and werewolves, couldn't be happier for Richard and Ceese Porter. Their curses lifted and after hundreds of years apart, they can now celebrate being brother and sister once more. Even Rodney, Cassie's college roommate and former nemesis, shares her relief. But will the faith that saved Richard and Ceese be enough to defeat the new evil that threatens them all? Cassie learns that Dr. Clayton Henderson, the corrupt stem-cell researcher, has acquired the vampire's curse and has managed to transfer it to Rodney's troubled, drug-addicted buddy Josh. Addict or vampire, Cassie can see Josh isn't handling his new cravings for blood any better than he did his old habit. Their best hope seems to be taking Josh to Richard's isolated country estate in England. There, Josh can learn to temper his desire to curse another while they try to figure out how to deal with the impossible-to-kill Dr. Henderson. Their mission becomes more complicated when they find a new vampire inhabiting Richard's castle, a malevolent werewolf stalking Ceese, and a long-lost relative who shows up carrying a sawed-off shotgun and an ancient knife he claims has supernatural powers. Will the faith that redeemed two lost souls before be enough to overcome the wicked forces that now threaten to destroy them all?

My Thoughts: The second book in the Thirsting for Blood series, this book continues the story of Richard and Ceese, while introducing new elements and problems to their already-troubled lives. This one was a quick read, much shorter than Never Ceese, yet continued the character growth begun in the first book. There was a lot of action in this book, too – and some really great characters. I liked Geoffrey a lot, and hope we’ll learn more about this enigmatic butler. I’m actually quite keen to see where Dent goes with this series. Fans of vampire lore, werewolves, and paranormal suspense/action/horror books should enjoy this book.

[Tammie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just as with Never Ceese, I enjoyed the overall story but had a hard time getting past the fact that the characters seem juvenile, and the story was overcrowded with minor characters that really didn't add much to it. To me there wasn't enough distinction between them. I had to keep trying to remember which one was which. I also can't figure out why Ceese has fallen for the one she has. There doesn't seem to be much chemistry between the two of them. There was actually more chemistry between Ceese and Richard in the first book, but then we find out he is her brother so that went nowhere. There is supposed to be a third book in this series, but I'm not yet sure if I will read it.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Frank Review of Forever Richard, by Sue Dent
By Frank Creed

Horror newcomer Sue Dent’s 2006 vampire and werewolf novel, Never Ceese, nailed down a few accolades of which you may have heard: short listed for the coveted Bram Stoker award, and named American Christian Fiction Writers book club choice of the month in May of 2007. How does a novelist top that?
By writing a superior sequel. Everyone knows that sequels have a bad reputation for falling short of an original concept. Especially for a new novelist, proving you’re not a fluke, that you can do it again, is a load on one’s back. Truly talented authors start strong and get even better, of which J.K. Rowling is a case study. Sue Dent is one of those writers. Never Ceese showcased her natural gifts for fun characters and suspenseful plot. Forever Richard is all that and more.

Synopsis without spoilers . . .
The saga of redemption and spiritual triumph that readers enjoyed in Never Ceese continues in Forever Richard. Cassie Felts, graduate student and reluctant believer of such things as vampires and werewolves, couldn't be happier for Richard and Ceese Porter. Their curses lifted and after hundreds of years apart, they can now celebrate being brother and sister once more. Even Rodney, Cassie's college roommate and former nemesis, shares Cassie’s relief. But will the faith that saved Richard and Ceese be enough to defeat the new evil that threatens them all?
Cassie learns that Dr. Clayton Henderson, the corrupt stem-cell researcher, has acquired the vampire's curse and has managed to transfer it to Rodney's troubled, drug-addicted buddy Josh. Addict or vampire, Cassie can see Josh isn't handling his new cravings for blood any better than he did his old habit. Their best hope seems to be taking Josh to Richard's isolated country estate in England. There, Josh can learn to temper his desire to curse another while they try to figure out how to deal with the impossible-to-kill Dr. Henderson.
Plans twist when they find a new vampire inhabiting Richard's castle, and a malevolent werewolf stalking Ceese. A long-lost relative shows up packing a sawed-off shotgun and an ancient knife which he claims has supernatural powers. Will the faith that redeemed two lost souls before be enough to overcome the wicked forces that now threaten to destroy them all?

Sue Dent’s creativity and sense of humor sparkle in Forever Richard. The plot twists and turns, surprises popping at readers from around corners. Items and people are usually not as they appear. Sue should be proud of having crafted a fun and entertaining read for all levels of readers that is still fully a horror novel.
Forever Richard’s bio-ethics theme is strong. What humankind can do always runs in advance of what we ought to do, and stem-cell researcher Dr. Clayton Henderson leaps moral bounds quick as a buck clearing a picket fence. His breaches of ethics aren’t about curing sick people at the expense of others’ lives, but the black-and-white mad scientist type of villainy. Henderson is an antagonist without depth, but is a common enemy whom many can unite to oppose—the kind of bad-guy a reader hopes to see destroyed as quickly as Parkinson’s disease.
Like Dracula, Forever Richard is respectful of the Christian worldview, and I’ll be surprised if it doesn’t drive stakes through the hearts of even more literary awards than did Never Ceese.

