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Marushka loves pretty things lace and velvet, porcelain and pearls. She sews elaborate costumes for all of her dolls, and she spends hours arranging their hair just so. Her collection is growing; she's added a very pretty trinket, and his name is Michael. She can't wait to dress him up.
Michael always suspected mentally ill vampires grew worse and worse as the years went by. He'd never realized how unhinged they could get.
Now Michael is in way over his head. Will Wild Bill save him? Or was it only wishful thinking on Michael's part that their connection ran deeper than sex? or blood?
Michael always suspected mentally ill vampires grew worse and worse as the years went by. He'd never realized how unhinged they could get.
Now Michael is in way over his head. Will Wild Bill save him? Or was it only wishful thinking on Michael's part that their connection ran deeper than sex? or blood?
50 pages, ebook
First published August 8, 2008
About the author
Jordan Castillo Price
139 books2,134 followersAuthor and artist Jordan Castillo Price writes paranormal sci-fi thrillers colored by her time in the Midwest, from inner city Chicago, to various cities across southern Wisconsin. She’s settled in a 1910 Cape Cod near Lake Michigan with tons of character and a plethora of bizarre spiders. Any disembodied noises, she’s decided, will be blamed on the ice maker.
Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.
Jordan is best known as the author of the PsyCop series, an unfolding tale of paranormal mystery and suspense starring Victor Bayne, a gay medium who's plagued by ghostly visitations.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
December 31, 2024
A little bit darker & a lot more bloody...
When we open with this book, Michael is in the process of taking down a vampire named Marushka... Sort of... More like, she's divesting him of every inch of body hair with a straight-razor and he's not-so-patiently waiting for the rohypnol to kick in.
Naked, shivering, bald-assed, and chained to a bathtub with an unconscious vampire at his side.
That's how Wild Bill finds Michael for the first time since being drugged by the little fucker and left inside a park bathroom to wait out the daylight.
Seems Wild Bill is always getting Michael out of tricky situations, even if the vampire pretends to exist in a world of complete nonchalance.
Marushka's, um... Dollhouse... was a particularly twisted scene... JCP has a gift for spinning gorgeous macabre details which get the reader absorbed into the story. I think I felt about as chilled as Michael when it finally hit home exactly how close he had come to being a permanent addition in her gory masterpiece.
Seems pretty obvious that Michael is going to get himself killed sooner rather than later if he continues hunting vampires with his clumsy execution. It also seems pretty obvious that Michael and Wild Bill should pair up to take down the vampires that go on murder sprees.
Well, it seems obvious to the reader, anyway...
And maybe even to Michael...
But Wild Bill won't join up without a fight.
Wild Bill is still trying to convince himself that he's only interested in Michael's body - his suddenly smooth and hairless body... While the sex is increasing in intensity between the two, it's obvious that Wild Bill is infatuated with Michael...
Once again, it seems obvious to the reader, anyway...
Wild Bill would never admit such a thing...
And Michael is awestruck and a little baffled by the attention...
There was a great deal more humor in this episode of the series - I laughed out loud several times. That's not to say that the previous episodes were devoid of humor, they weren't. I think the dark and twisted scene at Marushka's simply brought the playfulness into sharp relief.
Read all my Reviews in this Series:
01.0 - Payback - Read my Review Here.
02.0 - Vertigo - Read my Review Here.
03.0 - Manikin - You're reading it!
03.1 - Heaven Sent - Read my Review Here.
04.0 - Tainted - Read my Review Here.
05.0 - Rebirth - Read my Review Here.
06.0 - Brazen - Read my Review Here.
07.0 - Snare - Read my Review Here.
08.0 - Fluid - Read my Review Here.
09.0 - Swarm - Read my Review Here.
10.0 - Elixir - Read my Review Here.
10.1 - Jackpot - Read my Review Here.
10.2 - Canine - Read my Review Here.
Omnibus Reviews:
1-5 - Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary - Read my Review Here.
6-10 - A Bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion - Read my Review Here.
***I was provided with an audiobook copy of Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary (Channeling Morpheus, #1-5) from the author in exchange for an honest review.***
Be sure to check out my review of the box set for a more thorough examination of the series!
"I'm going to keep hunting bad vampires."Things are heating up in this series. We were back to Michael's POV with this book and everyone's favorite goth kid amateur vampire hunter is in a tight spot.
