Comic Review: Vamplets (vol. 1) by Dwonch Middleton

Title- Vamplets, Book One: The Nightmare Nursery

Author(s)- Gayle Middleton and Dave Dwonch/Illustrations by Amanda Goronado and Bill Blankenship

Genres- Comic - Humor, Comic - Horror

There’s a new and strange phenomenon happening in the supernatural world of Gloomvania. Vampires, merely by expressing their love, are manifesting babies. Since most of them were not expecting children, they simply cannot spend the 777 years it takes to raise a vampire baby. So they are sent off to a home. The little vamps, werewolves, and other adorable ghoulish creatures are a handful. One loves to invent, one is psychic, one is a destructive artist, and another is, yes, a baby vampire weapon’s expert.

Enter human Destiny. She answers an ad for babysitting services and finds herself transported to Gloomvania, a non-stinky stinkbug as her companion. She is brought to the home where the supernatural babies are kept and soon realizes that she is in for more than she bargained.

She takes the children to a bizarre bazaar and chaos ensues. Destiny acquires the assistance of a talking shrunken head on what exactly needs to be purchased for baby ghouls. When her back is turned, the children book it out of their carriage and head out to commit carnage baby-style.

The color art of the comic is very lovely. The color palate sticks to the colors you would associate with a world called Gloomvania. You get lots of purple and blue, with the adorable addition of pink. After all, these are babies. The way the babies are drawn are the best part because they are adorable, and yet it is quite obvious the sort of monsters they are. The illustrators are top notice and this first volume did not let me down as far as plot development and action.

Book Review: Changeling Moon (Changeling, #1) by Dani Harper

Title: Changeling Moon

Series: Changeling

Book Number: 1

Author: Dani Harper 

Genre: Fiction - Supernatural Romance 

Finished: June 15, 2011

Zoe Tyler is an editor with a unique gift that allows her to see things happening in her head. Desperate to start a new life far from her reputation and the stresses of the city, Zoey moves to a small Canadian town where she becomes editor for a tiny local newspaper. All is well until one night Zoey is attacked by a wolf, a werewolf. Enter Connor Macleod, veterinarian and werewolf, who rescues her, though not before Zoey is bitten. It is love at first sight, at least for Connor, who makes it his mission to ensure that Zoey does not become a werewolf. Problem is, her sire is insane and set to destroy the local wolf pack, which he has chosen not to join. The sire is out for blood, killing man and human without hesitation. He also wants Zoey. It’s a dangerous situation for wolf and human alike. Yet, even among the life threatening drama, there is still time for love to grow between Zoey and Connor. Dani Harper clearly knows her way around a word. She has a very clean but elaborate writing style that is both entertaining and accessible. Her book does not falter or linger too long in drawn out description, though it certainly does not lack in detail. 

Unlike those who just seem to have just gotten lucky publising their books, Dani Harper clearly has a natural writing talent, so she well deserves the praise she receives. I will admit that romance is not my cup of tea or preferred genre. As a result, I tend to be a bit harder on it than romance genre fans. Problem is, I think that most romance tends to be contrived and fails to convince me. It is almost formulaic the way a perfect, rugged, handsome loner (or playboy) falls in love with an equally perfect but firey woman who is certainly the first to resist his charms or fight against his possessive/protective/etc nature. And of course, when they have sex, lightening sparks behind her eyes and she has screaming orgasms that leave her shaking. Sound familiar? I bet it does. Because it’s probably somewhat or in part true for 95% of the romance books you’ve ever read. And it to me, it all feels very forced. What was the point of the above rant? Because if I were to pin the one part of the book that I disliked, it was because it fit the formulaic and forced romance model outlined above. Because, as I said, I just do not like romance as it all seems to be like the above and I want something new, something real, something full of complications. Something about discovery, not love at first site with cookie cutter personalities. This is not meant to insult the book because I am sure romance fans would love it. 

