Hunting Memories

Vampire Memories #2

by Barb Hendee

Vampire Eleisha Clevon has learned a way to draw blood from her victims without killing them-and she wants to share this knowledge with like- minded vampires and forge a united front against Julian Ashton, a vampire who preys on his own kind.

Now, she has found a possible ally in the enigmatic Rose de Spenser-but never expects the revelations Rose has to share about Eleisha's own vampire origins...

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

339 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published August 28, 2009

About the author

[See barbhendee.org]

Like most writers, I've worked at many jobs in my life, including teaching pre-school until I completed my master's degree in Composition Theory. Between 1993 and 2006, I taught college English while writing fiction on the side, some independently and some with my husband and life-long partner J.C.

Over the years, we've lived in Washington State, Idaho, Colorado, and now moved just south of Portland, Oregon. I love the Northwest, and it's a great place to write.

We have a lovely and talented daughter, Jaclyn, who lives in Houston, Texas along with our wonderful and talented son-in-law, Paul.

J.C. and I sold Dhampir in 2001, which changed our lives considerably. It was published in January 2003, and we've published a book in the Noble Dead Saga every year since. In May of 2006, we were both able to quit our teaching jobs and move into full time writing.

Recently, I've begun writing romance/suspense novels, beginning with: Alone with a Soldier. I am so glad my books have found an audience because I love to write fiction more than anything else in the world... and I'm not really good at anything else.

Reviews

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hunting Memories is the 2nd book in the Vampire Memories series by Barb Hendee. Barb Hendee is more known for her Nobel Dead series with her husband JC Hendee. I've yet to read that series, but after reading this it's on my TBR list asap. I LOVE this series. I was hooked after one chapter in Blood Memories and couldn't put it down. I was very excited to find out that there was another book in this series, which is HUNTING MEMORIES. A cool point about this series is that is was written 15 years ago. And even though it's been written so long ago, you don't find anything out of date. It's really beautifully written!
Hunting Memories was an awesome second installment in this series.
I don't want to give too much away, especially for those who haven't read Blood Memories. So if you haven't read Blood Memories you should be okay.

Eleisha is a different type of vampire. She's caring, small and a non-fighter. She uses her 'special power' on her victoms. She can make people want to take care of her and help her no matter if it makes they in harms way. It's great to see a new type of female vampire, one that isn't a kick butt, head strong fighter. Eleisha cares deeply for others and hopes to create a community for herself and her small group. After writing letters to Rose she finally makes contact in Hunting Memories. I love the building plot this book has and the characters are very well written. Character wise I'd have to say Philip is my favorite. He's strong headed, bold and dangerous, but there's caring in him that has yet to be exposed. Not to mention his funny quirks and good looks! He's the best!

Another awesome thing about this series is the way it relives the past. Most books just think back to their past, but not this series. Wade( Elisha's new human friend) taught Eliesha and Phillip about reading memories. Now Eliesha has the talent of watching any of the memories other vampires open up for her to see. And by doing so we get a perfect history of the characters in this series. I'm loving it!

Hunting Memories is an amazing second installment in the Vampire Memories series, and for those who haven't read it yet.. do so!!!



Synopsis:
Eleisha Clevon has begun a correspondence with fellow vampire Rose de Spenser. Both reluctant predators, they venture outside only when the hunger becomes unbearable, trying not to draw attention to themselves-and feel guilty when ending human lives.

But Eleisha has learned a way to draw blood from her victims without killing them. She wants to share this knowledge with like-minded vampires and create a haven where they can exist together-and forge a united front against Julian Ashton, a vampire who has been hunting down and destroying his own kind...

