Annette's Book Spot: vampires

Showing posts with label vampires. Show all posts

Thursday, October 27, 2016

Book Review: Infinity, by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon book cover and review

Infinity is written for younger teens, and that's most of the reason I had issues with it.

Nick is a normal 14-year-old, trying to cope with living in poverty and having a mother who is a stripper. Then, all of a sudden, people start trying to eat each other. These zombies are different because they didn't die before becoming zombies. Nick gets exposed to demons and vampires and all sorts of supernatural creatures he thought were only in fiction. Why are these kids, who used to be Nick's school mates, trying to kill him?

A mysterious man takes Nick under his wing and gives him protection. But who is this man? And why Nick?

The story progresses somewhat awkwardly. Sometimes the point of view shifts suddenly. Nick's exposure to this other realm is somewhat slow, but his reactions are way too accepting. The flow of the story just didn't click for me. There are a lot of characters, especially for a middle-grade book, and I got some of them confused. Maybe because each character was too superficial. I didn't feel like I got to know any of them, so I had difficulty making a connection.

My last complaint is that the ending, when Nick is deciding what path to take, was really preachy. The part about "revenge." It read like, "OK, here's the moral of the story in five easy pages."

What's to like? Well, actually, quite a bit. I love the premise. This is the beginning of a somewhat long series, The Chronicles of Nick, and apparently, it's up to Nick to save the world. Even at almost 500 pages, the book reads very quickly. It has a rather large font and wide margins, which makes it perfect for reluctant readers. The pace moves quickly and there is a lot of action.

My book club is reading Infinity for our next meeting. It is one of my member's favorite series ever. It will be interesting to see what they all have to say.

Published by St. Martin's Griffin, 2010
Copy purchased (and will be donated to the library)
464 pages

Rating: 3/5

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Book Review: The Quick, by Lauren Owen

For die-hard fans of vampire books, The Quick is not to be missed.

Wow. This one is hard to describe. Allow me to use the description from Amazon:

1892: James Norbury, a shy would-be poet newly down from Oxford, finds lodging with a charming young aristocrat. Through this new friendship, he is introduced to the drawing-rooms of high society and finds love in an unexpected quarter. Then, suddenly, he vanishes without a trace. Alarmed, his sister, Charlotte, sets out from their crumbling country estate determined to find him. In the sinister, labyrinthine London that greets her, she uncovers a hidden, supernatural city populated by unforgettable characters: a female rope walker turned vigilante, a street urchin with a deadly secret, and the chilling “Doctor Knife.” But the answer to her brother’s disappearance ultimately lies within the doors of the exclusive, secretive Aegolius Club, whose predatory members include the most ambitious, and most bloodthirsty, men in England.

And just let me say, that description is adequate, but not complete. The strength of The Quick is definitely the setting. Owen immerses you into this London world of blood suckers that is so believable it sends chills up your spine.

Every character is completely illustrated. Owen starts at the very beginning and we learn all the background of each character before we learn how they are related to the story. I enjoyed this technique, although some of these characters turned out to play fairly minor parts in the story, and these descriptions served to make this a very long book.

The Quick is not action packed. It's immersive. It's a character study. I actually stopped twice during my reading to read other books. I was interested in The Quick, but the plot was so plodding that I got tired of it. I'm really glad I finished it, but it is an investment in time.

And after all that imagery and following our characters through their entire lives, I really thought the end fizzled. When the end is revealed, my first thought was, "So?" Yes, I know it's supposed to make you wonder, but it's not the resolution that I'd hoped for.

The Quick has been compared to The Historian, and I can see why, although personally I preferred The Historian. It's also been compared to Anne Rice books, which I've never read, so I can't comment on that.

The Quick is definitely a literary book, and for the right reader, I highly recommend it.

Published by Random House, June 17, 2014
eARC obtained from Edelweiss
544 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

Monday, May 12, 2014

Book Review: Shadow Kiss, by Richelle Mead

Shadow Kiss, the third novel in the Vampire Academy Series, continues the tradition of the first two books in the series, Vampire Academy and Frostbite.

This is just a great world with great characters that I really enjoy, like so many others have said. Each novel is a story in itself, which I appreciate. The characters grow and change, good things and bad things happen, and I simply must continue with the series to see what happens.