So you may be asking yourself: do I like the book? And the answer to that would be a definite yes. Here is why: because Dani Harper has created a believable preternatural world. I respect anyone who can approach an unexplainable situation and say simply, “this is how it is and we don’t know why” such as Connor did when he explained how during the shift their present clothes seem to fall into an invisible third dimension that return as soon as the shifter turns back into a human. Why? Because I think people over think things and sometimes fail to see that sometimes some of the best things are the things we cannot possibly answer. The world of the hidden wolf and normal human was also very believable. I also liked how Dani threw in her own little invention of silver suppressing the change as a way to control those who lack proper control. As a story of a supernatural world, I very much enjoyed reading Changeling Moon. The reader is neither flooded with a complex supernatural world, nor confronted with something that is impossible to believe or simplistic. Dani Harper fuses the natural and supernatural worlds together with flawless ease, and in that way convinces me that there just may indeed be hot werewolves veterinarians with a small auditorium full of brothers and a quaint, quiet farm out there.

Book Review: Hex in High Heels (Hex, #4) by Linda Wisdom

Title: Hex in High Heels

Series: Hex

Book Number: 4

Author: Linda Wisdom

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal Romance

Finished: October 13, 2009

Hex in High Heels was my introduction to the world of Linda Wisdom and Blair Fitzpatrick. Though it is book four in the series, I decided to start from book four and then see how the series struck me, if it was something I would be into. As it seems to be, the books are all loosely connected with the same characters reoccurring, but different ones taking the starring roles. So, though the series was new to me, I hoped that I wouldn't have to know too much about Blair and her life previously to enjoy Hex in High Heels. Blair Fitzpatrick is a witch who just so happens to run her own vintage store and has a thing for a were-collie carpenter named Jake Harrison. The drama is hot enough between the two of them as they work out mutual feelings for each other that could soon blossom into something more. Yet, it is never enough to simply have relationship drama. No. There is always more. Jake's family ad former pack come to town looking to buy some land from Blair and ease in close to. This pack is made up of wolves, far stronger than the mere collie that Jake becomes. The worst part is that the alpha of the pack is Jake's brother, working in tandem with their vicious mother, who wants him dead! Blair is as determined to keep Jake as the pack is to have him and see him dead. Good thing for the pair of them that Blair is as powerful a witch as she is. Does make it any easier that some trouble making elves are also causing Blair a considerable amount of distress. This book was a lot of fun, for sure. Throughout the story, even in times of drama and distress, the story was infused with humor. At the same time, the characters were not all lighthearted parody's of magical creatures and things. There was a really great balance to the story, to the drama versus the humor. I really liked Blair and rooted for her the whole time, though of course, we all know that the good guys generally win in the end. I did, however, feel like I may have gotten more out of the cameos made by other characters if I had read the previous novels. A few times, characters were brought in or things alluded to that I had no idea about and could only assume they happened in one of the previous books. Suffice to say I am going to put the other books on my wish list and get them one by one. If they are anything like Hex in High Heels, I know I am going to enjoy them immensely.

Blog Tour & Guest Post: To Tempt the Wolf (Heart of the Wolf, #2) by Terry Spear

First, I must apologize to author Terry Spear because I was to have this up yesterday and time ran away from me! But it is my pleasure to bring to you her wonderful guest post, which is an honor to have up to welcome her to Morbid Romantic. I have yet to read To Tempt the Wolf, but I have a copy of it won from another blog that I look forward to reading when time allows. So, without further ado:

The Human Side of Wolves, er, Werewolves!