[Katie(babs) · Rating 1 out of 5]

Things couldn’t be better for the immortal vampire Eleisha, who finally defeated her maker Julian. After hundreds of years of living in hiding and killing innocent humans for their blood, she has found a way to feed without killing. Eleisha couldn’t be happier with her new found family. She now has Philip, a Frenchman, who uses his gift of sexual attraction to lure his victims, and Wade, a human telepath who left his life behind in Portland, Oregon to join Eleisha and Philip. Even though Eleisha scared Julian to the point where he ran away back to Europe with his tail stuck between his legs, he is still planning his revenge.
Both Wade and Philip are worried when Eleisha tells them about a letter she’s received from another vampire who wants to meet them. Philip thinks it’s a trick from Julian, but Eleisha doesn’t believe that. She’s been writing letters back and forth with Rose de Spender in San Francisco, California. Eleisha wants to invite Rose to come live with them in an old church she has purchased. Because Philip is afraid Eleisha will leave him, he does what she wants and soon he and Wade travel with her to meet this Rose.

Julian Ashton wants payback and raises the ghost of a recently deceased sixteen-year-old who overdosed on pills to help him. Mary Jordane will be in his control and now as a ghost she can follow Eleisha and report back to him. Mary tells Julian how Eleisha has met a new vampire, Rose and Seamus, a ghost who has been her only companion since the 18th century, and of Robert, a vampire from the past who Julian knows longs to destroy him.

Eleisha can tap into Rose and Robert’s memories so she can build a bond with them. Philip doesn’t like any of this and wants to go back to the way things were before these new faces entered into their lives. Eleisha refuses to listen to him and as they travel back home to Portland, Julian has come out of hiding and has a few new tricks up his sleeve that will ruin Eleisha’s plans.

Barb Hendee has written an interesting take on the vampire myth with vampires who are living on the edges of society and must do whatever they can to survive. Hunting Memories is gritty and dark and for those who enjoy a thing with vampire characters.

I found myself very bored with Hunting Memories. I couldn’t find a connection with any of these characters and there was simply no excitement, thrilling suspense or action I can recommend within these pages. Eleisha has her moments where she shines but her interactions with Rose and the two very important men in her life failed to bring anything worth while to the story in general. Julian comes across as a pathetic creature who doesn’t scare in any way and the actions he takes to build a new army of sorts to defeat Eleisha and her crew was ridiculous.

Hunting Memories is a very forgettable book and the writing very disappointing, which is surprising because Barb Hendee is part of a well known writing duo with her husband. I was expecting Hunting Memories to have a nice atmospheric near gothic feel to it. Instead I felt like I was reading a failed attempt to catch those readers who are looking for another type of series with vampires, but ones who are weak and sad.

Hunting Memories is a pass.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I reviewed the first book in the series, Blood Memories, I said one of the book's strengths was Eleisha herself, in that she's a wonderfully strong character who doesn't need to kick people in the head. This is still true, and it's part of what makes this book stand apart from everything else in my increasingly crowded bookshelf. Eleisha never fights and wouldn't know how. She is, however, the de facto leader of her group, the glue that holds them all together, and a force to be reckoned with. She has a gentle warmth about her (and how different is that for an urban fantasy heroine?) and has a knack for convincing those around her to follow her lead. Also, I really like she has the ability to be flat-out wrong.

Also worthy of mention is Philip, a 200-year-old French vampire with a darkness he can't quite master and a desperate fear of being alone. I'm absolutely fascinated by the contradicton he represents. With the exception of Eleisha, everyone feels he's too dark and too dangerous to keep around, and they might not be wrong. He needs them, though, and there's a hint that the need might not be one-sided and that he might have a better grip on his humanity than he's credited for. And let's face it, any vampire who looks at his waist-length hair, realizes he's 20 years out of fashion, and is absolutely appalled by this will have no issues at all charming me.

At this point, I should mention the titular memories, given in flashback form. These were really well handled, and while each flashback would condense a vampire's entire lifetime into one chapter, I still felt like I was immersed into what was going on rather than told the story. There were two, and they neither felt gratuitous or like a weak mechanic. They were as much a part of the story as any other part and fitted neatly into the natural flow of the book.

I think it's safe to say I really enjoyed this read, and highly recommend it to anyone who'd like to check out a female character who doesn't translate "strong" to only have one definition (that being the literal one). All readers who appreciate complex characters and stories driven by the characters' decisions rather than outside forces should pick this up, too. My only issue is that now I'll have to wait a year to check in on these characters again to find out what's next.

