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Ava Delaney #1
Thirst
Ava Delaney calls herself a hybrid - a living, breathing human who happens to have vampire poison running through her veins. The only thing greater than her thirst for human blood is her capacity for guilt. She does her best to avoid the human world, for everyone's sake.
When Ava accidentally enslaves a human while saving him from a vampire, she realises she has to look for help setting him free. Despite her misgivings, she expands her world but finds herself dragged into a possible vampire civil war. With the help of some new friends with ambiguous loyalties, she tries to find a way to keep her human, and herself, alive.
When Ava accidentally enslaves a human while saving him from a vampire, she realises she has to look for help setting him free. Despite her misgivings, she expands her world but finds herself dragged into a possible vampire civil war. With the help of some new friends with ambiguous loyalties, she tries to find a way to keep her human, and herself, alive.
135 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 28, 2010
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February 6, 2011
Vampire Novel Writing 101:< /b>
(1) Include two boys in a possible love triangle with the heroine. Even if your novel lacks in substance, you can give your reader the illusion of deep emotion by giving empty lust and sexual tension in the story from time to time. Make girls feel that they too can have their cake and eat it too by leading along two boys. Never mind that it's rare in real life for any girl, no matter how great or TOTALLY AWESOME, to have two boys compete for her affections beyond just vain attempts to outdo each other. Also, try to keep your love triangle unresolved in the first book: it may come in handy later to add more drama and tension if you find yourself plotless in the sequel(s) to come. (Example: House of Night)
(2) Make your heroine a goddess among women -- but be subtle about it. Your heroine needs to stand out. She can't be plain or average in any way: if she must be anything ordinary (though that is too dull and just too realistic!), make her quirky in some way. Give her a bad fashion sense. Make her a bit OCD. Make her a loner who's somehow popular without even trying. But make her alluring too -- especially to the male characters. Even if she thinks she's a total plain Jane, she's effortlessly pretty and looks good without even trying. She could wear a sack and still strike a good image. But that's what you want: relatability and realism don't matter! It's the TOTALLY AWESOME story and heroine that matter! (Examples: Twilight, House of Night, any number of paranormal YA books)
(3) Don't let your vamps be the stuff of horror stories. That's so 19th century. Vampires aren't supposed to leave you wanting to run screaming or to look behind you when you walk alone at night! Vampires are seduction incarnate. Who cares if they look horrendous at times? Who cares if they're a sickening shade of milk white? Who even cares that they drink blood? Those fangs -- and swoon-worthy eyes -- mean everything! There's soul behind those pit-like black eyes, and your heroine's going to find it. . .or her name's not Mary Sue! (Example: The Vampire Diaries)
(4) Love is a many splendid thing -- but not in this novel! Keep it short and sweet: boy meets girl, girl fantasizes about boy, boy wars with overwhelming attraction to girl, girl pseudo-stalks boy, boy and girl snog as if there's no tomorrow even though they've known each other for only a few hours/days. Girls don't want to read about real love -- the kind that takes time, anywhere from months to years, to build and strengthen. No, that won't work, so load up on the LUST! Hollywood's doing it, so why not books too? If that doesn't suit you, then just slap a FATE or SOUL MATE sticker on the couple, and you're good to go! Who's going to know the difference, really? (Example: 80-90% of the paranormal YA market at the moment)
(5) Blood drinking is sexy -- to both human and vampire. It hurts like hell for an animal to bite you, but we're not talking animals! We're talking VAMPIRES! Fang usage will just be another allegory for foreplay, but you didn't hear it here, folks! It'll be our little secret! (Example: At least 80% of vampire YA novels at the moment)
Now, lest I let you think I wrote ALL THAT to describe why Thirst irritated me, I will soothe you by saying this: Thirst doesn't fall back upon all the vampire cliches I listed above (though it does rely on its fair share). It tries to stand on its own, but its legs are unsteady Bambi legs that end up falling flat at all the wrong times. Basically, for me, Thirst managed to remind me of all the reasons why I hate vampire novels now. Most of them are just the same formula, jumbled up and spewed onto the pages in different arrangements and shapes.
For instance, I was annoyed with Ava as a heroine. She's the ONLY hybrid human-vampire, making her extra special and sought after. She's a recluse who, even after living apart from a normal life for many years, somehow manages to speak easily to strangers and enemies alike. She has a lot of trauma in her past that somehow doesn't manage to seep out in her everyday interactions. Basically, the girl is a freaking robot, a Stepford wife vampire with only some 'flaw' applications thrown into the mix. (The numbers OCD thing? How and why did that fit in to what we knew about Ava's character?)
The boys, Carl and Peter, weren't much better. Carl was a mindless bump on a log for much of the novel. (Read: He made Heath from House of Night seem like Einstein.) Then Peter is Mr. Hot and Cold, a hunter whose past is murky and left untouched. Very dissatisfying, to say the least.
The actual plot (two covens warring over control of Ava) didn't really keep me very interested. The only resolution, by the end, is basically an ending screaming TUNE INTO THE NEXT INSTALLMENT. I only finished the novel because it was short, and I highly doubt I'll be reading any sequel from it.
Basically, it was 99 cents down the drain, and I'm really sorry I didn't find another indie gem. Please take your hard-earned 99 cents and go read Camille instead.
(1) Include two boys in a possible love triangle with the heroine. Even if your novel lacks in substance, you can give your reader the illusion of deep emotion by giving empty lust and sexual tension in the story from time to time. Make girls feel that they too can have their cake and eat it too by leading along two boys. Never mind that it's rare in real life for any girl, no matter how great or TOTALLY AWESOME, to have two boys compete for her affections beyond just vain attempts to outdo each other. Also, try to keep your love triangle unresolved in the first book: it may come in handy later to add more drama and tension if you find yourself plotless in the sequel(s) to come. (Example: House of Night)
(2) Make your heroine a goddess among women -- but be subtle about it. Your heroine needs to stand out. She can't be plain or average in any way: if she must be anything ordinary (though that is too dull and just too realistic!), make her quirky in some way. Give her a bad fashion sense. Make her a bit OCD. Make her a loner who's somehow popular without even trying. But make her alluring too -- especially to the male characters. Even if she thinks she's a total plain Jane, she's effortlessly pretty and looks good without even trying. She could wear a sack and still strike a good image. But that's what you want: relatability and realism don't matter! It's the TOTALLY AWESOME story and heroine that matter! (Examples: Twilight, House of Night, any number of paranormal YA books)
(3) Don't let your vamps be the stuff of horror stories. That's so 19th century. Vampires aren't supposed to leave you wanting to run screaming or to look behind you when you walk alone at night! Vampires are seduction incarnate. Who cares if they look horrendous at times? Who cares if they're a sickening shade of milk white? Who even cares that they drink blood? Those fangs -- and swoon-worthy eyes -- mean everything! There's soul behind those pit-like black eyes, and your heroine's going to find it. . .or her name's not Mary Sue! (Example: The Vampire Diaries)
(4) Love is a many splendid thing -- but not in this novel! Keep it short and sweet: boy meets girl, girl fantasizes about boy, boy wars with overwhelming attraction to girl, girl pseudo-stalks boy, boy and girl snog as if there's no tomorrow even though they've known each other for only a few hours/days. Girls don't want to read about real love -- the kind that takes time, anywhere from months to years, to build and strengthen. No, that won't work, so load up on the LUST! Hollywood's doing it, so why not books too? If that doesn't suit you, then just slap a FATE or SOUL MATE sticker on the couple, and you're good to go! Who's going to know the difference, really? (Example: 80-90% of the paranormal YA market at the moment)
(5) Blood drinking is sexy -- to both human and vampire. It hurts like hell for an animal to bite you, but we're not talking animals! We're talking VAMPIRES! Fang usage will just be another allegory for foreplay, but you didn't hear it here, folks! It'll be our little secret! (Example: At least 80% of vampire YA novels at the moment)
Now, lest I let you think I wrote ALL THAT to describe why Thirst irritated me, I will soothe you by saying this: Thirst doesn't fall back upon all the vampire cliches I listed above (though it does rely on its fair share). It tries to stand on its own, but its legs are unsteady Bambi legs that end up falling flat at all the wrong times. Basically, for me, Thirst managed to remind me of all the reasons why I hate vampire novels now. Most of them are just the same formula, jumbled up and spewed onto the pages in different arrangements and shapes.
For instance, I was annoyed with Ava as a heroine. She's the ONLY hybrid human-vampire, making her extra special and sought after. She's a recluse who, even after living apart from a normal life for many years, somehow manages to speak easily to strangers and enemies alike. She has a lot of trauma in her past that somehow doesn't manage to seep out in her everyday interactions. Basically, the girl is a freaking robot, a Stepford wife vampire with only some 'flaw' applications thrown into the mix. (The numbers OCD thing? How and why did that fit in to what we knew about Ava's character?)
The boys, Carl and Peter, weren't much better. Carl was a mindless bump on a log for much of the novel. (Read: He made Heath from House of Night seem like Einstein.) Then Peter is Mr. Hot and Cold, a hunter whose past is murky and left untouched. Very dissatisfying, to say the least.
The actual plot (two covens warring over control of Ava) didn't really keep me very interested. The only resolution, by the end, is basically an ending screaming TUNE INTO THE NEXT INSTALLMENT. I only finished the novel because it was short, and I highly doubt I'll be reading any sequel from it.
