That Which Bites

Julia Poe Vampire Chronicles #1

by Celis T. Rono

The Gray Armageddon has destroyed most of humanity. Vampires have slinked out of hiding, penning the few human survivors as blood cattle. Young Julia Poe survives the horror. She has dodged the undead since she was eight years old in downtown Los Angeles and has the only untapped vein in the new realm. Now she celebrates her 22nd birthday as a cattle rustler, fighting the vampire factions alongside a gun-toting nun with an even bigger vendetta. Kaleb Sainvire, the master vampire and architect responsible for `milking cattle, ' is first on Poe's list. That is, if she isn't taken by his vampiric allure.

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Vampires, Horror, Fantasy, Paranormal, Dystopia, Paranormal Romance

371 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2009

About the author

Celis T. Rono studied English and Sociology. She is a voracious reader of American Literature and is a movie buff. This is her first novel. She is currently working on the sequel to That Which Bites. Celis lives in downtown Los Angeles.

Reviews

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I just finished reading That Which Bites, and let me say, I don't think I've ever read a book that had me so on edge the entire time I was reading it; I could not put it down.

The story centres on Julia Poe, a 22 year old survivor of the Gray Armageddon, a mysterious fog which allowed vamps to come in and take over and caused many humans to die. After her whole family died when she was eight, Poe learned to survive in her bunker in downtown Los Angeles with only herself and thousands of movies for company. After a confrontation with a hungry vampire ends in his demise (and a nasty scar for her), Poe sets about hunting them at night, and when aged twelve she comes across Goss and Sister Ann, a giant and gun toting nun, the three become some of the most feared vigilantes in LA. Rescuing 'cattle', humans who are 'milked' for their blood by vamps, from the two master vampires in LA, Quillon Trench and Kaleb Sainvire, become Poe's purpose in life. She's doing fine, until a rescue attempt gone wrong leaves her in the clutches of Sainvire. But is he really as bad as he seems?

Like most people, I've read my fair share of vampire books, and have come to expect certain plotlines and twists. However, when I read about this book, it seemed different. And my god, it so is (:

Due to her lack of exposure to other people, Poe tends to gather her knowledge about situations and life from movies. She's seen them all - Cool Hand Luke, Scarface, and her fair share of porn (she likes the background music). Because of this her inner thoughts and actions are hilarious, and though she starts off as a stuttering, painfully shy and socially inept girl who has an amazing aim, by the end of the book she's stronger, tougher, and can form a coherent sentence no problem.

Because this girl gets seriously beaten down in this book - honestly, I can't actually recall another book in which the main character gets beaten up so many times! There's a lot of violence in That Which Bites, but it's not the crappy unnecessary kind - more of a comic book violence, something gory yet funny at the same time that reminds me strongly of Tarantino (who if there is ever a movie made must direct it) :L Although she looks small and fragile to others, Poe is a complete badass, capable of shooting several vamps coming at her at 100 miles per hour over 50 feet away in the hearts with both hands.
There are so many damsels-in-distress type heroines with secret powers and such crap around today, it was so good to see a heroine that can actually hold her own and beat most grown men through mainly her own hard work.

I like a little romance, and That Which Bites provides that without saturating the story with it, which was welcome since the story is so awesome. Sainvire and Poe make a great couple, but their relationship was a tad confusing sometimes. Poe has a tendency to judge first, think later, shown when she shoots Sainvire in the stomach for something HE DIDN'T DO. Seriously, ever heard of 'talking it out'? And I liked the way he wasn't rescuing her all the time - she looked out for herself, and even when he did he couldn't 'babysit' her for long (even though Poe is a person you don't babysit). There's sex, but it's not overly detailed and fits nicely with the story unlike some other novels. And I liked the way Poe wasn't immediately all over Sainvire and wanting to convert to vampirism for him like some other heroines (in fact, she found the prospect of sleeping with a dead guy 'creepy' and 'slightly repulsive').

I can't really say how much I enjoyed this book - above all, it was just so much fun. I haven't read a book in a long time that engrossed me so much - the story never has a dull moment, and the many battles and shoot outs that Poe gets into left me breathless. I honestly think it's one of the best & most enjoyable vampire books I've ever read, and I hope Celis T. Rono gets more recognition for it - she is a truly talented writer who made me laugh and my heart rate speed up at her words, and I'll look forward to anything else she writes.

That Which Bites is a rip roaring rollercoaster of gory action & adrenaline with a kick ass heroine, buckets of humour, evil vampires and nuns with guns. What's not to like? Roll on the sequel! :)

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book. Julia Poe is an amazing heroine and as in these dystopian fantasies that I seem to love love love, I admire her strength and vulnerability. I would have folded like a house of cards Day 1. Heck, reading the first 60 pages of this book I often had my hand over my mouth and I am not very squeamish. Orphaned at 8? Lived on her own for years and suspiciously observed by allies she loved and thought of as family. I would have loved even more tender mundane moments of her ordinary humanity (Kate Daniels and her Boone's Farm, pie baking and dreams of a family to come home to). Kate and Julia would be very very good for each other. I liked Kaleb but martyrs rarely make good lovers. But since no one taught Poe to wear a bra they probably never gave her warnings about the success ratio of types of men. I gave up sleep last night to begin plowing through book 2. I hope there is a book 3.