[Joy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love Hendee's 'Dhampir' stories to which she's still adding books so I was pleased she started a new series with an entirely different take on vampires and in modern time.

There is a weakness to these stories. Perhaps not enough romance or adventure. Maybe in a few more books she'll get her heart behind the story once she's got the bones of it fleshed out.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually like this book better than the first one. It wasn't as slow paced as the first one. My biggest pet peeve about this book though is, that it constantly switches from what's going on with Elisha to what Julian is doing with no warning. And so at some points it got a little tedious to keep up with both of their stories. But it was good.

[Mei · Rating 2 out of 5]

So much urban fiction, so little time. So many vampires. Why do I keep reading these? No idea, since I’m beginning to realise I really, really don’t like vampires. I find them dill and uninteresting (except Jim Butcher. His vampires, I like). So anyway, hum. Another book about vampires, some renaissance vampires but surprisingly (and pleasantly so) no real romance. So it was ok.

[Jeff S · Rating 4 out of 5]

It definitely picked up from the first book.

[Paschalis]

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[Dion Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like how each book is a step along a journey.

Can't wait to see what happens next.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not news that vampire novels are everywhere these days and the hardest thing for a fan of the genre is to find something unique. Barb Hendee is well known for co-authoring the Noble Dead series with her husband J.C. and if anyone knows her way around vampires-- it's her. The question is, has she succeeded in creating something distinctive with her Vampire Memories series?

Well, yes and no.

I wrote a very positive review of Blood Memories, the first book in this series, last year and was really looking forward to the sequel because Hendee did have a fresh take on the vampire myth. The standout part of Hendee's mythology is the way in which her vampires evolve after their mortal death. Whatever happens to be their strongest personality trait in life is amplified to an overpowering level when they make the transition to the living dead. "Blood Memories" introduced us to Elisha Clevon, a young woman who was so frail in life that her 'talent' is to appear so helpless that any mortal man she encounters immediately feels a desire to protect her. Elisha was solely created to be a caretaker for an elderly vampire teetering on the edge of sanity, but her world changes dramatically when she discovers she has telepathic abilities; and that terrifies her creator-- who has been hunting down and killing all the older vampires who display that particular skill.

"Blood Memories" saw Elisha confronting her creator, Julian-- whose own particular talent is for instilling fear. Using her newfound telepathic talents Elisha fends off Julian and settles into a new life with another vampire and a human telepath. "Hunting Memories" is the start of the next chapter for Elisha. Believing that she has achieved an uneasy truce with Julian, she starts reaching out to the few vampires who have survived his relentless hunt.

The significance of Elisha's telepathy comes into play as she meets new vampires. As she touches their minds she is able to see their past through their eyes and actually experience their transitions into immortality; and these are the most compelling moments of the story. A few new vampires are introduced into the small circle of characters and we see that it hasn't always been necessary for vampires to kill to survive. But Julian isn't as complacent as Elisha believes and as her group grows, he becomes increasingly agitated and certain they are going to eventually hunt him down.

"Hunting Memories" is a good book in many ways. Hendee's strength clearly lies in creating characters that go beyond flat stereotypes. Her stories are populated by people who are very relatable with unique personalities. But what had seemed so new in "Blood Memories" begins to feel slightly tired this time around.

What keeps "Hunting Memories" from fully succeeding is that it doesn't tread any new ground. New characters are brought in, but the story follows what now feels like an old formula. Julian is still the villain he always was and his motivations have not really changed. I had also hoped that Hendee was not going to allow her vampires to veer into the more non-threatening territory we see so often in modern paranormal fiction. And though she doesn't succumb to the temptation to make her vampires into pseudo-monsters from a romance novel, Hendee didn't allow the story to follow the darker path I thought it was going to go down. There were hints that some of her characters were going to heed their more sinister natures, but that part of the narrative wasn't really expanded and I was curiously disappointed. In the end, it felt as if the story had gone in a circular path and didn't gain any momentum.

Ultimately "Hunting Memories" is a book for people who really liked the first book in the series and are willing to hang in there and see if the story evolves. I tend to think it will. If I'm reading Hendee correctly I think she is taking her time and using a more subtle method than most authors who write in this particular genre to move the story forward. Hopefully "Hunting Memories" is more of a sophomore slump than a trend.