He snorted. "And here I thought you'd rather be a dentist."
Fine. Mock. Better than him shutting down and going all quiet, like he'd been in the kitchen. "You can do it with me."
"My guidance counselor told me that my serial killer skills were totally lacking..."
When we open with this book, Michael is in the process of taking down a vampire named Marushka... Sort of... More like, she's divesting him of every inch of body hair with a straight-razor and he's not-so-patiently waiting for the rohypnol to kick in.
Naked, shivering, bald-assed, and chained to a bathtub with an unconscious vampire at his side.
That's how Wild Bill finds Michael for the first time since being drugged by the little fucker and left inside a park bathroom to wait out the daylight.
Seems Wild Bill is always getting Michael out of tricky situations, even if the vampire pretends to exist in a world of complete nonchalance.
Marushka's, um... Dollhouse... was a particularly twisted scene... JCP has a gift for spinning gorgeous macabre details which get the reader absorbed into the story. I think I felt about as chilled as Michael when it finally hit home exactly how close he had come to being a permanent addition in her gory masterpiece.
Seems pretty obvious that Michael is going to get himself killed sooner rather than later if he continues hunting vampires with his clumsy execution. It also seems pretty obvious that Michael and Wild Bill should pair up to take down the vampires that go on murder sprees.
Well, it seems obvious to the reader, anyway...
And maybe even to Michael...
But Wild Bill won't join up without a fight.
Wild Bill is still trying to convince himself that he's only interested in Michael's body - his suddenly smooth and hairless body... While the sex is increasing in intensity between the two, it's obvious that Wild Bill is infatuated with Michael...
Once again, it seems obvious to the reader, anyway...
Wild Bill would never admit such a thing...
And Michael is awestruck and a little baffled by the attention...
There was a great deal more humor in this episode of the series - I laughed out loud several times. That's not to say that the previous episodes were devoid of humor, they weren't. I think the dark and twisted scene at Marushka's simply brought the playfulness into sharp relief.
Read all my Reviews in this Series:
01.0 - Payback - Read my Review Here.
02.0 - Vertigo - Read my Review Here.
03.0 - Manikin - You're reading it!
03.1 - Heaven Sent - Read my Review Here.
04.0 - Tainted - Read my Review Here.
05.0 - Rebirth - Read my Review Here.
06.0 - Brazen - Read my Review Here.
07.0 - Snare - Read my Review Here.
08.0 - Fluid - Read my Review Here.
09.0 - Swarm - Read my Review Here.
10.0 - Elixir - Read my Review Here.
10.1 - Jackpot - Read my Review Here.
10.2 - Canine - Read my Review Here.
Omnibus Reviews:
1-5 - Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary - Read my Review Here.
6-10 - A Bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion - Read my Review Here.
***I was provided with an audiobook copy of Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary (Channeling Morpheus, #1-5) from the author in exchange for an honest review.***
Be sure to check out my review of the box set for a more thorough examination of the series!
June 14, 2015
Yeeeeeeeeeees! I believe this is turning into the journey of two in luuuurve. And fucking all over the place. And really just one . And it ain't the vampire. But, still, YES! I like.
P.S. I love Wild Bill.
P.P.S. All the condom mentions are getting a wee bit aggravating. If you can't fuck your vampire lover without a condom...just...what is the fucking point?
May 1, 2015
Dark and scary. Surprising actually. This is a bit much for me. Typically I'd be hiding under the covers.
But...
I just can't stop....I think I've been vamped.
Pass me another smoke will ya Wild Bill....I think I'm gonna be here awhile.
*4.5 bloodytastic-and-I-want-more stars*
But...
I just can't stop....I think I've been vamped.
Pass me another smoke will ya Wild Bill....I think I'm gonna be here awhile.
*4.5 bloodytastic-and-I-want-more stars*
December 1, 2013
thematic balance feels off, in this one.
the villain was pretty creepy. but an awful lot of this was introspection interrupted by fucking with a tiresomely high condom count.
upside? MOAR WILD BILL.
downside? swear to god these two will be fucking while wearing hazmat suits in the next book.
he wouldn't even lie on top of billy buttfuck on account of the cooties.
not very sexy.
the villain was pretty creepy. but an awful lot of this was introspection interrupted by fucking with a tiresomely high condom count.
upside? MOAR WILD BILL.
downside? swear to god these two will be fucking while wearing hazmat suits in the next book.
he wouldn't even lie on top of billy buttfuck on account of the cooties.
not very sexy.