Basically, it was 99 cents down the drain, and I'm really sorry I didn't find another indie gem. Please take your hard-earned 99 cents and go read Camille instead.
December 11, 2011
This book is like that great guy your dating, BUT he's not really doing it for you.... There's no shivers of pleasure when your eyes meet.
He's just that nice guy.
Your friends ask, "How are you and ----?"
You yawn, explaing, "He's a nice guy. He's just not.... THE GUY for me."
This is Thirst.
Thirst and I went out on a few dates. And I'll admit it... I slept with Thirst on the second date (I'm such a floosie!), but I can't even describe the sex to you or even the conversations we had on the date.
And don't get me wrong.
Thirst's breath didn't smell (no typos).
He was enjoyable enough (plot line secure and even pacing).
Its just Thirst didn't get me excited.
Granted, I'd just been dating 'Daughters of Smoke and Bone' (Best book in the world! I humped the book twice and plan on humping the book yet again tonight.)
So it's not that Thirst was bad as a date or even bad in bed. It's just that I recently had some really really really hot multi-orgasmic sex with another book, and therefore feeling a little snobby.
He's just that nice guy.
Your friends ask, "How are you and ----?"
You yawn, explaing, "He's a nice guy. He's just not.... THE GUY for me."
This is Thirst.
Thirst and I went out on a few dates. And I'll admit it... I slept with Thirst on the second date (I'm such a floosie!), but I can't even describe the sex to you or even the conversations we had on the date.
And don't get me wrong.
Thirst's breath didn't smell (no typos).
He was enjoyable enough (plot line secure and even pacing).
Its just Thirst didn't get me excited.
Granted, I'd just been dating 'Daughters of Smoke and Bone' (Best book in the world! I humped the book twice and plan on humping the book yet again tonight.)
So it's not that Thirst was bad as a date or even bad in bed. It's just that I recently had some really really really hot multi-orgasmic sex with another book, and therefore feeling a little snobby.
August 13, 2011
I'm guilty again of reading a book solely because of the redheaded cover! Which is very nice, by the way.
My advise, read it if you have absolutely nothing else to read. This is like an emergency supply when you are in the queue or on the train and want to pass the time but have no other book at hand. It's readable, and it's easy, but quite empty.
There is no depth, there is no original plot, more like non-violent, non-blood drinking variation of female Blade, a slightly OCD daywalker and Ebay seller Ava Delaney.
The story is typical. Ava creates a mess by accidentally glamouring a human into a thrall while trying to save him from the vampire. Now she needs to undo the bond. She finds help from human vampire hunter Peter and some mysterious magical creature with a bookshop - Eddie. Then she proceeds to make even more mess, getting tortured and nearly killed in process, rescued and indebted to some powerful creatures.
I didn't feel for her or for any other character, I simply didn't know enough to love or hate them. The only thing I liked is Ava's fear of number 6. She counts when she is nervous, you see, but avoids 6 at all costs. So it's like "I had 14 steps to make, 14 is good, 4 + 1 is 5 not 6..." I can totally relate. I had a phase when I was obsessed with numerology and had to count, check and convert any number I dealt with to a single number which was "lucky" for me :)
Verdict: alright, passable, but not tasty enough to enjoy.
My advise, read it if you have absolutely nothing else to read. This is like an emergency supply when you are in the queue or on the train and want to pass the time but have no other book at hand. It's readable, and it's easy, but quite empty.
There is no depth, there is no original plot, more like non-violent, non-blood drinking variation of female Blade, a slightly OCD daywalker and Ebay seller Ava Delaney.
The story is typical. Ava creates a mess by accidentally glamouring a human into a thrall while trying to save him from the vampire. Now she needs to undo the bond. She finds help from human vampire hunter Peter and some mysterious magical creature with a bookshop - Eddie. Then she proceeds to make even more mess, getting tortured and nearly killed in process, rescued and indebted to some powerful creatures.
I didn't feel for her or for any other character, I simply didn't know enough to love or hate them. The only thing I liked is Ava's fear of number 6. She counts when she is nervous, you see, but avoids 6 at all costs. So it's like "I had 14 steps to make, 14 is good, 4 + 1 is 5 not 6..." I can totally relate. I had a phase when I was obsessed with numerology and had to count, check and convert any number I dealt with to a single number which was "lucky" for me :)
Verdict: alright, passable, but not tasty enough to enjoy.
October 30, 2015
Ava Delaney is different, she's not quite a vampire but not quite human either. When Ava's mother was pregnant she was attacked and killed by a vampire, Ava was born right before her mother died and some of the vampire's poison stayed in her making her somewhat of a hybrid.
Ava does everything she can to fight her cravings for blood and to live like a normal human shutting herself off from others to not harm them. When she comes across a man in danger from a vampire and steps in to help she accidentally claims Carl to keep the other vampire from hurting him. Not knowing how to break the bond Ava seeks help and gets into more than she bargained for in the vampire world.
Not a bad story really but I found myself a bit bored as it seemed to move rather slowly for a short novella. Also, I found Ava a bit frustrating during her first meeting with Peter, seems she'd have saved herself a lot of trouble if she would have just said her grandmother sent her.
Overall, didn't grab me as much as I'd like but a bit of a different twist on vampires so some may like it.
Ava does everything she can to fight her cravings for blood and to live like a normal human shutting herself off from others to not harm them. When she comes across a man in danger from a vampire and steps in to help she accidentally claims Carl to keep the other vampire from hurting him. Not knowing how to break the bond Ava seeks help and gets into more than she bargained for in the vampire world.
Not a bad story really but I found myself a bit bored as it seemed to move rather slowly for a short novella. Also, I found Ava a bit frustrating during her first meeting with Peter, seems she'd have saved herself a lot of trouble if she would have just said her grandmother sent her.
Overall, didn't grab me as much as I'd like but a bit of a different twist on vampires so some may like it.
January 1, 2011
One of the better vampire novella's I've read. Surprisingly, I wanted her to fall head over heels for Carl. Don't ask me why ... Peter had everything going for him. Cover is lush.
May 29, 2018
This book was okay at best but I'm intrigued enough to continue with the series. Ava's actions irked me a bit throughout the book, but I've been told she gets better and also stronger the further the series goes on. There was some unique aspects about the vampires in this universe that I hope will be explored more fully as the series progresses.
Want to read
May 11, 2019🎁 FREE on Amazon today (5/11/2019)! 🎁
June 26, 2011
I didn't expect to enjoy this book. The first couple of pages were odd, written in numerous tenses I considered just deleting it. However I am very pleased I stuck with it, because Thirst is an excellent story and the lead character, Ava, is really likeable.
I'm holding out for a Peter/Ava love in and am skipping off right now to download the second book.
Oh, did I mention it's currently a free read?
I'm holding out for a Peter/Ava love in and am skipping off right now to download the second book.
Oh, did I mention it's currently a free read?
July 26, 2022
This is an urban fantasy romance vampire story, this is just not my genre. Despite me not having much experience with this genre, everything did feel very familiar.
March 13, 2012
First let me say, "Thirst" has such a beautiful cover and although you should never judge a book by it's cover, it truly did entice me to read the book. "Thirst" is a modified version of one of my all time favorite movie series, Blade. Ava Delaney was born a daywalker. Her mother was bitten by a vampire while pregnant and died during Ava's birth. Ava's upbringing was shrouded in secret and left to a religious zealot grandmother who never failed to inflict her personal brand of exorcising the badness out of her. This leaves Ava's self esteem in the toilet and made her vow to live a life in solitude.
At age 25, Ava has not had contact with her grandmother for over seven years. This is Ava's choice. She works from home with an internet business and has no friends to mention. One night Ava happens upon a man who is being fed upon by a vampire. Ava plans to help this human even though she does not know him. In doing so, the human, Carl is now enthralled by Ava and refuses to leave her side. This is the worse possible situation for her since the thirst is so overwhelming it may cause he to do the unthinkable and have a sip. Although Ava fights the thirst, she is forced to do something she never thought she would do: she contacts her grandmother for assistance. Granny Dearest points Ava to Peter Brannigan. Peter's reactions to Ava are intense as in he attempts to kill her; but, the he realizes she is something different and may not be the bad guy after all.
Pete takes Ava and Carl into a bookstore where they met a supernatural named Eddie. Ava does not know what he is but she has the sense to know he is dangerous. With Eddie's help Ava will discover what she is and how to return Carl to his former self. However, what price will she be made to pay in the process of it all?
The action in this story began right out the gate and caught my attention and held on tight. I truly enjoyed the world in which Claire Farrel writes about. I loved the characters and the story line. That is until, Farrell does the unthinkable..........she writes a story with such a weak climax that I barely knew it occurred. I am not taking about a powerful cliffhanger I am taking about being placed on the edge and then told, "Oh, my time is up, I have to go now." Don't cha just hate when that happens? Now, I am left with the question of whether or not I should continue on with the series. So, I plan to take my own advice and read the second book before giving up altogether.
At age 25, Ava has not had contact with her grandmother for over seven years. This is Ava's choice. She works from home with an internet business and has no friends to mention. One night Ava happens upon a man who is being fed upon by a vampire. Ava plans to help this human even though she does not know him. In doing so, the human, Carl is now enthralled by Ava and refuses to leave her side. This is the worse possible situation for her since the thirst is so overwhelming it may cause he to do the unthinkable and have a sip. Although Ava fights the thirst, she is forced to do something she never thought she would do: she contacts her grandmother for assistance. Granny Dearest points Ava to Peter Brannigan. Peter's reactions to Ava are intense as in he attempts to kill her; but, the he realizes she is something different and may not be the bad guy after all.