[Severind Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just another forgettable vampire novel. I'm surprised I gave this three stars, because honestly, I don't remember liking it much at all at the time. I think I only gave it the three stars out of loyalty for Barb Hendee, whose other series, the Noble Dead Saga, written with her husband, was one I adored. You couldn't have found a bigger fan of the Noble Dead Saga, probably still can't. So naturally, I was hoping that the rest of her books would give me a good fix. You know, substitute my love for the series that I had finally finished and all that fun stuff. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

Barb Hendee's writing in this book was unmemorable, which is a shame because I know what she is capable of when writing with her husband. The plot felt very forced and kind of...irritating. I get what she was trying to go for, and props for trying to be creative. But it didn't leave any kind of lasting impression on me. I forced myself to enjoy this more than I did because I wanted to love everything she did just as much as The Noble Dead Saga, but sadly, it was more like a waste of time. I'm not a huge vampire fan to begin with, and especially not in the context of the real world. The Noble Dead Saga worked because it took place in a fantasy world and ended up being about so much more than vampires after the second book. And I guess I shouldn't compare them. But the comparison might help you understand why this book let me down so much, when her other work didn't.

I didn't actually stop reading the series after this book, but I think I should have. I felt no connection to any of the characters, found myself annoyed with them more often than not, and just couldn't care an ounce for anything they did to progress the plot. If you're looking for a vampire novel that lacks substance, I guess this is it. And that's fine if that's what you're looking for. I can see why this might be addictive for some readers. But I don't think I'm the right crowd for it.

[Jenifer1223 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hunting Memories builds off the foundation laid by Blood Memories, and is definitely stronger overall than its predecessor.

Eleisha, Philip, and Wade head out in search of other Vampires to invite them to live at the Underground and to show them that there is a way to exist with others of their kind. The only problem is, Julian is not thrilled and, as a vampire with no telepathic abilities, he must find a way to put a stop to this before there are enough vampires gathered together to become a threat to him.

This book really picks up the pace from the first one. The characters are established and the plot begins to move forward at an exciting rate. New aspects about the vampires in the Blood Memories world are discovered in this book, and I must say it is a take on them that I personally have never come across. While I'm not sure how I feel about it, it is refreshing to see a new take on how a vampire functions.

I think this book is a good sign for the series; I enjoyed it very much!

[Al]

The co-author of the bestselling Noble Dead novels continues her "exhilarating"(SF Revu) new vampire series. 

Eleisha Clevon has begun a correspondence with fellow vampire Rose de Spenser. Both reluctant predators, they venture outside only when the hunger becomes unbearable, trying not to draw attention to themselves-and feel guilty when ending human lives. But Eleisha has learned a way to draw blood from her victims without killing them. She wants to share this knowledge with like-minded vampires and create a haven where they can exist together-and forge a united front against Julian Ashton, a vampire who has been hunting down and destroying his own kind...

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I said I was going to take some time before I read this book but I lied. I guess that says something good for the series though that even though I didn't feel entirely pleased with the first book it pulled at me enough to move on to the second one pretty quickly even when I said I wasn't going to.

That being said, I did feel like this second one was much better. It didn't have that same rushed feeling the last one did and I felt like the story moved at a more normal and believable pace. The new characters were good and I found myself liking the characters from the previous novel more than I did in the previous novel. Hopefully the rest of the series continues this same upward climb.

[Phyllis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The premise of this series made the first book in the series enticing. A mad vampire destroyed the most vampires; and with their destruction, vampire laws and history are lost. The few surviving vampires live in fear and ignorance. Then the weakest vampire discovers her unsuspected abilities.

In this second book, the heroine, Eleisha, continues her search for other vampires. Hendee's vampires are fascinating; they are powerful, yet they suffer from human emotions like fear, loneliness, and grief. All of them have special talents. Eleisha cares for others. It is her strength and her weakness.

Once started, I could not put this book down.

[Cami · Rating 3 out of 5]

If I didn't already have the next book in this series to read, I would drop the series at this point.