[Sheyla ✎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Julia Poe has been alone since the age of eight. Her family was murdered by vampires after the Grey Armageddon occurred, a poison that killed most humans. She has survived on the streets of Little Tokyo, hiding in a bunker. Her first kill happens at this age and she was left with a reminder for life, a scar on her face.
Fast forward to age twelve she meets a nun, sister Ann and "Goss" who showed her how to protect herself and kill vampires. She is a great shot and has learned combat from her friend Goss and the movies that she has watched to keep her company for so many years.
In this world a Vampire Council exists. Two master vampires have divided the city. QuillonTrent who has turned the beautiful people and cops and Kaleb Sainvire who has created the Human Cattle society. Humans are treated as cattle and their blood is the milk that gets distributed.
After one of the cattle rescues goes wrong, they decided to stay low for a month, they are to meet for a late birthday celebration for Poe. When her friends don't come back, Poe goes out looking for them. She gets captured and at the end saved by Kaleb who takes her to his home. There she learns that not all vampires are equal and there is a way to help the remaining humans.
This book is full of action, sometimes unnecessary violence. Julia gets hurt so many times, that you wonder how can she still be alive. She attacks Kaleb and his friend Jonathan without a second thought as to if she may be wrong about her conclusions. The end leaves you with a notion of a second book.
2/5 Fangs
cross posted at my blog http://mrsleifs.blogspot.com

[Kara-karina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've had this book recommended to me by a friend on Goodreads, and only managed to buy and read it last month.

I can honestly say that this is one of the grittiest, harshest, most hardboiled urban fantasy series I have ever read. And I read a lot in this genre.

Julia Poe Chronicles blends almost childish simplicity of Blood Red Road, Reapers Are The Angels and Mad Max in post-apocalyptic landscape of vamp infested, deserted Los Angeles, and some of the intensity of earlier Connie Suttle and Lilith Saintcrow.

Poe certainly is one of the most messed up heroines I've had pleasure reading about. Her whole family perished in Gray Armageddon -an unknown airborne plague which killed billions instantly and allowed vampires to assert their dominance over human race. Poe was only eight when this happened, and had to find an abandoned bunker where she was hiding and learning about fighting vampires through action movies and books until 4 years later she met her first companions.

Julia is a fascinating creature, mostly due to her lack of any upbringing - savage, bloodthirsty, paranoid, lacking almost all social skills. She never gives up and that's what makes her so terrifying for vamps and their flunkies alike, and that's why she unwillingly becomes one of the symbols of human resistance.

This is an amazing true grit, which I hope any UF fan won't like to miss. You truly feel and root for Poe until the bitter end. She is a heartfelt, stubborn and strong-willed heroine who just can't catch a break... Highly recommended.

[evergreencrime · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to skim through the last half of the book. Totally my mistake in choosing this genre. I am not overly interested in the action aspect that took up most of the book... I found it tiring.

I could not get past the talking to the herself part, her over-exaggerated reactions and the over dramatic execution of the plot. Don't get me started on the 'vocabulary'---> half dead, leech, second dead, immune vampire, cattle... I couldn't keep track of them.

Getting to understand the world was interesting, at least at the beginning. I cannot go through another two books though so I wouldn't continue this series.

Read this book if you are into gory action. If not, stay away.

[Melanie Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love loved this book!

[Arlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best Vampire books I’d ever read and I have read dozens of them. The writing is excellent.If you’re a fan of vampire books please read. This. On to the 2nd one

[Tigrish · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't like this book, but I find it hard to put my finger on exactly what it is I didn't like about it. For starters, the scene setting felt weak at best. The whole with with the gas cloud that caused people to die seemed to only have happened so that our protagonist could find herself alone in a post-apocalyptic world of sorts. The narrative was also somewhat confusing, since we seemed to be experiencing the story from a third person kind of view, or something like a (not so neutral) observer. Sometimes I found that background information or more descriptive text was lacking. I find it easy to imagine what the author wanted the book and the characters to be like, but I don't think she achieved her goals. Unless one of the goals was to make Poe, who is supposed to be almost 22 years old, sound like a twelve year old instead. (who just looks into the mirror and discovers she has breast, I mean REALLY?)

So yeah didn't do it for me and I didn't finish it, sorry.

[Thenia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting concept and a dark and gritty world with an unusual heroine.

Some parts of it were better than others, but, unfortunately, there were a lot of inconsistencies that detracted from the story. There were some confusing and vague transitions in the timeline and sometimes the characters felt less than well-defined, especially Poe. Some of those problems wouldn't have been there, had the story been better edited.

Although it was enjoyable and bloody enough, I'm not sure if I'll continue with the series. Either way, the next book is Dead Surround.

[Erin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes, my go-to book review sites rave about a book that Boston Public Library doesn't have. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, I put in a request that the library buy it, then forget about it. If the book turns up at the hold desk it is usually a nice surprise.

That Which Bites was one of those requests -- and let's just say I wish the library could get their money back. I love genre fiction, but there is no plot premise fascinating enough to make up for poor prose. However, given the other reviews floating around for this book, someone else might get some enjoyment out of it. Sorry BPL.

[Edyta · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great concept, wish the writing was a bit better. I liked the horror elements and there plot was good. I think that was the direction the author should have gone, adding more tension would improve this story a lot. The characters were just OK, not really fleshed out and Poe was too juvenile at times. It's biggest fault was the writing but I will read the next book which is saying something.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4½ Stars

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

i dont like the ent

[k reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story that desperately needs an editor to help focus the writing.

[Lorna Kathleen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It has a decent story to it, but I can't click with the writing style.