May 5, 2012
OMFG! I am absolutely loving Michael and Wild Bill! Those two are so intense together and I'm beginning to see how perfect they really are for each other. And OMG the sex is just...I don't know how to describe it. Intense...sensual...revealing...
There is still so much I want to know about these characters. Can't wait to start the next one.
There is still so much I want to know about these characters. Can't wait to start the next one.
June 14, 2017
3.5 Stars
I need a cigarette… and a drink… and then another cigarette.
Good thing Michael is just as enticing to Bill as Bill is to Michael. That attraction pretty much saves Michael's life.
Things are starting to get a bit complicated because, you know… feelings
I need a cigarette… and a drink… and then another cigarette.
Good thing Michael is just as enticing to Bill as Bill is to Michael. That attraction pretty much saves Michael's life.
Things are starting to get a bit complicated because, you know… feelings
wrote
August 11, 2012About this Story
My goodness, the first appearance of Big Red! I loved that van. For me it was just as much a character in the series as Damian or Julie or Dr. Jim.
Though it seems pretty obvious Michael and Bill can’t resist each other, I think what I really like about Manikin is that they’re both still scoping each other out. Wild Bill’s probably feeling pretty dismal about the prospect of getting sucked into Michael’s gravitational pull. I’ve always felt like he was a “live and let live” kind of character who didn’t want to do anything rash if he could help it. Not lazy, exactly. Just wanting to be left alone to his self-pity party. Also someone who doesn’t want to take responsibility for anything—so in this instance, I think he’s just thrown up his hands and decided that fighting his impulses in this matter would be like struggling against quicksand, so he might as well just go along with the program.
I have fun imagining Bill sauntering into a used car lot and talking someone into selling him Big Red for a hundred bucks, and then signing Michael’s name to all the paperwork. All the while, I’m sure he’s thinking he’ll live to regret it. But he’s decided he’s powerless to stop the inexorable draw, and since he’s powerless, the blame can’t be pinned on him. For whatever ensues.
Michael is more of a protagonist (the character who moves the story forward). He acts. Bill reacts. I know that in the notes for Vertigo I mentioned that I thought Bill was the leading man, and I still do—Bill is the main character through which the reader can experience the story. His mind is less alien than Michael’s. He’s easier to inhabit. I see these first five novellas as Michael’s arc. My favorite part in this story is that he admits to himself that vampires turn him on. I think he’d considered himself too smart to fall for that kind of appeal, and that his need for Wild Bill was an aberration of some kind. I suspect he sees it as a weakness, being turned on by vampires just as much as your typical emo-girl in striped tights. But the appeal of Wild Bill in all its facets is too strong to keep denying.
My goodness, the first appearance of Big Red! I loved that van. For me it was just as much a character in the series as Damian or Julie or Dr. Jim.
Though it seems pretty obvious Michael and Bill can’t resist each other, I think what I really like about Manikin is that they’re both still scoping each other out. Wild Bill’s probably feeling pretty dismal about the prospect of getting sucked into Michael’s gravitational pull. I’ve always felt like he was a “live and let live” kind of character who didn’t want to do anything rash if he could help it. Not lazy, exactly. Just wanting to be left alone to his self-pity party. Also someone who doesn’t want to take responsibility for anything—so in this instance, I think he’s just thrown up his hands and decided that fighting his impulses in this matter would be like struggling against quicksand, so he might as well just go along with the program.
I have fun imagining Bill sauntering into a used car lot and talking someone into selling him Big Red for a hundred bucks, and then signing Michael’s name to all the paperwork. All the while, I’m sure he’s thinking he’ll live to regret it. But he’s decided he’s powerless to stop the inexorable draw, and since he’s powerless, the blame can’t be pinned on him. For whatever ensues.
