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This is NOT Twilight!
5 Very Bloody Fangs
Tired of vampires who sparkle, only take blood from willing donors, and fall helplessly in love? Well, then Uprising and its sequel The Cross by Scott G. Mangiani are for you. These books call back to the days of Bram Stoker’s Dracula where vampires looked down on humanity and took what they wanted without remorse. The Vampire Federation series has action, suspense, surprises, blood, and gore with only a little romance (but I don't even mind)!
Alex is a special agent working for Vampire Federation (vamps policing vamps). The Trads are traditionalist vampires that want to go back to "the good ole days". In this first book, the revolution starts and heads begin to roll (literally). Caught up in this power struggle is Detective Inspector Joel Solomon who survived a vampire attack as a child and was psycho-analyzed into thinking the traumatic incident didn't happen the way he remembers. But now all those memories are coming back and soon he realizes ...vampires do exist...and they must be stopped!
The characters, major and minor, are well developed and the plot well thought out with several surprising twists and surprises. The novel thrives on short chapters jumping back and forth from several characters and allows the reader to actually feel like they are joining in on the fast pace as the plot unfolds…and it does unfold quickly. The story quickly captures your attention, and believe me; you do not want to put these book down.
Hello:I'll have to check it out. I tend to like a book with shorter chapters. I feel it helps to move the story along quickly while keeping the reader in touch with various facets of the story without having to wait long periods of reading for updates. Besides, I like remorseless vampirism. It makes the hunter feel better about dispatching them (LOL).
Have a Great Day!!!
The "Creature"
Darker After Midnight (Midnight Breed #10) by Lara Adrian…Should be Called Brighter After Midnight!
5 Fangs !!!
This is a story of a lost warrior seeking redemption and finding his way back. It tells of hope in the midst of war and it reveals acceptance in the wake of tragedy.
Book 9 ended with a terrorist attack manufactured by Dragos leading the police right to the Order’s doorstep. In an attempt to save the Order from human discovery, Chase Sterling, barely functional and suffering from bloodlust, walks out into the sun and surrenders. Even though I don’t believe that a review should be a summary (why would you really want to read the book if I told you everything that happens?) some events must be addressed here. Everything changes in this book and spoilers will be revealed, so caution if you haven’t read the novel yet.
Changes abound in Darker After Midnight. The destruction of the Order’s compound is a physical manifestation of the idea that things are changing. This was their home; no longer just a barracks, and its silent yet explosive demolition signals the hidden yet destructive changes still to come.
Chase’s quiet struggle with bloodlust has built over the years to the point where he believes there’s no returning. In a final attempt to capture a last moment of honor he vows to take Dragos down with him. Chase’s journey back from bloodlust, loneliness, and dishonor is filled with struggle, denial, and doubt; he does not view himself as strong, belonging, or worthy anymore and rejects any attempt to convince him of such. Chase and Tavia are drawn to each other physically at first but soon realize they draw strength and stability from the other; using each other as an anchor to reality. Chase’s relationship with Tavia is what leads him back to the Order and living.
The idea of hope and how others perceive it is also explored here. Lucan and Gabrielle experience tense moments as Gabrielle confronts her mate with her desire to have children…now. Dante and Tess’s baby has inspired the leader’s mate yet Lucan cannot convince himself to bring a child into a world filled with such uncertainty. It is only after speaking to Tegan who espouses his thoughts on children and hope that Lucan finally relents. Of course, hope is also expressed throughout Chase’s struggles where he also fails to recognize the possibility of returning from bloodlust and finds reasons to deny any glimmers each time they appear. But as Tavia and the Order reach out to him, and trust him, Chase finds the strength within himself to believe in hope for a future and act upon it. Tavia is also viewed as hope for the race itself, as she is the first female Breed ever known to exist. What this could mean to the race itself is unknown yet exciting.
Acceptance in the face of tragedy leads us not only to the end of the novel but also to the next books in the series. Chase comes to terms with the tragic events of his family and life accepting that he does not have to be perfect to be worthy. Tavia accepts her true self in the wake of discovering her whole life has been a lie. And in the aftermath of the tragic and bloody attacks on humanity by Dragos followed by the revelation of the Breed, the world accepts this alien race into their arms.