Pete takes Ava and Carl into a bookstore where they met a supernatural named Eddie. Ava does not know what he is but she has the sense to know he is dangerous. With Eddie's help Ava will discover what she is and how to return Carl to his former self. However, what price will she be made to pay in the process of it all?
The action in this story began right out the gate and caught my attention and held on tight. I truly enjoyed the world in which Claire Farrel writes about. I loved the characters and the story line. That is until, Farrell does the unthinkable..........she writes a story with such a weak climax that I barely knew it occurred. I am not taking about a powerful cliffhanger I am taking about being placed on the edge and then told, "Oh, my time is up, I have to go now." Don't cha just hate when that happens? Now, I am left with the question of whether or not I should continue on with the series. So, I plan to take my own advice and read the second book before giving up altogether.
July 23, 2011
Thirst was enjoyable. It was al right. It just didn't stand out for me.
Ava is a half-vampire, and the only one at that. When she by accident binds a human to her, she doesn't know what to do. And know two rivalling vampire clans are fighting to capture her and use her powers. Only Ava is completely unaware of what she can do.
This is pretty much a basic vampire story. The main character is a pretty girl that everyone either wants, or is jealous of. But she's not perfect! She hasn't talked to a human being in a few years! I don't know why the writer chose this characteristic. Ava is perfectly chatty in conversation. You would expect her to be a little rusty at that.
Vampires are the big bad guys in Thirst. They look more like zombies, with decaying flesh everywhere. They are completely gross and we should hate them all and they should burn in hell! But then Ava suddenly pities a vampire that almost killed her human pet. I have no idea where that feeling came from. Seems like Ava's hate isn't as absolute like she would likes us to think.
And what is a vampire story... without a love-triangle! I won't even start on this one. It's just plain old. And even more sad when you consider what her choices are: the brainless but apparently tasty human pet, or the mysterious guy that hates her guts. They both sound like perfect boyfriend material, don't they?
Oh, I just thought of another thing. You know when we are all face-palming because the heroine is taking off on her own so "the hero won't be endangered!"? Well, Ava manages to pull this off, not once, but TWICE! Because the first time was such a good idea! And yet we are told she's pretty smart. Huh.
However, these are all kinds of little things that completely annoy the crap out of me, but I know that other people often don't agree. At the moment this book is available for free. It isn't very long. So if you're looking for some quick light vampire read, you can give Thirst a try.
Ava is a half-vampire, and the only one at that. When she by accident binds a human to her, she doesn't know what to do. And know two rivalling vampire clans are fighting to capture her and use her powers. Only Ava is completely unaware of what she can do.
This is pretty much a basic vampire story. The main character is a pretty girl that everyone either wants, or is jealous of. But she's not perfect! She hasn't talked to a human being in a few years! I don't know why the writer chose this characteristic. Ava is perfectly chatty in conversation. You would expect her to be a little rusty at that.
Vampires are the big bad guys in Thirst. They look more like zombies, with decaying flesh everywhere. They are completely gross and we should hate them all and they should burn in hell! But then Ava suddenly pities a vampire that almost killed her human pet. I have no idea where that feeling came from. Seems like Ava's hate isn't as absolute like she would likes us to think.
And what is a vampire story... without a love-triangle! I won't even start on this one. It's just plain old. And even more sad when you consider what her choices are: the brainless but apparently tasty human pet, or the mysterious guy that hates her guts. They both sound like perfect boyfriend material, don't they?
Oh, I just thought of another thing. You know when we are all face-palming because the heroine is taking off on her own so "the hero won't be endangered!"? Well, Ava manages to pull this off, not once, but TWICE! Because the first time was such a good idea! And yet we are told she's pretty smart. Huh.
However, these are all kinds of little things that completely annoy the crap out of me, but I know that other people often don't agree. At the moment this book is available for free. It isn't very long. So if you're looking for some quick light vampire read, you can give Thirst a try.
Read
October 20, 2013Another dnf on my record. 20% this time.
Some examples of what I was dealing with guys:
"I glanced out into the hall to see my slutty next-door neighbour smirking at me from her doorway, her dressing gown opened just an inch too far."
Dude, she's in a dressing gown, mine falls open all the damn time. Even if she did sleep around all the time this bitchy sentence just makes you sound jealous.
"A woman bumped into me, and my fangs shot out straight away.
There's nothing really wrong with this sentence, it just made me laugh. I just pictured her jumping away and hissing like a pissed off cat. FEAR ME AND MY SCCCAAARY FANGS.
"Strange, that the person who could help me lived in the middle of a suburb."
The protagonist (I have already forgotten her name, Ava?) has accidentally enslaved a human named and is seeking a man, Peter, who is said to be able to help her free him. I'm not sure why she's surprised he lives in the suburbs, isn't that where Vamps are most likely to strike? Has she never seen Buffy?
"I realised I had been so busy crushing on him that I hadn’t even heard his heartbeat or smelled his blood."
A WILD LOVE TRIANGLE APPEARS. Peter is like, so hot, that she can ignore her blood-lust that she's been desperately fighting through-out the whole damn book. Right. Well Edward was so beautiful that Bella frequently forgot to breath, so I guess anything's possible when it's TRUE LOVE.
"Peter’s expression turned to horror and then rage as he lifted his arm. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds."
So in this scene Peter hits her, which is cliche YA Para-Romance 101. But it's written in such a weird way, like he lifts his arm and she thinks he's pointing at the ceiling or something. I'M SO ANGRY I COULD LIFT MY ARM!
But yeah, this is as far as I could get. Just don't bother reading this, spare yourself the tedium.
Some examples of what I was dealing with guys:
"I glanced out into the hall to see my slutty next-door neighbour smirking at me from her doorway, her dressing gown opened just an inch too far."
Dude, she's in a dressing gown, mine falls open all the damn time. Even if she did sleep around all the time this bitchy sentence just makes you sound jealous.
"A woman bumped into me, and my fangs shot out straight away.
There's nothing really wrong with this sentence, it just made me laugh. I just pictured her jumping away and hissing like a pissed off cat. FEAR ME AND MY SCCCAAARY FANGS.
"Strange, that the person who could help me lived in the middle of a suburb."
The protagonist (I have already forgotten her name, Ava?) has accidentally enslaved a human named and is seeking a man, Peter, who is said to be able to help her free him. I'm not sure why she's surprised he lives in the suburbs, isn't that where Vamps are most likely to strike? Has she never seen Buffy?
"I realised I had been so busy crushing on him that I hadn’t even heard his heartbeat or smelled his blood."
A WILD LOVE TRIANGLE APPEARS. Peter is like, so hot, that she can ignore her blood-lust that she's been desperately fighting through-out the whole damn book. Right. Well Edward was so beautiful that Bella frequently forgot to breath, so I guess anything's possible when it's TRUE LOVE.
"Peter’s expression turned to horror and then rage as he lifted his arm. I stared at the ceiling for a few seconds."
So in this scene Peter hits her, which is cliche YA Para-Romance 101. But it's written in such a weird way, like he lifts his arm and she thinks he's pointing at the ceiling or something. I'M SO ANGRY I COULD LIFT MY ARM!
But yeah, this is as far as I could get. Just don't bother reading this, spare yourself the tedium.
October 26, 2011
I'm not quite sure what to think of this book. My waffling has nothing to do with the writing or the story and everything to do with Ava's grandmother. I'm not going to lie, when a parental figure hands over her ward to have the devil beaten out of her she becomes unredeemable in my eyes. I had a tough time with her. I don't care how much she's "changed" or how she's spent 7 years hunting for the granddaughter she drove away... I found her vile and repulsive. This may be the mom in me rearing her mama bear instincts, but you don't do shit like that. Ever.
My problem with that one character aside, I did enjoy the book. Yes, I did think that Ava's craving for her grandmother's approval was squicky, but I understand that she still looks to this woman as a parent. Sometimes family trumps common sense. Anyway. I liked the worldbuilding. I liked that the vampires weren't sexy or beautiful. I liked that I had questions as to how certain secondary characters fit in to the larger scheme of things. However, I don't know how I feel about a certain revelation at the end about Peter. The idea of Carl as a mindless minion who was willing to hurt himself to give Ava what she needed was a little disturbing. Which is the point, I guess.
I wrote all this up and I still don't know how I feel. The horrible grandmother got under my skin. Ava's willingness to pursue a relationship with her after she was basically abused as a child gave me the willies. But... but I read the book quickly and it left me wondering where Ava is going to go next.
So, there's that.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
My problem with that one character aside, I did enjoy the book. Yes, I did think that Ava's craving for her grandmother's approval was squicky, but I understand that she still looks to this woman as a parent. Sometimes family trumps common sense. Anyway. I liked the worldbuilding. I liked that the vampires weren't sexy or beautiful. I liked that I had questions as to how certain secondary characters fit in to the larger scheme of things. However, I don't know how I feel about a certain revelation at the end about Peter. The idea of Carl as a mindless minion who was willing to hurt himself to give Ava what she needed was a little disturbing. Which is the point, I guess.