Michael is more of a protagonist (the character who moves the story forward). He acts. Bill reacts. I know that in the notes for Vertigo I mentioned that I thought Bill was the leading man, and I still do—Bill is the main character through which the reader can experience the story. His mind is less alien than Michael’s. He’s easier to inhabit. I see these first five novellas as Michael’s arc. My favorite part in this story is that he admits to himself that vampires turn him on. I think he’d considered himself too smart to fall for that kind of appeal, and that his need for Wild Bill was an aberration of some kind. I suspect he sees it as a weakness, being turned on by vampires just as much as your typical emo-girl in striped tights. But the appeal of Wild Bill in all its facets is too strong to keep denying.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2015
Rating for the whole series
JCP is being clever. After reading Vertigo in Wild Bill's point of view, in this one we are fully on board with his feelings eventhough this is Michael's turn to have his point of view aired. I like how JCP worked this out and also how she uses the sex scenes as a means of communications to convey points, feelings. Not just sex.
Marushkha,
Overall thoughts on the series here
Channeling Morpheus 1-5 BR thread 12th June 2015
November 19, 2013
I liked this one a lot - it had a nice range from creepy to hot to funny to sweet in the span of one short story. These two guys are fascinating to watch together, with Bill both the (secretly) softer and more reluctant member of the pair.
October 7, 2020
This series keeps getting more and more intense! Marushka’s lair was creepy AF. 😱 Also, Mikey would get himself into some deep shit in two seconds flat if it weren’t for Wild Bill. Loved the relationship development.
October 31, 2010
I must confess that the relationship between Michael and Wild Bill is so intimate at times that I felt like a voyeur, it made me want to leave them alone.
What I found really interesting is that we are used to heartless and cold vampires paired up with humans who try to instill a sparkle of humanity in them. In this series it's Michael, the kid, who seems to have divested himself from his humanity, because he is becoming a ruthless vampire killer. On the other hand Wild Bill, the vampire, expresses the typical human feelings: doubt, a longing for nearness and the desire of a deep connection with someone.
There's a lot of sex in this book, but it's important because it's one of the way the characters express themselves. This is a series that lets you slowly enter the life of its protagonists and makes you care for them and it's getting better.
What I found really interesting is that we are used to heartless and cold vampires paired up with humans who try to instill a sparkle of humanity in them. In this series it's Michael, the kid, who seems to have divested himself from his humanity, because he is becoming a ruthless vampire killer. On the other hand Wild Bill, the vampire, expresses the typical human feelings: doubt, a longing for nearness and the desire of a deep connection with someone.
There's a lot of sex in this book, but it's important because it's one of the way the characters express themselves. This is a series that lets you slowly enter the life of its protagonists and makes you care for them and it's getting better.
January 12, 2017
Quite a disturbing start. One totally crazy vampire has Michael in her hold. The horror...
...and suspense!
A couple of turns and I'd be out of there. I grabbed the key, and twisted it. It fell out of the brace and clattered to the floor. "No...."
Her "lair"... "Doll" maker...
The middle part almost lost a start, but the end saved it. Nice! Hawt! :D
BR with the thirsty, Marco. ;)
On to the next one!
...and suspense!
A couple of turns and I'd be out of there. I grabbed the key, and twisted it. It fell out of the brace and clattered to the floor. "No...."
Her "lair"... "Doll" maker...
The middle part almost lost a start, but the end saved it. Nice! Hawt! :D
BR with the thirsty, Marco. ;)
On to the next one!
April 26, 2015
This series is sexy and a little heartbreaking. The more the feels grow between these two, the more I enjoy it.
November 15, 2021
Vampires with freaky hobbies, and a really hot sex scene. 🔥🔥
February 28, 2014
Uhng ...these guys ....I can't even ...
...they are just so hot! I haven't the words to describe the level of hotness here. I passed a red van today with two blokes in it and just about crashed car when I cricked my neck trying to check em out, and then had to control the urge to do an illegal U-turn to begin stalker mode ...
I know it wasn't Wild Bill and Michael - duh - it was a knee jerk reaction okay. But that just goes to show how they have consumed my thoughts and crossed over into my world. And Yay for me: JCP adds a lovely dose of dollified human taxidermy for me to dwell on when I lay my head down tonight. Should be fun ...
Just think of the sex, think of the sex...
...they are just so hot! I haven't the words to describe the level of hotness here. I passed a red van today with two blokes in it and just about crashed car when I cricked my neck trying to check em out, and then had to control the urge to do an illegal U-turn to begin stalker mode ...