Thanks for inviting me to share my werewolf world at Morbid Romantic where I wish to dispel the myth that werewolves are the bad guys! Well, some are, but some really are not--think sexy, naked humans, who are very comfortable in their skin, human and wolf alike. :) In my latest book, To Tempt the Wolf, Tessa Anderson has a mission: rescue her brother from prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Hunter Greymere has a mission too: well, he was supposed to be rescuing his sister, but a little accident happens and now he’s lying on an Oregon beach right before a winter storm rolls in. The same beach that Tessa goes to find firewood before the storm hits. What do they have in common? Wolves. He’s one, and she’s obsessed with them, photographing them whenever she gets a chance. But other wolves are obsessed with her right back. Welcome to my world of wolves--werewolves that is. But when they’re in their wolf form, they’re just like wolves, except they have human sensibilities. And what does this mean? No matter what they’d like to do as wolves...their humanity steps in. On the other hand, their wolf instincts stay with them whether as man or wolf. Not only that, they have their “werewolf” side to consider--no matter what, they can’t be exposed for what they are. So three sides really. :) That makes for a lot of man! And woman! I was reading another author’s blog on how she wrote about horses in her story, but didn’t really know much about them. So I’ll make a confession also. I’ve never once met a werewolf. But I’m sure if I did, I’d find him just like the heroes in my stories. At least I hope I would. I wouldn’t want to run into the nastier werewolf characters in my stories for sure. “But wait!” you say. “You write that your werewolves are like real wolves. Do you know any personally?” Okay, no, I admit I’ve watched video tapes of them, both in social settings and...ahem, settings that should not have been caught on tape--a little privacy folks. But it did give me an idea for Seduced by the Wolf that I used to good purpose. I’ve also listened to numerous tapes on howling--forget music as a backdrop for story writing. And I’ve studied numerous photos on their behavior. Plus, I’ve read a lot about them from wolf biologists’ points of view. And yes, I’ve seen them in zoos before. But those aren’t the kind of wolves I’m creating in my stories. Although no, I haven’t sat and played with their pups or gotten to know a real wild wolf. Urban fantasy is fun to create. I’m not writing about Dances with Wolves here, where the wolves are real, but werewolves who appear to be real wolves. :) Plus, I raised tons of dogs, and they still exhibit some of the wolf behavior. When my standard poodles would play with each other, they would snarl, and bite, and growl, just like when we would play tug of war with our Labrador retriever. And when we played chase with our Afghan hound, she was terrifying!!! They’re from Afghanistan and are bred for speed and hunting agility. One nip in the back, and after that, she’d have us pinned to the ground. In every instance, they were playing, just as wolves do. But it’s a way for them to show who’s boss also in the pack. And chasing and taking each other down? It’s a way to keep their hunting skills in good working order. I love dogs. I love wolves. And I LOVE werewolves. The perfect, sexy beasts are great protective guys to have around year round! So what do you think? If you had a chance to go on a wilderness trip with a guy who really knew how to take care of a girl, would you consider a werewolf hunk as your guide? Companion? ...and More??? Hope you check out just how hunky werewolves can be, and shatter that myth that they’re just scary old monstrous beasts. Thanks for dropping by, and again, thanks to Valorie for having me! :) Terry Spear “Giving new meaning to the term alpha male.”

To Tempt the Wolf--In Stores September 1

In this third in the series, wildlife photographer Tessa Anderson must prove her brother innocent of murder charges. But when she discovers a gorgeous naked man barely alive on her beach, she's got a new world of troubles to deal with, not least of which is how he affects her with just a look, a touch, or a whispered word. Hunter Greymore is a lupus garou, a grey werewolf. Hoping to keep a low profile at Tessa's cabin on the coast, he's drawn into her life--and into her bed. His animal instincts war with his human half, but in the end, the only thing he can do about this fascinating, adorable woman is to leave her forever --unless she becomes one of them. 