I wrote all this up and I still don't know how I feel. The horrible grandmother got under my skin. Ava's willingness to pursue a relationship with her after she was basically abused as a child gave me the willies. But... but I read the book quickly and it left me wondering where Ava is going to go next.
So, there's that.
-Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal
October 7, 2015
Wonderful writing. The story is easy to follow along with. Right from the beginning the reader is thrown into the story; which is great. When the story moves along we learn enough about the history of the story just to know what’s going on. We aren’t given much to know why though.
I really love this series. The setting is in Ireland, which is awesome! In this first book, Thirst, we just get used to the characters. This world, really, and then we’re somehow at the end of the book? Crazy! Crazy good!! I could’t stop reading this book!
Now, onto the MC, Ava. She just wants to be left alone, while also leaving humans alone. Ava believes that secluding herself form humankind will be better for both the humans, and herself. From beginning to end, we see Ava… not accept who she is; she’s already done that. But like, grow into herself, I would say.
Overall, we see Ava not panicking about everything. We see side characters like Peter and Carl adapting to their new-found world.
I really love the “Ava Delaney” series and not mention, Claire’s writing. I’m so excited to reread the second book in the Ava Delaney series, Taunt!
P.S. - There’s a hinting of a love interest, but Ava pushes the thoughts away as soon as she notices that she’s thinking said thoughts. And a little warning, Thirst is not for the faint of heart. (Also not a YA book.)
----
(read multiple times, last October 2012, most recent: August 2015)
I really love this series. The setting is in Ireland, which is awesome! In this first book, Thirst, we just get used to the characters. This world, really, and then we’re somehow at the end of the book? Crazy! Crazy good!! I could’t stop reading this book!
Now, onto the MC, Ava. She just wants to be left alone, while also leaving humans alone. Ava believes that secluding herself form humankind will be better for both the humans, and herself. From beginning to end, we see Ava… not accept who she is; she’s already done that. But like, grow into herself, I would say.
Overall, we see Ava not panicking about everything. We see side characters like Peter and Carl adapting to their new-found world.
I really love the “Ava Delaney” series and not mention, Claire’s writing. I’m so excited to reread the second book in the Ava Delaney series, Taunt!
P.S. - There’s a hinting of a love interest, but Ava pushes the thoughts away as soon as she notices that she’s thinking said thoughts. And a little warning, Thirst is not for the faint of heart. (Also not a YA book.)
----
(read multiple times, last October 2012, most recent: August 2015)
February 26, 2017
I just wasn't grabbed by this book, It was a bit of an effort to read to be honest which is why it gets one star I didn't hate it but I want to actually enjoy a book and feel like I haven't just wasted a few hours. I found it all a bit predictable and the main character irritated me.
February 23, 2013
I got this book for free at Amazon.com, found it by chance and had no idea what the author was like or if she had any experience but since it was about vampires, I just had to give it a chance. Probably wouldn't have if I had had to buy it though, but it was entertaining and it made me want to read the second one. It's not really a 2 or a 3, more like a 2.5 since I liked it but it had some serious issues that rubbed me the wrong way as I was reading it.
It is not an overly descriptive book, you get very little about the surroundings and clothes and things in the whole world in general, but you get some internal debates of Ava, the main char, and a little bit of info about her troubled past. The characters are a tad too mysterious for me, I would have liked more information on them, even if that had to lengthen the book a bit. Not only would have been nice to know why the secondary chars are the way they are but also to get a little more forward thinking from them so I could know what they were feeling/thinking at moments were the main char deemed correct not to inquire anything else.
The plot revolves about this girl who doesn't know what she is but she has some characteristics associated with a vampire (the thirst for blood, acute sense of smell and hearing, and a sense of her surroundings that lets her locate humans and vamps). She is repulsed and afraid of herself and lives isolated both from humans and vampires.
I could have so told her she was a dhampir, but shhh :)
So, from page one you find a girl that:
1. Thirsts for human blood in a way that makes her almost drink every human that comes too close to her dry. BUT, she resists it every time.
2. Has been abused by her grandmother throughout her childhood and adolescence. BUT seems not to be too insecure or have any other psychological damage apart from wanting to be left alone.
3. Has a stress coping mechanisms of counting numbers in her mind BUT no other OCD related characteristics.
That said, my main problem with Ava, as the main char, is that she keeps whining about her thirst and her dhampirism all the time. I mean, come on girl, you have been thirsting your whole life and you never drank a drop of blood? Also, it's true that her grandma made her be beaten and tortured by priests and whatnot that said could cure her but wouldn't she drink at least blood stolen of a donor bank or something after she ran from her grandma's home? Wouldn't that be safer for everyone if she was not running around hungering to bite people?
Then, right after she is introduced to us, she saves a guy that was about to be fed upon risking her whole existence that SUPPOSEDLY was like a Estate secret according to her grandma. Her preoccupation about said guy that she mentally snares into a mindless minion by mistake is a little over the bat. Just a little, though, this is not so bad, I mean she probably feels guilty and responsible, etc. BUT it gets a little overboard that the whole book is pushed forward by her drive to release him from her mind clutches so that he will stop slicing open himself to offer her his blood.
I really liked Carl (mindless minion) and this was weird since he came across as a nearly mute character but somehow I ended up really liking him. Also the fact that he is really attached to her afterwards and is really grateful and devoted because of all that she did to save him really warmed me towards him.
About the rest of the chars... Peter is a very sketchy character in the sense that you can imagine he is a troubled vampire killer that had some tragic incident in his life that destroyed his family due to the vampires but you don't get a peep from him apart that he is allegedly a kick ass vampire killer. (Even though he gets his ass handed over to him by almost all vamps they encounter, go figure...).
Eddie is quite mysterious too, but you can actually have ONE of those characters in your novel and in this case with him being like a super voodoo priest or something very powerful in the supernatural community it is ok. The idea that the is both strong and fearful and that we don't know what his plans are was well done and he made me like him one moment and fear his actions the next. (This is good, not bad, in the context in which he is presented and the role he plays)
Granny. What a piece of work! She expects Ava to go running to her and forget and forgive all she did to her in the past. She left a sort of good or huge impression on both Eddie and Peter and they both react to her being Ava grandma like that changes everything (but in the book they continue acting the same). What I disliked most about her is that she is pictured as a horrible person that tortured her granddaughter from day one and made her feel horrible about herself forever more and then after a couple of years she mysteriously had a personality swap and is now trying to be friendly and somewhat accommodating. However, granny has some serious guts and still defends Ava, so there are some redeeming points. My main dislike was that I wanted to know why she changed or if she was always like this and just found herself overwhelmed and bad oriented for... like.. 20 years or so?
Also, what is the deal with Ava wanting to drink Carl dry and kiss Peter to death? She is attracted to the minion's blood and to the hunters body, or something. I would have so skipped over the parts in which she felt the hots for either of them. Unnecessary and unexplained. And it didn't add anything at all for the book.
So, to round it up. I liked the book, I didn't get very hooked to the main plot but it raised some questions that I wanted to have answered so I stuck to the end. The characters need more development. The world needs more development. There needs to be more information. It felt like a couple of chapters from a bigger book. Sometimes that is OK for a series of books, but not when it leaves you feeling like the book was incomplete on itself.
>>>>>>> Having read the excerpt from the second book already, I can say the first 2 chapters left me hooked and I want to see what happens.
It is still a bit rushed as was the first book, but there seems to be going to be some new interesting characters from the supernatural community. She still doesn't want to drink blood though this makes her stronger and super kick ass, WHY?????? WHY WON'T SHE DRINK???? I cannot understand it. xD
It is not an overly descriptive book, you get very little about the surroundings and clothes and things in the whole world in general, but you get some internal debates of Ava, the main char, and a little bit of info about her troubled past. The characters are a tad too mysterious for me, I would have liked more information on them, even if that had to lengthen the book a bit. Not only would have been nice to know why the secondary chars are the way they are but also to get a little more forward thinking from them so I could know what they were feeling/thinking at moments were the main char deemed correct not to inquire anything else.
The plot revolves about this girl who doesn't know what she is but she has some characteristics associated with a vampire (the thirst for blood, acute sense of smell and hearing, and a sense of her surroundings that lets her locate humans and vamps). She is repulsed and afraid of herself and lives isolated both from humans and vampires.
I could have so told her she was a dhampir, but shhh :)
So, from page one you find a girl that:
1. Thirsts for human blood in a way that makes her almost drink every human that comes too close to her dry. BUT, she resists it every time.
2. Has been abused by her grandmother throughout her childhood and adolescence. BUT seems not to be too insecure or have any other psychological damage apart from wanting to be left alone.
3. Has a stress coping mechanisms of counting numbers in her mind BUT no other OCD related characteristics.
That said, my main problem with Ava, as the main char, is that she keeps whining about her thirst and her dhampirism all the time. I mean, come on girl, you have been thirsting your whole life and you never drank a drop of blood? Also, it's true that her grandma made her be beaten and tortured by priests and whatnot that said could cure her but wouldn't she drink at least blood stolen of a donor bank or something after she ran from her grandma's home? Wouldn't that be safer for everyone if she was not running around hungering to bite people?
Then, right after she is introduced to us, she saves a guy that was about to be fed upon risking her whole existence that SUPPOSEDLY was like a Estate secret according to her grandma. Her preoccupation about said guy that she mentally snares into a mindless minion by mistake is a little over the bat. Just a little, though, this is not so bad, I mean she probably feels guilty and responsible, etc. BUT it gets a little overboard that the whole book is pushed forward by her drive to release him from her mind clutches so that he will stop slicing open himself to offer her his blood.