What more can you ask for?

Shadow Kiss is a bit long at almost 450 pages, but it reads quickly and there's always enough plot progression to keep it interesting. I don't feel like Mead tried to use a lot of filler to pad these books and make the series longer. The stories just naturally progress and there is always forward movement. Hats off to Richelle Mead!

In Shadow Kiss, Rose starts seeing ghosts, and in particular a ghost from the previous book (don't want to give any spoilers.) She thinks she's going crazy, though these encounters feel real, and she feels like something bad is coming and the ghosts are trying to warn her. Well, of course, something bad does happen, and there's a huge battle. The romance also progresses, to balance the danger. I don't really want to say much more, but if you've read the first two, you will certainly enjoy Shadow Kiss.

If you haven't started the series, it's worth it. And you should read the books in order. These books continue to be checked out fairly regularly from my library, and I've happily recommended them to a lot of students.

Published by RazorBill, 2008
Copy obtained from the library
443 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, May 5, 2014

Book Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, by Holly Black

While the vampire lore in The Coldest Girl in Coldtown was unique, I had difficulty believing the motivations of the characters.

Tana wakes up in the bathtub after a wild party and soon realizes that everyone else is dead -- attacked by vampires. You see, the world is full of vampires, and you must stay locked up after dark or you may become a victim. There are places where vampires are allowed called Coldtowns.

It's interesting how one becomes a vampire. You don't just get bit by one. That's only the first step. After that, you get very sick, and crazy, and if you can survive for 88 days without biting another human, you will be cured. If you succumb to the extreme cravings for human blood, then you become a vampire. And you continue to need blood (of course.) These are "real" vampires, in that they burn up if exposed to light. Cool.

Besides that, I really had some problems with The Coldest Girl in Coldtown. Tana made some stupid decisions. Like keeping a very important item in her purse. Like it isn't likely that you might be separated from your purse? And at the end, what she lets her sister do. And other things that I can't mention because of spoilers.

Then, I didn't get the appeal of the coldtowns. Supposedly, they are desirable places for a lot of people. Thrill seekers, I guess. I didn't buy it. There were some really bloody, gory scenes that I think were supposed to be romantic and steamy. I thought it was weird. I didn't get the sensual feeling I think Black was going for. (Nothing explicit, though.)

The bottom line is I had difficulty understanding the characters' motivations. I didn't get the right feelings about the world, I guess. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is too long. It really drags, especially in the middle before they get to the coldtown.

I think it's probably just me. I can appreciate what Black is trying to do, and it's very creative and at times, creepy. I just couldn't buy-in to the world she created.

Published by Little, Brown BFYR, 2013
Copy obtained from the library
432 pages

Rating: 3/5

Monday, December 2, 2013

Book Review: Frostbite, by Richelle Mead

It's been quite a while since I read Vampire Academy, but I had no problem slipping back into Mead's world in Frostbite. The characters and vampire lore are so memorable that the story has stuck with me, and Mead does a good job filling in some of the blanks in an unobtrusive way.

Rose needs to take a test to complete her training to be a bodyguard for Lissa. Dimitri takes her to the Dhampir guardian who will do the testing. But when they get there, they find a massacre. Both Moroi and their guardians have been killed. The Strigoi are the culprits, but it's obvious that they must have had assistance from humans.

The Moroi and their guardians are panicked. It's Christmastime and rather than send everyone home, they decide to send them to a well-guarded Moroi ski lodge.

Rose tries to start a love triangle, but, well, I won't say any more. She still has it bad for Dimitri. She also learns things about her mom and Dmitri that change her opinions of them.

The culminating dangerous situation the guardians-in-training find themselves in is thrilling and exciting.

I don't know what else to say about Frostbite. The characters grow, we get to know more about the world, and it's a page turner. If you haven't started The Vampire Academy series, you should believe all the good stuff you've read about these books, and give it a try.

Published by RazorBill, 2008
Copy obtained from the library
327 pages

Rating: 4/5

Monday, November 11, 2013

Book Review and Giveaway: The Trap, by Andrew Fukuda

The Trap is awesome. This series is unique and fast-paced, and I just couldn't put it down.