About the Author 

A retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves, award-winning author Terry Spear has an MBA from Monmouth College. An eclectic writer, she dabbles in the paranormal as well as writing historical and true life stories for both teen and adult audiences. Spear lives in Crawford, Texas. Her 2008 Sourcebooks Casablanca release, Heart of the Wolf was named a Best Book of the Year by Publishers Weekly. Destiny of the Wolf and To Tempt the Wolf are in stores now, and more are on the way: The Legend of the White Wolf (February 2010) and Seduction of the Wolf (August 2010). For more information please visit Terry at the following places: 

http://www.terryspear.com 

http://twitter.com/TerrySpear 

http://www.facebook.com/terry.spear 

http://www.myspace.com/terryspear 

http://www.terry-spear.blogspot.com 

http://casablancaauthors.blogspot.com

http://www.wickedlyromantic.blogspot.com 

http://shapeshifterromance.wordpress.com

Book Review: Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Kitty Norville, #1) by Carrie Vaughn

Title: Kitty and the Midnight Hour

Series: Kitty Norville

Book Number: 1

Author(s): Carrie Vaughn

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal

Finished: July 11, 2009

In Carrie Vaughn's Kitty and the Midnight Hour, book one in the Kitty Norville series, main character Kitty Norville works as a late night radio DJ and has great taste in music. These late nights fit well into her new nature as a werewolf. One night in between songs, a caller phones in and begins a discussion about the paranormal. Since this is something that Kitty understands very well, she answers. More people begin to call in claiming to be vampires or werewolves, or humans with vampire/werewolf concerns. Pretty soon Kitty is running her own late night talk and advice show for the paranormal called The Midnight Hour. Her pack leader, the Alpha Male Carl, is upset by this exposure of their kind. Upset even more is local Vampire Family leader Arturo who feels that she will upset the balance of his power by giving out advice to vampires. Both leaders want Kitty to stop the show, but Carl is begrudgingly willing to let Kitty go ahead with it for a cut of the profits. Though she is a weak werewolf, she is a strong talk show host and for the first time since she became a werewolf, Kitty is feeling independent and happy. But if good times were made to last, the book wouldn't be nearly as exciting as it is. First a werewolf hunter is sent to kill her, exposing her for what she is live on air. Second, there is a rash of killings that were obviously done by a werewolf. As the resident paranormal expert, Kitty is brought in by the police to scope out the crime scenes, but Kitty does not recognize the scent of this werewolf and knows he is not one of her pack-- he is a rouge in their territory mutilating young human women. Third, a church is claiming to "cure" paranormal creatures and everyone who goes there for help seems to disappear. Fourth, things within the pack itself have become a bit tense. Carl is making moves and suggesting she try to take the place of the Alpha Female Meg, her own maker Zan is becoming aggressive, and someone is working against her to get her killed by the hot werewolf hunter. How can a women so consumed by problems possibly give advice to others? Kitty is certainly not infallible. She is definitely not a tough girl capable of beating up men twice her size complete with roundhouse kicks like so many paranormal heroines. Sure, she is stronger than even a powerful human male, but she doesn't go around flaunting it. Kitty just wants to be normal. Even as a wolf she is submissive and uncertain, deferring to Carl as the Alpha Male as any wolf would do by instinct. Vaughn seems to have a good understanding of the hierarchical dynamics of wolf packs, which makes the book more realistic in terms of how werewolves as creatures would behave. I think too many authors are afraid to make submissive female characters for fear of playing into the stereotypes of women, and therefore realism suffers. Vaughn found a way to make Kitty real but also strong in her own way. There are many different plots and conflicts going on at once. Vaughn balances all of the issues very well, putting together a story that is fluid and easy to follow without becoming a tangled mess. Kitty is dealing with a lot of complicated stuff, but you don't feel overwhelmed by everything while reading. It all comes together in the end in a very intense scene, but the resolution is left open in certain ways to allow for the rest of the series to proceed. I have to admit that I like books that come in a series much better than stand alone novels. Usually, when given the choice of vampire or werewolf, I always choose vampire. Most werewolf characters are too animalistic and it is hard to relate to them. Yet Vaughn makes Kitty someone easy to understand and find commonalities with. So now I can say that there is at least one werewolf book that honestly enjoy. I enjoyed it most of all because of the flowing way Vaughn made her wolves human but wolf at the same time, never too much of either and certainly not just the best of both worlds. I am definitely excited to read the rest of the series.