I really liked Carl (mindless minion) and this was weird since he came across as a nearly mute character but somehow I ended up really liking him. Also the fact that he is really attached to her afterwards and is really grateful and devoted because of all that she did to save him really warmed me towards him.
About the rest of the chars... Peter is a very sketchy character in the sense that you can imagine he is a troubled vampire killer that had some tragic incident in his life that destroyed his family due to the vampires but you don't get a peep from him apart that he is allegedly a kick ass vampire killer. (Even though he gets his ass handed over to him by almost all vamps they encounter, go figure...).
Eddie is quite mysterious too, but you can actually have ONE of those characters in your novel and in this case with him being like a super voodoo priest or something very powerful in the supernatural community it is ok. The idea that the is both strong and fearful and that we don't know what his plans are was well done and he made me like him one moment and fear his actions the next. (This is good, not bad, in the context in which he is presented and the role he plays)
Granny. What a piece of work! She expects Ava to go running to her and forget and forgive all she did to her in the past. She left a sort of good or huge impression on both Eddie and Peter and they both react to her being Ava grandma like that changes everything (but in the book they continue acting the same). What I disliked most about her is that she is pictured as a horrible person that tortured her granddaughter from day one and made her feel horrible about herself forever more and then after a couple of years she mysteriously had a personality swap and is now trying to be friendly and somewhat accommodating. However, granny has some serious guts and still defends Ava, so there are some redeeming points. My main dislike was that I wanted to know why she changed or if she was always like this and just found herself overwhelmed and bad oriented for... like.. 20 years or so?
Also, what is the deal with Ava wanting to drink Carl dry and kiss Peter to death? She is attracted to the minion's blood and to the hunters body, or something. I would have so skipped over the parts in which she felt the hots for either of them. Unnecessary and unexplained. And it didn't add anything at all for the book.
So, to round it up. I liked the book, I didn't get very hooked to the main plot but it raised some questions that I wanted to have answered so I stuck to the end. The characters need more development. The world needs more development. There needs to be more information. It felt like a couple of chapters from a bigger book. Sometimes that is OK for a series of books, but not when it leaves you feeling like the book was incomplete on itself.
>>>>>>> Having read the excerpt from the second book already, I can say the first 2 chapters left me hooked and I want to see what happens.
It is still a bit rushed as was the first book, but there seems to be going to be some new interesting characters from the supernatural community. She still doesn't want to drink blood though this makes her stronger and super kick ass, WHY?????? WHY WON'T SHE DRINK???? I cannot understand it. xD
discontinued-for-good
September 23, 2020DNFed at 12%. It's too simplistic for me. A twenty-five year old half-vampire lives alone and rescues a man from being drained by a vampire by posturing and being all "he's mine", but when she gets home the man is basically a mental zombie and she can't figure out how to make him stop being mind controlled and keyed to her.
Not a bad premise, but the lack of worldbuilding makes it tough to buy into and she's not written like an adult but a teenager. Not for me, hence the lack of a rating.
Not a bad premise, but the lack of worldbuilding makes it tough to buy into and she's not written like an adult but a teenager. Not for me, hence the lack of a rating.
November 11, 2018
Though not much is original here, I really liked the main character, Ava. There was a little profanity and innuendo, but not bad (PG level). Then halfway through the book, one of the characters got a little stressed and started dropping the f-bomb every few words. After a couple pages of that, I just skipped to the end. I'm still curious about Eddie and the ghost-like presence, but not enough to wade through the language or another book.
August 11, 2021
What is this? A high rating on a vampire book?! What is this miracle?
I'm so happy to have discovered this author! I'm already a chunk of the way through the second book in this series. The main character is the reason why I like it so much. She has a ton of attitude, and she can stand up for herself. But she isn't infallible. She's human. She has flaws and gets scared and needs help. Basically, she feels like a fully developed, realistic character to whom readers can relate.
Plus...I'm about 99% sure she has OCD. Which is always exciting to see in a book. Now, it's never named, but I highlighted a bunch of quotes that prove this point. Basically, she has an obsession with numbers, and sticks to "safe numbers" (one of them is 14). She counts things when she's feeling nervous to calm herself down. Here are a few examples.
-"My number obsession had bothered her [grandma] almost as much as my vampire-like tendencies" (Chapter Four)
-"I counted the cracks in the ceiling, finding comfort in the numbers" (Chapter Six)
-"I realized I was multiplying out loud. I shook myself out of traumatized little girl mode and tried to act normal" (Chapter Six)
But it also did one of my least favorite things ,which is to throw out the term "OCD" like this...
"Instead I was just a tad OCD."
Agggghhhh! It had such good OCD rep and then it had to go and do this. I'll say it over and over again: OCD is not a personality trait! Also, while I'm venting, Ava does some slut-shaming to her next door neighbor, who apparently "goes through a lot of guys." She describes her as "my slutty neighbor," which is not super kind.
So that's my case for Ava having OCD. At the very least, she has an anxiety disorder. At the end of the book, she also appears to be suffering from PTSD, and I suspect we'll see a great deal more of that in the next books in the series. It's so refreshing to have a main character who isn't infallible mentally. She sees terrible things, and she has a hard time dealing with it.
All the characters in this book are excellent. I'm partial to Carl, who is a human whom Ava accidentally enchants to follow her will. The plot of the book is how she tries to break this curse and set him free. I got a little lost in the second half of the book when vampire covens and bonds start coming up. Also, Max is not a terribly intimidating antagonist. But the characters make up for that.
Also, Ava and Peter have amazing chemistry and I have a new ship.
In short, this is a really excellent read that's going on my new favorite series list!
TW:
I'm so happy to have discovered this author! I'm already a chunk of the way through the second book in this series. The main character is the reason why I like it so much. She has a ton of attitude, and she can stand up for herself. But she isn't infallible. She's human. She has flaws and gets scared and needs help. Basically, she feels like a fully developed, realistic character to whom readers can relate.
Plus...I'm about 99% sure she has OCD. Which is always exciting to see in a book. Now, it's never named, but I highlighted a bunch of quotes that prove this point. Basically, she has an obsession with numbers, and sticks to "safe numbers" (one of them is 14). She counts things when she's feeling nervous to calm herself down. Here are a few examples.
-"My number obsession had bothered her [grandma] almost as much as my vampire-like tendencies" (Chapter Four)
-"I counted the cracks in the ceiling, finding comfort in the numbers" (Chapter Six)
-"I realized I was multiplying out loud. I shook myself out of traumatized little girl mode and tried to act normal" (Chapter Six)
But it also did one of my least favorite things ,which is to throw out the term "OCD" like this...
"Instead I was just a tad OCD."
Agggghhhh! It had such good OCD rep and then it had to go and do this. I'll say it over and over again: OCD is not a personality trait! Also, while I'm venting, Ava does some slut-shaming to her next door neighbor, who apparently "goes through a lot of guys." She describes her as "my slutty neighbor," which is not super kind.
So that's my case for Ava having OCD. At the very least, she has an anxiety disorder. At the end of the book, she also appears to be suffering from PTSD, and I suspect we'll see a great deal more of that in the next books in the series. It's so refreshing to have a main character who isn't infallible mentally. She sees terrible things, and she has a hard time dealing with it.
All the characters in this book are excellent. I'm partial to Carl, who is a human whom Ava accidentally enchants to follow her will. The plot of the book is how she tries to break this curse and set him free. I got a little lost in the second half of the book when vampire covens and bonds start coming up. Also, Max is not a terribly intimidating antagonist. But the characters make up for that.
Also, Ava and Peter have amazing chemistry and I have a new ship.
In short, this is a really excellent read that's going on my new favorite series list!
TW:
July 22, 2012
This was a fun vampire read. Honestly, I can't believe how many paranormal books I've read recently. After Twilight I gave up on them for a long time because I was too disgusted. I still do not think there is anything romantic about vampires, (big EW! factor and if you've ever read Dracula, you will agree.) but these books are cheap, and provide a break from thinking. Also, a lot of the heroines are not as annoying as Bella, so it's not that bad.
I appreciated this book because some of the typical YA paranormal story ploys were missing.
1. There was no love triangle. I'm so sick of love triangle, I could scream. I actually don't know if I can read nay more books that feature one.
2. The focus of the book is not on an immediate lustful romance. Infact, there is hardly any romance at all. It's easy to see where the possibilities lie, but it is not all consuming.
3. Ava is 25 years old. That may seem an odd things to remark on, but I appreciate her older age. It's nice to see diversity beyond the typical 17-year-old who is acting like a 25 year-old.
All-in-all, I liked this series. Not one I will read over and over again, but definitely worth a could dollars on amazon and a few hours of casual reading.
I appreciated this book because some of the typical YA paranormal story ploys were missing.
1. There was no love triangle. I'm so sick of love triangle, I could scream. I actually don't know if I can read nay more books that feature one.
2. The focus of the book is not on an immediate lustful romance. Infact, there is hardly any romance at all. It's easy to see where the possibilities lie, but it is not all consuming.
3. Ava is 25 years old. That may seem an odd things to remark on, but I appreciate her older age. It's nice to see diversity beyond the typical 17-year-old who is acting like a 25 year-old.
All-in-all, I liked this series. Not one I will read over and over again, but definitely worth a could dollars on amazon and a few hours of casual reading.