The Trap is the third book in The Hunt Series. If you haven't read The Hunt and The Prey you should start there. And, you may want to stop reading my review in case of spoilers. (There's a giveaway at the end, though, so don't miss that!)

The Trap picks ups right after The Prey, with our main characters on the train to the palace. I'm really not going to tell you much about what happens, except to say it's NON-STOP. Gene and Sissy and the rest of the Hepers are in danger over and over. The tension continues to build, and there were several times when I thought they were doomed.

So, yea, they are lucky and escape again and again (well, at least some of them do). But each time it's a clever way to escape, and they have to, right? Or else the story would end! So, all is forgiven.

These books are gory, and The Trap is the worst of them. Notice I didn't say "bloody." Duskers don't bleed, but they certainly create a lot of slime. There's puking and all kinds of other nasty, gross occurrences too, so if that bothers you, these books are not for you.

Ashley June reappears and this creates a bit of a love triangle, but nothing overwhelms the story. Frankly, I was so worried about all the characters, I couldn't care less about the romance. Fukuda isn't afraid to kill his characters, which just adds to the tension. And, by the way, The Trap had me so wound up that my neck got stiff as I was reading. I think Mr. Fukuda owes me a massage!

The ending is awesome and unexpected. What a twist! I'm so happy that Fukuda went outside the box -- it just added to my appreciation of this series. The characters are good. The action is good. The lore is exceptional. I highly recommend these books to lots of teens, and I will continue to do so!

Published by St. Martin's Griffin, 11/5/2013
Copy obtained from the publisher
309 pages

Rating: 5/5

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Thursday, September 19, 2013

Book Review: Monsters, by Ilsa J. Bick

I was so excited for the conclusion to the Ashes Trilogy. But after spending four days reading Monsters I must confess I'm mostly disappointed.

The plot is so all over the place, and there are so many characters and different story lines that I'm going to direct you to the Goodreads summary instead of my usual summary.

Monsters was just too long. It took me four days (that's unheard of, for me) to read the almost 700 page tome. And I just didn't think it needed to be. There was so much detail and repetition. Going over what weapons everyone has, and which one would be best (over and over again) is just one example. I just felt Monsters could do with one more good edit (and I read the ARC, so we can hope...)

There was nothing to help you get back into the story and remember each character's situation and position at the end of Shadows. And there's so many different groups of characters. I eventually figured it out, but I still got confused. Oh, and then when I got to the END of the book, there's a cast of characters and where they were at the end of Shadows. Don't you think that should be at the BEGINNING???

The POV switched constantly and abruptly. We don't get to spend enough time in each POV before we are switched to another. The is particularly true when both Alex and "another character" are fighting the Changed in two different places. We get just a page or two and then are switched back and forth. It was like whiplash and as a literary technique, fell short.

And, to top is all off, I didn't like the direction the plot took. I can't say too much about this but to say I didn't like how much depended on what was going on "in their heads." You know what I mean if you've read it. This is merely a personal opinion, though, and you may really enjoy this unique plot.

I was excited to see how it all wrapped up. At times, I thought about giving up, but there were enough exciting things happening to keep my interest. Monsters had some really tense and thrilling parts. The story was good, and I enjoyed revisiting the characters (the ones I could remember.)

I don't know how to recommend Monsters. I think if you are invested in the series, you have to go for it. It sounds like I really didn't like it -- I did, but it was just long and because of the other problems, it seemed even longer.

I'm still a Bick fan. I'm ready to read her next book -- I already have it.

Published by EgmontUSA, September 10, 2013
eARC obtained from NetGalley
688 pages

Rating: 2.5/5

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Book Review: Imaginable, by J. Meyers @jmeyersbooks

Imaginable is as compelling and exciting as the first book in the series, Intangible. I really like the characters and the magical world that Meyers has created.

Sera is constantly being hounded by vampires to change them back into humans. Her twin, Luke isn't having any visions, and he's trying to figure out how to make the visions come in time so that he can change the future, with limited success. Fey is still trying to protect these two, and so is Jonas.