Book Review: Forbidden- The Temptation by Samantha Sommersby

Title: Forbidden: The Temptation 

Author: Samantha Sommersby 

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal, Fiction - Erotica 

Finished: June 18, 2009

In Forbidden: The Temptation, after a rock climbing accident, Jacob Madison's life has changed dramatically. Rescued by a group of werewolves, he is bitten and turned into one. It has been a hard adaptation for him, as has life with the pack, and not entirely one he feels is for the best. On one of the pack's excursions, Jake finds a woman in the snow. This woman, Allison Connelly, has been wounded. Jake takes her back to the camping ground of the pack and nurses her back to heath. As she mends and rests, a romance between the two blooms. Jake is at odds with his feelings for her and his werewolf nature, while Allison treads caution after her recent bad break up. But their reservations do nothing to smother the budding passion and the two cannot keep their hands off of each other. Two of Jake's pack mates, Ryan and Mireya, are likewise feeling something for one another. Problem for them is that Mireya has been mated to another male-- a very dangerous and murderous were who goes by the name of Devlin. Allison is familiar with this werewolf since she worked with him as a forensic psychologist. Everyone knows Devlin will soon be there to collect Mireya. How are they going to defeat such a strong werewolf as Devil, who has been killing immortals to increase his strength? And can both Allison and Jake look past his werewolf nature to allow a relationship? This book is steamy and unashamed! I like that there were no cut-outs as soon as the couple got hot and heavy. The plot itself was also very good, and I would recommend it to anyone who is a fan of romance/erotica and paranormal erotica. Jake and Allison pretty much got it on from second one (or three since she had to recover a bit from her accident first), but there was nothing in it that made me roll my eyes and go, "Oh yeah, not possible." The reaction is what typically keeps me from romance-- I can't stand the cliches. Fortunately, Forbidden: The Temptation had no terrible cliches about it. Just lots of sex, drama, and blood. So, do Jake and Allison get together? Can the group defeat the powerful Devlin and release Mireya from his grasp so that she can be with Ryan? You'™ll just have to read it and find out for yourself.

Book Review: All Together Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #7) by Charlaine Harris

Title: All Together Dead

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 7

Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal

Finished: May 22, 2009

Time for the Rhodes vampire conference, which Sookie must attend as part of the Queen of Louisiana's entourage.

In All Together Dead, Sookie is a valuable asset what with Louisiana being weakened by Katrina and the Queen, Sophie-Anne, under suspicion for killing her husband, the King of Arkansas. For money, Sookie has agreed to attend the conference and read the minds of any humans present in case someone is thinking something that might be important for Sophie-Anne to know. Her new boyfriend, were tiger Quinn, is also in attendance setting up events. However, unfortunately for them and their budding romance, they don't get to spend much time together. But at least Sookie has one friend. Barry the Telepathic bellboy is there with another group, and the two of them find few moments of peace to work out their gifts together. As two of the only humans there, they find themselves at the call of the stronger and more powerful vampires who send them out on missions such as assassin investigation. It's not easy to be at the bottom of the food chain. After the last book, this one was a big improvement. Relations will Bill are still rocky, but at least Sookie will acknowledge his name. Sookie isn't too fond of being a lackey for the Queen and her personal bodyguard Andre, but she realizes her limitations and goes with it as best she can. Her relationship with Eric deepens in All Together Dead. The two of them find that the bond they had formed when they first exchanged blood is now multifaceted and far more complicated than before. I am very happy about that since I think that Sookie and Eric make a far better and complex couple than Sookie and Bill. I also think that Eric appreciates Sookie in a different and more meaningful way. Sookie brings something out in Eric that no one else does and I think that says a lot about the nature of their relationship. It was just good to get back to some of the older characters. Granted, they were a long way from Bon Temps and Merlotte's. I don't feel like the Southern Vampire Mysteries needs any more characters since every new inclusion comes at the expense of interaction with other older, favorite characters. 