August 12, 2018
3.5 stars in anticipation.
The reason for 3.5 stars is it was short and diddn't feel like i truly connected to anyone (yet) due to this.
What i liked a lot
The plotline is simple its not confusing the Author doesn't overwhelm you with information but feeds it to you slowly. I can imagine she will build on this book and certain characters and aspects will be viewed in a new light.
The characters are also Great and not to many, Although i didn't really get to connect with them in such a short read i do feel there is plenty of potential to get there in following books, it was due to the length of the book rather than the dimensions and diversity of the characters.
Ava Delaney is a recluse vampire hybrid, one night she saves Carl from a vicious vampire attack, accidentally making him her human servant. Enlisting the help of hunter Peter and Bookshop owner Eddie to free Carl Ava dives headfirst into a pit of vampires as more questions arise.
You wont find any sparkly vampires in this novel.
A quick read and for sure will be getting to next book.
The reason for 3.5 stars is it was short and diddn't feel like i truly connected to anyone (yet) due to this.
What i liked a lot
The plotline is simple its not confusing the Author doesn't overwhelm you with information but feeds it to you slowly. I can imagine she will build on this book and certain characters and aspects will be viewed in a new light.
The characters are also Great and not to many, Although i didn't really get to connect with them in such a short read i do feel there is plenty of potential to get there in following books, it was due to the length of the book rather than the dimensions and diversity of the characters.
Ava Delaney is a recluse vampire hybrid, one night she saves Carl from a vicious vampire attack, accidentally making him her human servant. Enlisting the help of hunter Peter and Bookshop owner Eddie to free Carl Ava dives headfirst into a pit of vampires as more questions arise.
You wont find any sparkly vampires in this novel.
A quick read and for sure will be getting to next book.
September 6, 2012
The action starts out right away with Ava trying to save a human and ending up making him her slave by accident and not knowing how to get rid of him. Her troubles only maximize as she reaches out for help and everybody is trying to kill her for one reason or another!
This was a funny vampiric comedy of errors and my heart went out to poor Ava even as I was laughing my butt off at her predicaments. Here she is trying to help innocents and she seems to be the one who gets into trouble for it.
It does have some serious moments to where you'll be sitting on edge hoping for the best and although I can't exactly say whether the ending was happy or not it did set up part/book 2 very well!
This was a funny vampiric comedy of errors and my heart went out to poor Ava even as I was laughing my butt off at her predicaments. Here she is trying to help innocents and she seems to be the one who gets into trouble for it.
It does have some serious moments to where you'll be sitting on edge hoping for the best and although I can't exactly say whether the ending was happy or not it did set up part/book 2 very well!
March 15, 2014
Truly enjoyed this one!! Would have received a 5 star rating except for the few spelling errors I found.
Great plot, yes, almost a complete Blade rip off, but a female Blade. Brilliant heroine, smart and not completely man crazy. Definitely more of a UF than PR and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!
I love the quirk of having OCD be an issue for Ava(the main character.) suffering from OCD myself, I love the way it helps her to control her thirst.
Waiting to read the second installment which I am sure I will fly through. :)
Great plot, yes, almost a complete Blade rip off, but a female Blade. Brilliant heroine, smart and not completely man crazy. Definitely more of a UF than PR and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!
I love the quirk of having OCD be an issue for Ava(the main character.) suffering from OCD myself, I love the way it helps her to control her thirst.
Waiting to read the second installment which I am sure I will fly through. :)
September 6, 2013
It was the cover that grabbed my attention and fortunately the book wasn't disappointing as it often happens when I choose book because the cover is sooo-prettty-i-needz-it-now!!
I did like Ava thought she sometimes was annoyingly insecure but it's not really surprising after all abuse she suffered in her girlhood. I hope in the next series she is more self reliant. But Ava is definitely a likeable character.
I did like Ava thought she sometimes was annoyingly insecure but it's not really surprising after all abuse she suffered in her girlhood. I hope in the next series she is more self reliant. But Ava is definitely a likeable character.
April 26, 2013
A refreshing change from some of my vampire reads since it was free on Kindle I didn't expect much, which I think was a good idea to do as it was a short novel. A fast read with a good cover when reading keep thinking of the cover very related indeed.
I would read another of Claire Farrell's writes
I would read another of Claire Farrell's writes
September 6, 2011
such a cliche! i used to love vampire books but it all went down hill after twilight. i wanted to read a good vampire book with a bit of diversity. this just bored the crap outta me, i put it down at 44% as it was wasting my time.
December 28, 2012
I promise to be brutally honest with my opinion, but it should not be taken as fact. Any reader should read it for themselves, before they decide if this book has any merit or not. Do not judge this book biased solely on my opinion. If you do, you might miss out on a great read. You never know. It could happen. My review may contain spoilers, but I really strive to be spoiler-free. I downloaded this book for free on Amazon.com. This book was not suggested nor “gifted” to me by the author. I have no affiliation with the author or his/her publisher.
1. Strong Main Character/ Female Heroine: Ava is sarcastic and quick witted. A bit of a recluse, she is thrown into people contact, not exactly human if you know what I mean, and has to deal with the trials of being something different from the norm. In this case, she is a different type of vampire that was created quite by accident. I wonder who her father was, since her mother is decidedly human. I could definitely relate to Ava’s dislike of people and social contact. I am not exactly a people person myself. She wants to do everything on her own and hates to admit that she needs help with anything. She was a very strong character and I enjoyed her witty banter, especially the dilemmas in her head. She is no Melissa from Dark Creations: Gabriel Rising. Ava can defend herself and she has a wicked cool blade to do it with. I love how much of a mystery her origin is and I cannot help but think that in the books to come, her parentage will come into play. Maybe, she will even discover who her father is. I look forward to discovering more about Ava in the next book. The only thing that I have to say about her that is somewhat negative is that she never voices her thoughts and feelings to Peter. You can tell that he wants to say things as well, but I believe that if she would start sharing first, he would soon follow suit. I also really feel for Ava’s tragic childhood and it makes me reflect and feel grateful that my own was not the same as hers. Then again, I was never considered a demon or possessed. Still, I felt for her, because I know that plenty of children go through abuse by parent and guardians. 5 out of 5 stars
2. Strong Main Character / Male Hero: Peter is the hero in this story. He knows the life of the creatures that he hunts and is able to help Ava confront them. At first, he seems really arrogant and angry all of the time. I really did not like him in the beginning, but then, I found out about what happened to his family and it broke my heart. Peter and Ava could relate to each other, if they would only open up their hearts. He is brave and protective of Ava, so you can really tell that he has feelings for her. He says that he promised her grandmother that he would help Ava no matter what to keep her safe, but I highly doubt that. He does it, because he likes her. Fair and square. He does not always save her, which is understandable seeing how he is only human and she is…well not. I find him to be the male version of Ava. Maybe that is why I feel that they would be great together. They are both stubborn and iron willed. If they ever got together, they would be unstoppable. 4 out of 5 stars
3. Strong Main Character / Evil Antagonist: Maximus is a very evil vampire, who has basically lost his mind due to the raging virus that is dramatics and vampirism. He is a very shady character cast in a dark light, but at one point, did not seem that bad of a choice compared to being captured by Daimhin and her coven. But then again, she was cast in a bad light as well. Whether she is deserving of it or not, well, we shall wait and see. In conclusion, Maximus was a psychotic character that the reader did not experience the pleasure of knowing until the near end. Eddie is a man of many mysteries…mainly, if he actually human or something…other…other than vampire of course! He is helpful…a little too helpful, if you catch my drift. He goes out of his way to understand Ava and then, only gives her cryptic messages about how “instrumental” she will be in the future. In the end, he played her and he played her well; however, I believe that with Eddie there is more than meets the eye. Nancy is Ava’s grandmother and let me tell you, I thoroughly hate the woman. She gave Ava a very rough childhood and rough does not even begin to describe it. She deserves to die and the sad part is, she does not see the harm in what she did in the past. Now here comes the funny part, she wants to do it all over again. Nice grandmother, huh? She deserves to be labeled as an evil antagonist, although she was more of a minor character. 4 out of 5 stars
4. Strong Minor Characters: There is a bizarre presence that follows Ava around after she meets with Eddie for the first time. I cannot help, but speculate who or rather, what it is. Is it a ghost perhaps? If so, then maybe, her mother is the ghostly spirit? Whoever or whatever it is, it leaves a mysterious taste lingering in my mouth and I crave to know more about it. Carl, I found to be a really annoying aspect to the story. He follows Ava around with no mind that is his own and even after he gets it back, he refuses to go back to his old life. It is frustrating and I wish that he would just go away, because I do not see any value in him that makes the story a better read. In fact, it just distracts the reader from the whole plot. I wish he was more of a background character or extra rather than a minor character. Daimhin is a puzzling case for me, because on one hand, she is an evil woman who wants Ava dead. On the other hand, she is being really nice to her and finds her very amusing. I believe that Ava’s father must be with Daimhin’s coven. That is the only reason that I can think of that she would keep Ava around for or maybe, she is just not a vampire killer when she does not have to be. Arthur was the only vampire character that I actually liked. He was a father like figure and protected Ava like one. He could have been her father and I am kind of debating that right now in my head. I really do not want him to be, though, because he is not in the rest of the books. I know this for a fact and if you have read this, you know why too. So, I am hoping that it was someone else, but Arthur was very sweet for a vampire. 3 out of 5 stars