I know it wasn't Wild Bill and Michael - duh - it was a knee jerk reaction okay. But that just goes to show how they have consumed my thoughts and crossed over into my world. And Yay for me: JCP adds a lovely dose of dollified human taxidermy for me to dwell on when I lay my head down tonight. Should be fun ...
Just think of the sex, think of the sex...
April 26, 2015
Well, this makes me feel a little bit better. Gotta keep going.
September 9, 2015
Written June 13, 2015
3.8 Stars - At last — I'm a fan!
Novella serial #3
I'm listening to the 7:44 hrs audiobook box Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary including novella #1-#5:
=
Payback was a first short teaser to Michael and Wild Bill's future adventures. The second Vertigo was about their second meeting and still mostly an hilarious amusing PWP shortie. I'm liking this smart and clever 21 years old youngster Michael more and more. The vampire Wild Bill is awesome cute to follow too.
This third part, Manikin led us up to a new (better) level. Finally. I got some explanations, more non f@**ing time and we have a couple of lovebirds. This will be great fun listening to come. - Time for #4 - Tainted
*********************************************************
I keep repeating myself:
This narrater Gomez Pugh is simply AWESOME good. His voice is mesmerizing. He is going to do this to a sperb listening for me.
There are all in all all 10 full serial novellas in this 'Channeling Morpheus/Sweet Oblivion' series. ~ Read my complete Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary review for the first five parts later on.
I LIKE - and I'm starting to slowly dance..
******
BR start 12th June for book 1-5 starting with #1 - Payback. (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...)
3.8 Stars - At last — I'm a fan!
Novella serial #3
I'm listening to the 7:44 hrs audiobook box Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary including novella #1-#5:
=
Payback was a first short teaser to Michael and Wild Bill's future adventures. The second Vertigo was about their second meeting and still mostly an hilarious amusing PWP shortie. I'm liking this smart and clever 21 years old youngster Michael more and more. The vampire Wild Bill is awesome cute to follow too.
This third part, Manikin led us up to a new (better) level. Finally. I got some explanations, more non f@**ing time and we have a couple of lovebirds. This will be great fun listening to come. - Time for #4 - Tainted
*********************************************************
I keep repeating myself:
This narrater Gomez Pugh is simply AWESOME good. His voice is mesmerizing. He is going to do this to a sperb listening for me.
There are all in all all 10 full serial novellas in this 'Channeling Morpheus/Sweet Oblivion' series. ~ Read my complete Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary review for the first five parts later on.
I LIKE - and I'm starting to slowly dance..
******
BR start 12th June for book 1-5 starting with #1 - Payback. (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...)
June 9, 2012
The first part of this one reminded me of a particularly horrific episode of a show like the X-Files or Supernatural. And just when it gets so icky I don't think I can keep reading... In comes Bill.
It's good, I think, that we've gotten to be in michael's head for the two slayings, so we can know what's going through his head and feel sympathy for him rather than fear or concern like Bill has.
I honestly love these two so much! And I love who they are when they're together even more. So much more than any other couple I can think of right now. It's like they both fill in missing pieces of the other. Like alone they have all these hard edges and weird angles that keep them from fitting with anyone else--or just the world in general. But with each other those edges and angles fit perfectly. It's beautiful and amazing and special.
It's good, I think, that we've gotten to be in michael's head for the two slayings, so we can know what's going through his head and feel sympathy for him rather than fear or concern like Bill has.
I honestly love these two so much! And I love who they are when they're together even more. So much more than any other couple I can think of right now. It's like they both fill in missing pieces of the other. Like alone they have all these hard edges and weird angles that keep them from fitting with anyone else--or just the world in general. But with each other those edges and angles fit perfectly. It's beautiful and amazing and special.
March 15, 2013
I loved the way the characters of Michael and Wild Bill develop. The chemistry and heat between them is tangible. I'm impressed with the economical way in which Prices gives them depth and credibility. Michael is fascinating with his youthful righteousness and Wild Bill is so endearing with his air of inevitability where Michael's whims are concerned.