I was very disappointed in this book... it really is written in a strange manner. The characters aren't very likeable, some are worse than others... they don't react how you would expect them to act and they do strange things.

This book almost seems like a young adult novel, but not in a good way. It also wasn't edited very well. There are missing words, words spelled or used wrong, etc.

I stayed interested but somewhat repulsed all the way through the story. I'm not really sure what to think of it.

[Brittany · Rating 3 out of 5]

All in All the story was a good second installment to the series. I thought the beginning was a little slow but the end more then made up for it. The book moved the whole story along but nothing of super importance happens until the end and even then you are left wanting more. I will definitely be reading the 3rd book in hopes that a positive outcome happens. If you enjoyed the first you will enjoy this book. It gives you more information about the Vampire race and why Julian does what he does.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Blood Memories, but I'm not sure how I feel about this becoming a series.

Since we're already familiar with the backgrounds of Eleisha, Phillip, and Wade, the flashbacks in this book are focused on new characters. I didn't find these new folks as interesting, so I was a little disappointed when it seemed they were getting so much more attention than the original characters (especially Wade).

The plot moved along at a good pace. I'm definitely interested to find out what happened next, but the resolution felt uncomfortably open-ended.

[Doris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book moved at a good clip. One of the things that bothers me though is that many of the characters seem to wind up "really, totally completely dead" to quote or misquote "The Wizard of Oz".

However, me met several new characters, and were given a purpose for the characters from Blood Memories (which I read after this one). Just a recommendation - read them in the right order and they both make more sense.

Overall, a good read, and although there is a love story (Eleisha and William) it isn't a romance.

[Esther Diaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

this is story is not as good as i was hoping for i mean a little of the romance is coming but not by much, also i'm very confuse how in hell do they have sex, i just don't get it, that maybe why Julian is always scare and in such a bad mood he need to get laid lol.
the book is not bad but not good either, i like it but not as much this book need a little of humor and life and i don't know happyness. is to dark and it time a bit depresing i read the next one because i want to see if she finally get with someone but hey you never know let hope for the best

[Joe · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad second outing for Barb Hendee's solo career. It felt more like an introduction to a longer overarching plot than the first one, but I guess that's natural for a writer who doesn't know if the first book will sell well enough to be picked up for an ongoing series. It really started to flesh out Philip's character and the addition of several more interesting characters to the cast kept it from becoming too much of the same.

[Jodi Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book, but it seemed to go by so fast. I noticed something about Barb's writing, even if you read this book first you will not get lost. She'll does a one paragraph blurb to catch you up on the characters history. Lots of action. The only thing I didn't like was the introduction of ghosts as companions, servants. A bit too far fetched for me, lol. Glad Phillip got his hair cut and I can't wait to see if anything becomes of their 'relationship'. It seems to be heading that way :)

[Anita · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was interesting that it took place in my home town of Portland, but it was too easy to put down and wait a few days to resume reading. This book falls under vampire-lite. Maybe just a tad bit too lite for my preference. I do want to add that I usually enjoy Barb Hendee's books, but I felt this one wasn't up to her good standards.

[Melliane · Rating 3 out of 5]

J'ai préféré ce tome au premier, l'histoire avance plus et on apprend le passé de plusieurs personnages et ce que a fait qu'ils en sont arrivé là, Eleisha commence à devenir plus indépendante, elle rencontre enfin d'autres vampires et se trouve un nouveau but, mais j'avoue que j'ai un peu de mal à voir exactement ce que veut Julian...

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series and Barb Hendee's style of writing. I love the way in which she refreshes the reader's memory of the previous story. I am looking forward to book 3 where Eleisha starts her hunt.

[A Voracious Reader (a.k.a. Carol) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling. The second book continues to pull me forward in the series. I want to see what happens with this odd group. I'd love to see Julian dead, but a good villian is hard to come by, so he can't go yet.

[Milinkalap · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a big fan of this book but at least I finished it.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Continuing to build from the previous book. She continutes to flesh them out and draw us deeper into their world. Very nicely done.

[Kristin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read from 6/9 - 6/10.

[Maggie Simard · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!