All Together Dead does not fall short on action and mystery, either. There is sinister intent all around and Sookie can feel it. Between can bombs and dead assassins and shifty waiters/hotel workers, you never know who the enemy is. It is also pretty hard to be one of the only humans in a building full of blood drinkers, as well. Toward the end of the story, when the action picks up full force, it's well written and done just right to level the suspense and intensity off without overdoing it and making it too dramatic.

Book Review: Definitely Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #6) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Definitely Dead

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 6

Author(s): Charlaine Harris 

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal 

Finished: May 21, 2009

Definitely Dead is book 6 in the Southern Vampire Mysteries. Sookie, weary and battle scarred, once again has high hopes that her life can return to normal. She has enough stress as it is between her brother's personal life, rebuilding her kitchen, Debbie Pelt's family's meddling, her broken heart, the dead demon left on her lawn, and the murder of her cousin Hadley. As it turns out, Hadley was a vampire and a favorite of the Queen of Louisiana. Sookie must go to New Orleans to clean out her cousin's old apartment, which means entering the paranormal world of the vampires once more. On the bright side, she has a new boyfriend. Her new boyfriend is a were-tiger named Quinn. Quinn is tall, bald, patient, and seemingly without drama. Unfortunately for them, they are attacked by crazed bitten weres on their first date. It is all downhill for Sookie from there. Weres and vampires attacking from all angles, oh my. Additionally, not only does Sookie want to clean out Hadley's apartment, but she wants to find out what truly happened to her cousin. That opens up its own can of worms to add to the already smoldering pot of problems simmering.

I'll be honest with you guys. If this had been the first or second book that I read in the series, I wouldn't have continued. Though it was good, I gave it a lot more credit because I already know and love the characters. If Definitely Dead were my introduction to the Sookie Stackhouse world, I wouldn't have thought twice about not picking up the next book. Don't get me wrong, Definitely Dead is a good book, it just isn't the type of book that would capture my attention and make want to read again. A lot of the book just seemed to be out of character. Sookie is slowly exiting the world of being your average every day telepathic waitress who is cutely modest to being a supervixen special something who has all the guys stare when she flips her hair. And Bill did a total 180. Only Eric was the same, which was a relief because I would take it too hard if he changed at all. It is disappointing that there is such an influx of new characters because the old characters, the ones I enjoy, are being pushed to the wayside. I don't need a whole new league of witches and boyfriends and vampire buddies to enjoy The Southern Vampire Mysteries. I just want to read about the world of Sookie and her close companions. Adding too many characters makes things overly complex and complicated. Of course, fresh blood is necessary to keep a book active, and new people are always coming and going in life, but within the limited confines of a book they only end up pushing out other characters since only so many can be in focus at a time. Also, a word of warning. If you've ONLY read the books, you will be confused

If this book is to make sense to you from the start, I suggest you read the short story One Word Answer from Bite. The events of that story come to fruition in Definitely Dead and are unfortunately never mentioned anywhere else. So, if you haven't read One Word Answer, you are going to be very confused about Hadley and the Queen and the Queen's request. It doesn't make sense that the story wasn't included as a prelude or a first chapter, but I suppose it makes more money selling in parts. I have high hopes for the next one and can only cross my fingers that Sookie and her world will return to how it was when I fell in love with it. I want Sookie to go back to being a normal girl with a special gift, not some half-supernatural creature like everyone else. How can I relate to her that way? And I want more of the old characters, more Eric and Bill and Sam.