5. The Plot: The storyline is not exactly unique. It is about a girl who is a vampire, but can walk during the day and still has a beating heart. She is like no vampire out there. Now, the rest of the plot is very unique and the writing spun this book in a more humorous direction. Although, the book was still quite serious, it had a humorous quality to it that made the darker elements much more bearable to read. I would have liked to see the storyline a little longer, because the whole book takes place in a matter of days, then weeks at the end of the book. The action part of the book takes place in only days, while the ending was weeks. I feel that if the action extended to weeks then it would have made for a heated story that could have been filled with more action, until reaching a resolution. Otherwise, I found the plot to be very satisfying. 3 out of 5 stars
6. The Setting: Since this whole story takes place in a matter of days, there is not a whole lot of places that Ava can go…or so one would think. It is quite contrary, though. There are many details about Ava’s apartment, Eddie’s place, Peter’s, the club’s, Maximum’s, and another place or two that eludes my mind at the moment. If the book was longer, there would have been more space for better, more detailed descriptions or maybe even a couple of more places to visit. I feel a coffee shop may have been nice and would have fit into the plot somewhere. As is, the setting could have been improved, if the story was longer. 4 out of 5 stars
7. The Dialogue: Depending upon the character, the dialogue was witty, sarcastic, but sometimes it fell flat. Carl’s dialogue was nothing short of disastrous. I get that he does not control his mind, but he still has brain function and should be capable of forming coherent sentences that engage the reader. If it was only going to annoy, I wish the author would have given him zero lines. The dialogue was clever at times, but I saw it lacking here and there. I wish that more questions were answered and that somethings would be less of a mystery. 3 out of 5 stars
8. Engaging Surprises: This book did have plenty of surprises, I will tell you. Every chapter held something surprising that the reader did not know before and kept my interest throughout the entire book. The surprises were mostly small ones that led the reader on a breadcrumb trail, but sometimes, smaller surprises lead to even bigger ones in the future. I think this book might have had one big surprise, but I really do not consider any of the surprises bigger than the others. I found that they all were about equal in size as well as magnitude. 3 out of 5 stars
9. Climax: The climax was monumental for the story, although it is hard to pick exactly what spot was the actual climax where things went downhill before being resolved. If I had to guess, it would probably have been the time in the taxi cab. Anyone who has read this before will know what I mean. I know this moment was important to the plot of the entire story, but it was not made a big deal in the story. I was expecting something elaborate, but what I got, was a little disappointing. It could have been a boom, but it was more of a rushed add-on. 2 out of 5 stars
10. Emotional Response: There was not a lot of emotional moments in this book that made me want to cry. There were a couple that I shed real tears over, but most of the emotional moments were spent rolling my eyes or in tears of laughter. I do not know if the author really intended this to be a humorous book, but I found many of the dark situations very funny. I thought it was suitable for the scene, but I could be sadly mistaken. If my readers are anything like me, than you will be laughing, while reading most of this book. This book was a happy relief after reading a book that was oh-so-not-good. 4 out of 5 stars
11. Ending: The climax fell a bit flat and I think that the ending did as well. I have to say that the last page of the book was the worst for me. I really hated it, but it had to do with a character that I sorely disliked. However, leading up to that last page, I really do like the satisfying slaying of that particular vampire; however, I hate how easy it was done. Are vampires weakened during the day? How come she is not weakened at night, when they are during the day? I wished there were more explanations about the vampires and their way of life. It would make understanding this book so much easier. 2 out of 5 stars
12. The Writing: A book that has got me speculating what will happen in the next book, before that one is done, is definitely a series that I will have no choice, but to continue to satisfy my curiosity. But with a book written this good, it comes as no surprise. The only real drawback for her character is the sappy love triangle going on, because love triangles never happen in real life. By reading the first two chapters of the next book, I can say with confidence that the love triangle has reverted to Ava loving him and him being a jerk and ignoring her. So, there you go! No more sappy love triangle, until maybe later in the book. Still, I would have liked to have seen it end I the first book. To counteract that con, it is a pro that she does not have a boyfriend by the end of the book. This is no story about instant romance, which I quite enjoyed besides the love triangle. Now that I think about it though, it was never quite a triangle with someone’s brain not really working on their own at all. Still, this novel needed some explanations that were never given. It made the book hard to understand at times, which is not a good thing. It is a good thing however, that for much of the book that was not the case. 3 out of 5 stars
13. The Artwork: A beautiful cover that captures Ava and her cross quite well. It fit in with the entire book and I love the fact that we never actually see her eyes. It makes it a mystery about what color they are and if you can see any red in them. I believe this was the author’s intention, but if not, a great piece of cover art. It is the best fitting cover that I have ever seen for a book, especially a series. Let us hope it stays consistent. 5 out of 5 stars
14. Genre: The genre of this story is paranormal romance. It is also a self-discovery book as well, because Ava learns things about herself along the way. Paranormal is obvious, because this book is about vampires. I sincerely think that vampire books should have their own genre, since there is so many of them. Romance is a tough one though. The story has elements of romance, but nothing substantial happens between any of the characters, which maybe a reason why I enjoyed this book so much. I am always happen, when a girl stays single in the end. She does not need a man to complete herself and that makes me happy. I believe that no woman can complete herself with a man. She needs to complete herself, otherwise relationships usually suffer because you are looking for someone to help you fill that hole but no one can help you do that but yourself. A run on sentence I know, but I needed to get that out in one breath. 5 out of 5 stars
15. Title: Thirst is a great title for the book, because the whole novel revolves around Ava’s thirst for blood and other people’s thirst as well, whether for blood, sex, or power. The title was thought about and you can tell that the author took painstaking efforts to ensure that everything physical about the book would market to the right audience. Well done. 5 out of 5 stars
Overall, I give this story a 3.6, which I would round up to a 4. The author could improve by making the next novel longer and adding more descriptions. Developing characters more and writing explanations that make sense would also vastly improve the series as well. I will be looking forward to the next book.
1. Strong Main Character/ Female Heroine: Ava is sarcastic and quick witted. A bit of a recluse, she is thrown into people contact, not exactly human if you know what I mean, and has to deal with the trials of being something different from the norm. In this case, she is a different type of vampire that was created quite by accident. I wonder who her father was, since her mother is decidedly human. I could definitely relate to Ava’s dislike of people and social contact. I am not exactly a people person myself. She wants to do everything on her own and hates to admit that she needs help with anything. She was a very strong character and I enjoyed her witty banter, especially the dilemmas in her head. She is no Melissa from Dark Creations: Gabriel Rising. Ava can defend herself and she has a wicked cool blade to do it with. I love how much of a mystery her origin is and I cannot help but think that in the books to come, her parentage will come into play. Maybe, she will even discover who her father is. I look forward to discovering more about Ava in the next book. The only thing that I have to say about her that is somewhat negative is that she never voices her thoughts and feelings to Peter. You can tell that he wants to say things as well, but I believe that if she would start sharing first, he would soon follow suit. I also really feel for Ava’s tragic childhood and it makes me reflect and feel grateful that my own was not the same as hers. Then again, I was never considered a demon or possessed. Still, I felt for her, because I know that plenty of children go through abuse by parent and guardians. 5 out of 5 stars
2. Strong Main Character / Male Hero: Peter is the hero in this story. He knows the life of the creatures that he hunts and is able to help Ava confront them. At first, he seems really arrogant and angry all of the time. I really did not like him in the beginning, but then, I found out about what happened to his family and it broke my heart. Peter and Ava could relate to each other, if they would only open up their hearts. He is brave and protective of Ava, so you can really tell that he has feelings for her. He says that he promised her grandmother that he would help Ava no matter what to keep her safe, but I highly doubt that. He does it, because he likes her. Fair and square. He does not always save her, which is understandable seeing how he is only human and she is…well not. I find him to be the male version of Ava. Maybe that is why I feel that they would be great together. They are both stubborn and iron willed. If they ever got together, they would be unstoppable. 4 out of 5 stars
3. Strong Main Character / Evil Antagonist: Maximus is a very evil vampire, who has basically lost his mind due to the raging virus that is dramatics and vampirism. He is a very shady character cast in a dark light, but at one point, did not seem that bad of a choice compared to being captured by Daimhin and her coven. But then again, she was cast in a bad light as well. Whether she is deserving of it or not, well, we shall wait and see. In conclusion, Maximus was a psychotic character that the reader did not experience the pleasure of knowing until the near end. Eddie is a man of many mysteries…mainly, if he actually human or something…other…other than vampire of course! He is helpful…a little too helpful, if you catch my drift. He goes out of his way to understand Ava and then, only gives her cryptic messages about how “instrumental” she will be in the future. In the end, he played her and he played her well; however, I believe that with Eddie there is more than meets the eye. Nancy is Ava’s grandmother and let me tell you, I thoroughly hate the woman. She gave Ava a very rough childhood and rough does not even begin to describe it. She deserves to die and the sad part is, she does not see the harm in what she did in the past. Now here comes the funny part, she wants to do it all over again. Nice grandmother, huh? She deserves to be labeled as an evil antagonist, although she was more of a minor character. 4 out of 5 stars