February 22, 2014
The opening is an attention getter. We have Michael's POV again. A little creepiness and a lot desire. Love Big Red and the promise of always having a place for day and for sex. Will Wild Bill remain the hero of this series? He is the human element although he is the Vampire. Michael knows how to get under Bill's skin. Love their relationship.
June 14, 2015
Read as part of Channeling Morpheus for Scary Mary Ebook Box Set
I loved the creepy vibe this one had.
Wild Bill and Michael are still super hot
I loved the creepy vibe this one had.
Wild Bill and Michael are still super hot
June 12, 2014
I didn't like this one as much as the other two but still a fun read. I adore Wild Bill! On to the next!
July 21, 2014
Mother of all that is righteous. These 2 burn up these small pages. I just can't get enough. Fuck!
turn me dammit!!'
turn me dammit!!'
August 10, 2016
Review posted at Brief Encounters Reviews. In conjunction with BER's week of Channeling Morpheus reviews, here is Part One and Part Two of our interview with Jordan Castillo Price.
Note: This was my second read of the series, the first of the 2nd edition.
4.75 stars (rounded up!)
I guess it’s a bit like cabin fever… but imagine that happening to a vampire with access to a population and an obsession with dolls. That’s Marushka. Incredibly, unbearably creepy.
There are two things that make this story such a winner: Marushka, who chills me every time with her sweet little smile and childlike voice while wielding a razor, and the fact that Marushka becomes the catalyst in the relationship between Bill and Michael, who up until this point have been one-upping one another, someone always ending the story in a drugged stupor. Yet this time, with the nearness of Michael becoming a living puppet and the fact that Wild Bill has taken a hit in his pride by following Michael to Sioux Falls, they both find themselves in a situation where they’re together against the world and they have to figure out the rules. What follows is a almost a battle of will and wit. Can Michael make Bill admit that there is actually something between them, now that he’s starting to understand him and see through his sarcastic personality? And can Bill weigh Michael’s “serial killer” tendencies against the fact that he’s pretty much addicted to him and come out on top? They have to find out their roles, how they fit with each other and what it really means.
Looking back on this story to the first time I read it, most of what I remembered was about Marushka, and how creeped out she made me (“I noticed that her eyebrows weren’t actually eyebrows at all, just a pair of thin, curved lines she’d drawn on perpetually surprised”). I could never forget her. Yet, I didn’t remember as much about the interplay in the relationship. I can see now, after I’ve read it again and it’s fresh in my mind, how smart it is, but this story purely because of it’s place in the series, suffers a bit from that middle of the series (well, the first part) lag. I hate to even use that word, because it sounds so negative. And really, now that I’m not so shocked by the creepy dolls as I was the first time, the growing relationship between Michael and Wild Bill really sticks with me. This is where the relationship really starts to grow, and Jordan succeeds is using the emotion to drive the plot forward without losing any of Michael’s quasi-innocence or Bill’s fuck-the-world attitude.
There’s a lot to admire about this story in particular. Jordan shows that she can write horror and really shine here (or that’s what I call it, since it creeps me out like clowns do!). The opening scene is fantastically set up. The grunginess of the life Michael has been living for the past two years is highlighted by the obsessive cleanliness in the opening scenes. More than that, though, is the fact that this story is really the beginning of the larger story of the two of them together, setting up the scenarios that they’ll face together in the coming stories.
While this might not have been my favorite of the stories in the past, I appreciate it more now, and that says something about the series and how layered the characters are. I’m glad that I’ve taken away something different this time and I respect Jordan even more as an author. A
Note: This was my second read of the series, the first of the 2nd edition.
4.75 stars (rounded up!)
I guess it’s a bit like cabin fever… but imagine that happening to a vampire with access to a population and an obsession with dolls. That’s Marushka. Incredibly, unbearably creepy.
There are two things that make this story such a winner: Marushka, who chills me every time with her sweet little smile and childlike voice while wielding a razor, and the fact that Marushka becomes the catalyst in the relationship between Bill and Michael, who up until this point have been one-upping one another, someone always ending the story in a drugged stupor. Yet this time, with the nearness of Michael becoming a living puppet and the fact that Wild Bill has taken a hit in his pride by following Michael to Sioux Falls, they both find themselves in a situation where they’re together against the world and they have to figure out the rules. What follows is a almost a battle of will and wit. Can Michael make Bill admit that there is actually something between them, now that he’s starting to understand him and see through his sarcastic personality? And can Bill weigh Michael’s “serial killer” tendencies against the fact that he’s pretty much addicted to him and come out on top? They have to find out their roles, how they fit with each other and what it really means.