Overall, this novel is the uplifting end to a series…or what was supposed to be the end of the series until Adrian’s publisher extended her contract. So we have bright happy endings…everyone is mated, babies abound, and the Breed becomes members of NATO. But with the contract extension, conflict must develop somehow. Of course, we know this is not a perfect world and problems will arise. Hopefully in the next book we will discover the impact of a female Breed when Chase and Tavia’s twins are born. We will experience how the Breed are assimilated and accepted (or not) into the world with the opportunity to explore the lives of the younger Breed, Mira, Kellan and Nathan; three very different personalities and perspectives. And perhaps the question will be answered, what do centuries old warriors do when peace is declared? Personally, I can't wait to find out!
Wow.....well that about covers it RJ.....im gals you posted first this way it saves me some typing....lol
The Reformed Vampire Support Group...Please Just Put Them Out of Their Misery...and Mine!!
1 Chipped, Cracked and Decayed Fang!
I feel like I have to post this reveiw as a public service. DO NOT WASTE YOUR TIME!
I really did not care for this book (in case you couldn't tell); I had to force myself to finish it. I know this was supposed to be a comedy and is YA but it sucked...and not in a good way! The plot itself wasn't bad but the writing was sooo boring. There seemed to be so little actual character development...I didn't care about any of them. The author went for a totally different portrayal of vampires...as admittedly weak, boring, whining characters who do nothing, have no fun, and resemble eternally terminally ill patients in both appearance and lethargy and survive by drinking gerbils and medical supplements.
Basic plot: A group of vamps meet in a support group and have to solve the mystery of who staked the least liked member of their group. A promising beginning premise. It then veers off to a vampire road trip where they are saving a werewolf from an underground fight club, avoiding the criminal owners, eventually converting the vamp slayer and criminals ( some morally, others physically) and then in the last 5 pages add some romance. UGHHHH!!
Maybe its because the author is Austrailian; perhaps their accepted writing style or sense of humor is different but it just did not appeal at all.
Caressed by Night...A Step Forward in Time and Place
4 FANGS
Caressed by Night takes place almost 200 years from the end of Caressed by Moonlight. No longer are we in 19th century Europe. We are now thrust into present day and the good old USA. Dimitri, one of the original four vampires created who has been considered dead by vampire society for 400 years, has suddenly reappeared in Las Vegas. Where has he been and why has he returned?
Dimitri is the last remaining original vampire; over 14,000 years old. He is the recipient of untold powers and skills. And this makes him both feared and revered in vampire society. Dimitri’s unexpected return sets many wheels in motion including his need to retrieve his clan from the traitorous Ven, the urgency to reseat Hadrian to his throne, and, of course, Dimitri’s want to claim his mate, Kerstyn.
I enjoyed Dimitri’s story because it provided action, suspense, romance, and new mythology. We discover how the vampires were created, how the clans came to be, and the workings of vampire politics and society. The romance between Dimitri and Kerstyn was quick and fluid…perhaps a bit too quick…but sometimes love just goes that way; especially when you are destined mates. For me, Kerstyn was just a bit too quick to succumb to romance and almost unrealistically acceptable of all the supernatural and emotional surprises thrown at her. That being said, I did in fact, like Dimitri and Kerstyn together. Dimitri was the perfect tortured and angst driven hero filled with doubt about his worthiness for love while Kerstyn was the balance and provider of acceptance that he needed.
Familiar characters were revisited such as Dorian, Victoria, Falcon, Sonya, and the intriguing Gabriel who played a major role in this story. There were so many romance subplots being laid I’m not sure where the next novel will head. You can choose Falcon and Sonya’s forbidden attraction, Gabriel and the search for his mystery woman who snared his attention as a photo in the slave prison or possibly even Hadrian who Dimitri has assured has a future before him. As a king, Hadrian needs to find his mate or face madness.
Overall, a splendid sequel to Caressed by Moonlight which inspires the reader to look forward to the next installment.
Books mentioned in this topic
Caressed by Night (other topics)The Reformed Vampire Support Group (other topics)
The Cross (other topics)
Uprising (other topics)