But of course, they won't stay safe. The dark powers of the Realm are after Sera. They all want to benefit from her healing gift. So Luke wants to rescue Sera, because no one cares about him, right? It's Sera they want. Of course Fey and Jonas want Luke to stay put, and Fey even sends another elf to watch Luke while she goes to try to save Sera. But they all end up in the thick of it, even an unlikely participant from the first book, as well as their gifted friends Brandan, Quinn, and Raquel.

The world is very interesting. There are vampires, elves (dark and light), shadows, trolls, and of course humans with unique paranormal gifts. It all plays out well and makes these stories sing.

I still got a bit frustrated by bad decisions, especially by Luke, who refuses to do what he's told. He's a bit whiny and I'm tired of it. I have a feeling Luke's powers are a LOT more than he realizes -- well, he does begin to realize at the end of the book -- and I'm thinking this is going to be very important in the next book.

I also think that sometimes it's too easy for these characters. Or, that there needs to be more descriptions of the battles they fight. For example, when they are in a house, we are with Jonas and he kills a bunch of bad things. Then Fey, who was in another part of the house, arrives and says that it's all OK. She got rid of all of them. I think it would have added to the story to get a blow-by-blow account of these fights. I think Fey should have to struggle some more, and be a bit more challenged.

Meyers writes very simply. There isn't a lot of colorful, descriptive language. And I don't mean that as a bad thing. Imaginable develops very quickly and is very easy to follow because of this language.

I loved the "hint" of romance for both of our main characters, and look forward to seeing what happens next.

Published by CreateSpace, April 16, 2013
eARC obtained from the author
276 pages

Rating: 4/5

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Book Review: The Eternity Cure, by Julie Kagawa @Jkagawa

The Eternity Cure left me just as breathless as the first book, The Immortal Rules.

We get some recap of The Immortal Rules at the beginning of The Eternity Cure, and that was just fine with me. It was very well done, and I needed it. The review made it very easy to fall right back into the world and the characters that I cared about so much.

Allie has left Eden and is trying to find Kanin. She knows he is in danger, and possibly dying. Because he is her blood, she feels drawn to him -- but for some reason, she's being drawn in two directions. When she finally reaches her destination it isn't Kanin she's found. And there begins a non-stop adventure filled with surprises and danger and heart-stopping action.

It's very easy to get through The Eternity Cure. We've already come to love the characters in The Immortal Rules, so it's easy to get pulled right into this new adventure -- the continuing search for a cure -- but much more than that. Almost every character from The Immortal Rules makes an appearance -- and some have made surprising transformations. You would think the world couldn't get any more dangerous, but now it's not only humans and vampires, but another virus that is wreaking havoc and may wipe out everything.

I enjoyed the twists in The Eternity Cure, and there were many of them. I enjoyed the romance and the crazy banter between characters. The world is, as in The Immortal Rules, exceptionally created.

I would highly recommend this second book to everyone who enjoyed the first. However, I just have to mention a couple of things that bugged me. First is repetition. Allie says "if I were alive, my heart would've been slamming in my chest," or some variation of that, at least four times. Now, I'm reading the ARC, so maybe some of these got cut. I can only hope.

Secondly, and kind of related to the "lack of life" premise, is that Allie just seems TOO human. The vampires bleed. To me that doesn't make sense, if their hearts don't beat. Allie mentions not being bothered by the cold, but revels in a hot shower. She cries warm tears (OK, they are blood, but still, they are warm.) That doesn't make sense. So these are little things, and I know we have to believe that Allie is very human-like -- otherwise we wouldn't like her as much and we wouldn't support her relationships. I get that. But it still bothered me. She IS a vampire, and I though at times Kagawa wanted us to forget that.

Yes, there's a cliffhanger, but there is also definitely the end of an episode. Some things have been resolved -- and I guess i'ts more of a big surprise -- not so much a cliffhanger. It was OK with me, and I'll definitely be looking forward to the third book.

Like I said, The Eternity Cure is a must read for vampire fans(after The Immortal Rules, of course.) Kagawa can write dialog, action, and characters that make you care. This is one of the best paranormal worlds I've ever encountered.

Published by Harlequin Teen, April 30, 2013
eARC obtained from NetGalley
448 pages

Rating: 4/5