Looking back on this story to the first time I read it, most of what I remembered was about Marushka, and how creeped out she made me (“I noticed that her eyebrows weren’t actually eyebrows at all, just a pair of thin, curved lines she’d drawn on perpetually surprised”). I could never forget her. Yet, I didn’t remember as much about the interplay in the relationship. I can see now, after I’ve read it again and it’s fresh in my mind, how smart it is, but this story purely because of it’s place in the series, suffers a bit from that middle of the series (well, the first part) lag. I hate to even use that word, because it sounds so negative. And really, now that I’m not so shocked by the creepy dolls as I was the first time, the growing relationship between Michael and Wild Bill really sticks with me. This is where the relationship really starts to grow, and Jordan succeeds is using the emotion to drive the plot forward without losing any of Michael’s quasi-innocence or Bill’s fuck-the-world attitude.
There’s a lot to admire about this story in particular. Jordan shows that she can write horror and really shine here (or that’s what I call it, since it creeps me out like clowns do!). The opening scene is fantastically set up. The grunginess of the life Michael has been living for the past two years is highlighted by the obsessive cleanliness in the opening scenes. More than that, though, is the fact that this story is really the beginning of the larger story of the two of them together, setting up the scenarios that they’ll face together in the coming stories.
While this might not have been my favorite of the stories in the past, I appreciate it more now, and that says something about the series and how layered the characters are. I’m glad that I’ve taken away something different this time and I respect Jordan even more as an author. A
April 2, 2015
The beginning was quite disturbing... eeeuw
But then the rescue of Bill!!!
“I’m going to keep hunting bad vampires.”
He snorted. “And here I thought you’d rather be a dentist.”
Fine, mock. Better than him shutting down and going all quiet, like he’d been in the kitchen. “You can do it…with me.”
“My guidance counselor told me that my serial killer skills were totally lacking. He recommended I look into food services for a rewarding career. This was back when wooly mammoths roamed the earth, but I’m guessing it still holds true today.”
I love the dangerous vibe between Michael and Bill!
Next book!!
But then the rescue of Bill!!!
“I’m going to keep hunting bad vampires.”
He snorted. “And here I thought you’d rather be a dentist.”
Fine, mock. Better than him shutting down and going all quiet, like he’d been in the kitchen. “You can do it…with me.”
“My guidance counselor told me that my serial killer skills were totally lacking. He recommended I look into food services for a rewarding career. This was back when wooly mammoths roamed the earth, but I’m guessing it still holds true today.”
I love the dangerous vibe between Michael and Bill!
Next book!!
January 18, 2012
Oh my God. These two just keep getting hotter. Bill saves Michael during his latest hunt, but seems to be having doubts about Michael's intentions toward vamps. However, it's obvious that he doesn't want to stay away from Michael - especially since he has followed him to South Dakota and purchased a van in his name. Now that they seem to be travelling together, what happens next? Will Michael keep hunting? What is Bill's role going to be in this thing? And what about all this explosive sex? Inquiring minds want to know!
October 23, 2015
I cannot seem to get enough of Michael and Bill. Boy boy boy, these two are definitely the kind of hot that make you tingly all over. I love the dangerous vibe when these men are together.
The story continues with Michael still on the hunt for big bad vampires. With Wild Bill still his sarcastic sexy vampire self. And the two of them set the bed (or wherever is convenient) on fire.
The story continues with Michael still on the hunt for big bad vampires. With Wild Bill still his sarcastic sexy vampire self. And the two of them set the bed (or wherever is convenient) on fire.
January 8, 2012
I put this one in my favorites shelf before I even read it and wasn't disappointed. Marushka is one crazy bitch. I will never understand how Wild Bill thinks but I think Michael is good for him. I will definitely read the next one.
June 11, 2017
Creepy. Hot. And a dash of sugar. God I love this series!
June 10, 2017
Dang, this series sure is addictive! The emotional aspects just suck me in and the HOT sex? WOW... these two just can't seem to have a "boring" sex scene! *snort* LOL!!!
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