[Caprice Hokstad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't normally read horror. My brain is already all-too-capable of coming up with nightmares without any help, thanks. But Sue Dent's books are not your average, garden variety horror either. I was pleasantly surprised by Never Ceese, but Forever Richard is even better.

Do you like vampire books? Forever Richard is chockful of 'em. How about werewolves? Forever Richard has those too. And I'm not talking a token here and there. At least three-fourths of the characters in this book are either 1) cursed as a vampire or werewolf themselves or 2) were once cursed as a vampire/werewolf but have broken the curse or 3) had a close family member who is/was cursed. I mean, even the butler! Sorry, Richard, you get your name and mug on the cover, but I found Geoffrey to be the more appealing heartthrob. And even better, there's no line for him!

My fourteen-year-old son also loved both of Sue's books. He snuck Forever Richard under the covers and read it in less than two nights, after bedtime. He wants me to ask Sue: when's the next one?

[Janna Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aaaah! Finally! I have waited for this book to release since the day I set down "Never Ceese" after finishing it in record time. I have always been a little fascinated by the whole vampire/werewolf stories. Do I believe they exist? No, probably not. Do I think they are fascinating to my imagination because most fiction is steeped in some kernal of fact? Absolutely. My issue has always been that most people consider the whole vampire/werewolf thing to be "evil" and so you shouldn't waste your time on books about that kind of stuff. Sue Dent is filling in a gap with her Thirsting For Blood series. It is all vampires and werewolves but with a twist... what if the cursed wanted to lift their curses? How would they do that? Book #1, Never Ceese, introduces us to the cursed werewolf, Ceese, and her cursed vampire brother, Richard. They leave Europe for America where they try to have their curses lifted. Can that really happen?

Book #2, Forever Richard, picks up right where Never Ceese left off and throws us right back into their world and brings us full circle back to Richards castle in Europe as they try and lift the vampire curse off one of their new New York friends. Back in the castle we find someone unexpected waiting for them. And then of course, Ceese is being trailed by the werewolf that originally cursed her and also a New York professor that followed them because her wants her for experiments.

I love that this is very Twilight-esque, only book #1 came out before Twilight was even something anyone knew about. I have loaned my copy of Never Ceese to some girls I know that love Twilight because Sue Dent's writing has all the mystique, but with lots of hope and faith intertwined in it. I can not wait for book #3 "Cyn No More" and just hope I don't have to wait as long for it to come out. My one word of advice - when you read these books (which you must), just make sure you read them in order!

[Christy Trever · Rating 3 out of 5]

Forever Richard by Sue Dent is the second book in the Thirsting for Blood series. The first book, Never Ceese, is really required reading to truly enjoy and understand the myriad of characters in this thriller. Ceese, a former werewolf, and Richard, her brother and a former vampire, are thrilled to be rid of their respective curses, but when one of their friends is cursed, they return to Richard's castle in England to save him. A old enemy is waiting for them there and soon joins forces with a more recent antagonist. Several surprise characters keep the pair on their toes as does the prospect of romance for each of them. This sequel isn't as strong as the first book. There are so many characters that it was difficult to truly empathize with any them. It also lacks a cohesive goal; they spend more time reacting then acting. An incredibly frustrating part of the book is that all of the characters are keeping secrets from each other, and the reader isn't aware of any of them, and when a character may be about to spill one, events pop up to end the conversation before any real information is shared. There's a fine line between teasing your reader along with snippets and making the reader feel like the odd man out. Dent writes thrilling action scenes, however, and her characters are real. Not all of the members of the group are likable, but that makes them more human and the story, real. I will definitely read the third book: Cyn No More, in hopes that the focus of the story returns to Ceese, Richard, and Cassie.

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with this book. Usually, I love a good vampire/warewolf story but I found this one a bit disjointed & hard to follow. Unlike other series I have read, this one didn't have much in the way of a background story and as I hadn't read the first book in the series, Never Ceese, I was confused pretty much the whole way through. Possibly if I read the other books in the series, I might change my views but as it stands, its not for me!

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this continuation of the Thirsting for Blood series the journey continues in an exciting revelation of new characters and a back story as to how Richard and company came to be. The story also moves along in this time with dicotomy amoung the new characters and of course it's fateful villian!!When you come to the end of this book you will long for the not yet relased third installment Cyn No More!!