4. Strong Minor Characters: There is a bizarre presence that follows Ava around after she meets with Eddie for the first time. I cannot help, but speculate who or rather, what it is. Is it a ghost perhaps? If so, then maybe, her mother is the ghostly spirit? Whoever or whatever it is, it leaves a mysterious taste lingering in my mouth and I crave to know more about it. Carl, I found to be a really annoying aspect to the story. He follows Ava around with no mind that is his own and even after he gets it back, he refuses to go back to his old life. It is frustrating and I wish that he would just go away, because I do not see any value in him that makes the story a better read. In fact, it just distracts the reader from the whole plot. I wish he was more of a background character or extra rather than a minor character. Daimhin is a puzzling case for me, because on one hand, she is an evil woman who wants Ava dead. On the other hand, she is being really nice to her and finds her very amusing. I believe that Ava’s father must be with Daimhin’s coven. That is the only reason that I can think of that she would keep Ava around for or maybe, she is just not a vampire killer when she does not have to be. Arthur was the only vampire character that I actually liked. He was a father like figure and protected Ava like one. He could have been her father and I am kind of debating that right now in my head. I really do not want him to be, though, because he is not in the rest of the books. I know this for a fact and if you have read this, you know why too. So, I am hoping that it was someone else, but Arthur was very sweet for a vampire. 3 out of 5 stars
5. The Plot: The storyline is not exactly unique. It is about a girl who is a vampire, but can walk during the day and still has a beating heart. She is like no vampire out there. Now, the rest of the plot is very unique and the writing spun this book in a more humorous direction. Although, the book was still quite serious, it had a humorous quality to it that made the darker elements much more bearable to read. I would have liked to see the storyline a little longer, because the whole book takes place in a matter of days, then weeks at the end of the book. The action part of the book takes place in only days, while the ending was weeks. I feel that if the action extended to weeks then it would have made for a heated story that could have been filled with more action, until reaching a resolution. Otherwise, I found the plot to be very satisfying. 3 out of 5 stars
6. The Setting: Since this whole story takes place in a matter of days, there is not a whole lot of places that Ava can go…or so one would think. It is quite contrary, though. There are many details about Ava’s apartment, Eddie’s place, Peter’s, the club’s, Maximum’s, and another place or two that eludes my mind at the moment. If the book was longer, there would have been more space for better, more detailed descriptions or maybe even a couple of more places to visit. I feel a coffee shop may have been nice and would have fit into the plot somewhere. As is, the setting could have been improved, if the story was longer. 4 out of 5 stars
7. The Dialogue: Depending upon the character, the dialogue was witty, sarcastic, but sometimes it fell flat. Carl’s dialogue was nothing short of disastrous. I get that he does not control his mind, but he still has brain function and should be capable of forming coherent sentences that engage the reader. If it was only going to annoy, I wish the author would have given him zero lines. The dialogue was clever at times, but I saw it lacking here and there. I wish that more questions were answered and that somethings would be less of a mystery. 3 out of 5 stars
8. Engaging Surprises: This book did have plenty of surprises, I will tell you. Every chapter held something surprising that the reader did not know before and kept my interest throughout the entire book. The surprises were mostly small ones that led the reader on a breadcrumb trail, but sometimes, smaller surprises lead to even bigger ones in the future. I think this book might have had one big surprise, but I really do not consider any of the surprises bigger than the others. I found that they all were about equal in size as well as magnitude. 3 out of 5 stars
9. Climax: The climax was monumental for the story, although it is hard to pick exactly what spot was the actual climax where things went downhill before being resolved. If I had to guess, it would probably have been the time in the taxi cab. Anyone who has read this before will know what I mean. I know this moment was important to the plot of the entire story, but it was not made a big deal in the story. I was expecting something elaborate, but what I got, was a little disappointing. It could have been a boom, but it was more of a rushed add-on. 2 out of 5 stars
10. Emotional Response: There was not a lot of emotional moments in this book that made me want to cry. There were a couple that I shed real tears over, but most of the emotional moments were spent rolling my eyes or in tears of laughter. I do not know if the author really intended this to be a humorous book, but I found many of the dark situations very funny. I thought it was suitable for the scene, but I could be sadly mistaken. If my readers are anything like me, than you will be laughing, while reading most of this book. This book was a happy relief after reading a book that was oh-so-not-good. 4 out of 5 stars
11. Ending: The climax fell a bit flat and I think that the ending did as well. I have to say that the last page of the book was the worst for me. I really hated it, but it had to do with a character that I sorely disliked. However, leading up to that last page, I really do like the satisfying slaying of that particular vampire; however, I hate how easy it was done. Are vampires weakened during the day? How come she is not weakened at night, when they are during the day? I wished there were more explanations about the vampires and their way of life. It would make understanding this book so much easier. 2 out of 5 stars
12. The Writing: A book that has got me speculating what will happen in the next book, before that one is done, is definitely a series that I will have no choice, but to continue to satisfy my curiosity. But with a book written this good, it comes as no surprise. The only real drawback for her character is the sappy love triangle going on, because love triangles never happen in real life. By reading the first two chapters of the next book, I can say with confidence that the love triangle has reverted to Ava loving him and him being a jerk and ignoring her. So, there you go! No more sappy love triangle, until maybe later in the book. Still, I would have liked to have seen it end I the first book. To counteract that con, it is a pro that she does not have a boyfriend by the end of the book. This is no story about instant romance, which I quite enjoyed besides the love triangle. Now that I think about it though, it was never quite a triangle with someone’s brain not really working on their own at all. Still, this novel needed some explanations that were never given. It made the book hard to understand at times, which is not a good thing. It is a good thing however, that for much of the book that was not the case. 3 out of 5 stars
13. The Artwork: A beautiful cover that captures Ava and her cross quite well. It fit in with the entire book and I love the fact that we never actually see her eyes. It makes it a mystery about what color they are and if you can see any red in them. I believe this was the author’s intention, but if not, a great piece of cover art. It is the best fitting cover that I have ever seen for a book, especially a series. Let us hope it stays consistent. 5 out of 5 stars
14. Genre: The genre of this story is paranormal romance. It is also a self-discovery book as well, because Ava learns things about herself along the way. Paranormal is obvious, because this book is about vampires. I sincerely think that vampire books should have their own genre, since there is so many of them. Romance is a tough one though. The story has elements of romance, but nothing substantial happens between any of the characters, which maybe a reason why I enjoyed this book so much. I am always happen, when a girl stays single in the end. She does not need a man to complete herself and that makes me happy. I believe that no woman can complete herself with a man. She needs to complete herself, otherwise relationships usually suffer because you are looking for someone to help you fill that hole but no one can help you do that but yourself. A run on sentence I know, but I needed to get that out in one breath. 5 out of 5 stars
15. Title: Thirst is a great title for the book, because the whole novel revolves around Ava’s thirst for blood and other people’s thirst as well, whether for blood, sex, or power. The title was thought about and you can tell that the author took painstaking efforts to ensure that everything physical about the book would market to the right audience. Well done. 5 out of 5 stars
Overall, I give this story a 3.6, which I would round up to a 4. The author could improve by making the next novel longer and adding more descriptions. Developing characters more and writing explanations that make sense would also vastly improve the series as well. I will be looking forward to the next book.
January 17, 2021
Ok. So this book has been sitting, untouched, in my TBR pile since 2013. I've only just picked it up and I can't believe that it took me this long to read it.
I loved the writing style. It's got a comedy touch to it and I really am a sucker for humor in books. The characters were really good and I immediately felt like I cared for them.
It had me hooked from the start. I'm regretting having pushed it aside for all these years but, in a way, I'm glad because I get to enjoy it now.
I'm really excited to see what happens next with Ava, Carl and Peter and to learn more about their past. And what's the deal with Eddie? What even is he?
So excited to read on.
I loved the writing style. It's got a comedy touch to it and I really am a sucker for humor in books. The characters were really good and I immediately felt like I cared for them.
It had me hooked from the start. I'm regretting having pushed it aside for all these years but, in a way, I'm glad because I get to enjoy it now.
I'm really excited to see what happens next with Ava, Carl and Peter and to learn more about their past. And what's the deal with Eddie? What even is he?
So excited to read on.
March 7, 2025
Light reading without any needless spiciness - I found the new take on vampires refreshing: being the decaying corpses they should be, and the mystery around Ava's nature intrigues me.
I also loved that this first book ends with some closure while leaving some loose ends that make you want to read the next one. I hate it when the first book leaves the story on a cliffhanger, which makes no sense as a book ending and does not end anything. When that happens, I usually refuse to buy the next book.
After reading Thirst, I bought the second book right away. I'm looking forward to see where Ava's story takes us next!
I also loved that this first book ends with some closure while leaving some loose ends that make you want to read the next one. I hate it when the first book leaves the story on a cliffhanger, which makes no sense as a book ending and does not end anything. When that happens, I usually refuse to buy the next book.
After reading Thirst, I bought the second book right away. I'm looking forward to see where Ava's story takes us next!
March 5, 2018
Ava is a strange kind of vampire. Her mother was bitten as she was giving birth and Ava is a half-breed. She craves blood but she is a day walker. The vampire covens in the area want her, but then again, who doesn't.This is a fast paced story about a girl just trying to be good but all the forces of nature want her bad. She can be tough but it's a lonely life.
This story kind of took a minute to get into but once you caught on, you didn't dare let go. The characters are developed and you almost know who they are. Good story.
This story kind of took a minute to get into but once you caught on, you didn't dare let go. The characters are developed and you almost know who they are. Good story.
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