Book Review: Dead as a Doornail (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #5) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead as a Doornail

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 5

Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal

Finished: January 24, 2009

What's the Southern mystery this time? There is a sniper on the loose who seems to be targeting only shifters (and Sookie, but she has very poor luck). Not only that, but who tried to burn down Sookie's house with her in it? In this book five of the Southern Vampire Mysteries, Dead as a Doornail, Sookie is almost burned to death, attacked by wolves during a ceremony, shot in the shoulder, harassed by Eric who desperately wants to know what happened during his period of amnesia, and faced with Bill reentering the dating world. Her friendship is also on the fritz with Alcide. Oh, and if that's not bad enough, she is a suspect in the death of shifter Debbie Pelt, which is probably the only one thing that happens that she actually deserves. Problems don't belong to only Sookie, though. Jason is a suspect in the shifter shootings (the Stackhouses must be cursed), though he is adapting nicely to his new life as a shifter and, in fact, quite likes it. Tara Thornton, Sookie's best friend, is the unwilling girlfriend to a violent and dominating vampire named Mickey. Alcide has his worries over his father becoming pack leader. I have to say that the plots are becoming predictable. That's not to say that they're not exciting because they are. It's just that you can almost predict who will be the perpetrator by the first few chapters. I had this one pegged. Of course, it didn't have me put down the book. I still find the Southern Vampire Mysteries very fun, very exciting, and very much worth my time to read. I still love them, yes. If you are looking for a shocking twist at the end, you're not going to find it here because the formula is predictable. I am also a bit disappointed in the turn that Sookie's friendship with Alcide took. I don't think it's too much that the two of them could remain friends and get over their little crush from book three. Instead, the two of them are getting to the point where they can scant stand each the company of each other. I mean, Sookie can have a friend she's not making out with... right? You can bet as soon as I can, I am going to pick up book six.

Book Review: Dead to the World (Southern Vampire Mysteries, book 4) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead to the World

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 4

Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal

Finished: January 19, 2009

I had to dive into this one right after finishing book three. After how much I enjoyed Club Dead, I couldn't wait to read Dead to the World. In this part four of the Southern Vampire Mysteries, Sookie ends up in a whole new mess despite her New Year's Resolution to stay out of trouble. But trouble follows Sookie and is to be expected and enjoyed by now, at least for us the reader. First Sookie's brother Jason goes missing. Then she finds an amnesiac Eric running down the road (shirtless) and discovers out that he has been cursed by a lustful witch/werewolf. Defeated and fearing for her resolution, Sookie is charged to take care of Eric for an ample fee until the vampires find the witch and make her lift the curse. Due to events in Club Dead, Sookie and Bill are still on the outs and he spends most of the book collecting for his vampire directory in Peru. This book was great. I won't give away any more spoilers than my vague summary already has, but I will cheer and say that the moment I've been waiting for DID happen in chapter 6. Now, if only it could have stayed that way.

In the end, as a reader, I know that Sookie and Bill will make up and get back together and continue their great love affair. The grand bulk of this story was spent working out the relationship between Sookie and Eric, investigating Jason's disappearance, and searching for the very dangerous coven of witches that cursed Eric. The final battle scene is very tense and well played out, though not in clear drawn out detail since it is from the perspective of Sookie who is understandably out of it. We have new creatures and supernatural elements, too! As I said above, witches are introduced along with fairies. Now those can be added to the growing catalog of creatures and things Sookie has to interact with on a daily (and nightly) basis. I am almost disappointed that Eric's time may be over. I feel that he certainly shines brighter and with more character than Bill. After spending an entire book with Eric, Bill's entrance at the end was bland, at best. He just seems monotonous next to the personality that Eric exudes. If Eric could just get over himself, he would be perfect. Still, I cling to hope because surely the Eric that he was when he didn't have a memory is still in him... somewhere. I am completely addicted to this series. Anne Rice might have defined the vampire in my eyes, but Charlaine Harris makes them pretty fun. This series is just one big ball of excitement for me.

Book Review: Club Dead (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #3) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Club Dead

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 3

Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Fiction - Paranormal

Finished: January 14, 2009

Club Dead is my favorite of the series so far. When the book begins, Bill, who has been working on a "secret" project, has been kidnapped and is being held hostage in Mississippi for his secrets. Much to Sookie's dislike, Bill had also been recently shacked up with his maker, who he subsequently planned on leaving Sookie for before he was betrayed by said maker. What a mess, right? But what else could or would a fan of the Southern Vampire Mysteries expect? Despite Bill's betrayal, Sookie, with the help of a werewolf, heads off to Mississippi to find Bill. There's a lot of drama, a lot of arguing, a lot of mystery and a lot passion. Bodies pile up and violence increases as the story goes on. Werewolves and shapeshifters are very important in this third book, which is great in making the Southern Vampire Mysteries about more than just vampires. Sookie's world is indeed full of the paranormal and supernatural. It's a wonder a girl can get any peace, which doesn't seem to bless Sookie often. The mystery that unfolds Bill and his kidnapping isn't that intricate or hard to solve. It almost seems to happen too easy, which is forgivable because the book is just so entertaining. In the end, I didn't mind that Sookie was all but able to just ease Bill out from under his captors and rescue him because there was drama and tension everywhere else. The build-up was not in her rescuing Bill, but in her finding him. The climax of tension was in her getting to the house and finding a way to save him, not the rescue. Eric makes a much larger appearance in this third book, which I feel really adds to it. You can't deny that there is some great chemistry between Eric and Sookie. Then again, it just could be because I think the two of them would make an excellent couple and have a more interesting dynamic than other couplings in the books. This book has solidified my respect for Eric. Sure, he comes on strong and hard, often times a bit cold, but he's actually quite charming and funny. If anything in this book made me laugh, it was some of what came out of his mouth.

Book Review: Living Dead in Dallas (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #2) by Charliane Harris

Title: Living Dead in Dallas

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 2

Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Fiction-Supernatural

Finished: November 15, 2008

I enjoyed this one as much as I enjoyed the first one. It was more violent and full of more sexiness, but that just made it better! Sometimes you have to wonder how one girl can get into so much mess, but then you have to suspend reality when reading these books anyway because of the whole vampire/shapeshifter/etc thing. Moreso than the first one, you come to see as a reader just the sort of discrimination that vampires face. It's strikingly familiar to anyone who watches the news today, which is full of people declaring hatred for lifestyles and people that they understand little about. Sookie first investigates the murder of a friend, which leads her to an interesting sex party. It's not for people with delicate natures, but I found it a lot of fun. But be warned, this one is extra bloody and extra violent. After solving one mystery, Sookie is sent out on loan to help a vampire coven in Dallas find a missing member. This storyline makes clear that vampires, while making many mistakes in line with their nature, also make very human mistakes. I found the idea of a vampire wanting to die very... sweet. But, I do have a history of Anne Rice and her vampires are the most angst-filled in the genre, by far. Did I like this second installment in the Southern Vampire Mysteries? I LOVED it.

Book Review: Dead Until Dark (Southern Vampire Mysteries, #1) by Charlaine Harris

Title: Dead Until Dark

Series: Southern Vampire Mysteries

Book Number: 1

Author: Charlaine Harris

Genre: Fiction-Supernatural

Finished: October 30, 2008

It's been a long time since I've read a good vampire story. In fact, I don't read many vampire stories at all. I have high expectations... to high, I guess. But, I really enjoyed this one. And joy, none of the characters pissed me off or annoyed me. Dead Until Dark was funny, sexy, and interesting. I enjoyed the plot and really liked some of the characters. I overlooked my expectations for vampires to read this book and I found it worth my while. Though the Southern Vampires sort of defied some of what I think vampire should be, I liked the books enough to get past that superficial issue. I thought that the dialogue was especially good. Nothing can turn me off of a book faster than dialogue that seems forced or insincere... or just NOT the way that people talk. I am utterly charmed with the Southern Vampire Mysteries now. I finally found a series about vampires worth reading since Anne Rice. You want exciting and sexy? Read this series. In ways, it's even better than anything Anne Rice created since hers remain shrouded in mystery and lore. The Southern Vampire Mysteries make vampires part of this world; it rips from them a preternatural sense of otherness and puts them directly in the human world shamelessly. Simply wonderful.