The Radleys

 

The Radleys by Matt Haig  341 pages

The Radleys are an everyday family who juggle dysfunctional lives. Except, as Peter and Helen Radley know but their children have yet to find out, the Radleys happen to be a family of abstaining vampires. When one night Clara finds herself driven to commit a bloodthirsty act, her parents decide to explain a few things.

The story is entertaining. There's not a lot going on but it work as a good first book in a series if he plans to write more.

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu

114 pages

Read for a horror lit class, very happy I did!

Carmilla is a story of a female vampire that preys on young women (noted in The Origins of the Queer Vampire), causing an epidemic in a Styrian town and terror in a young woman's bedroom. Unlike other vampire tales, such as Bram Stoker's Dracula, the title character is a female vampire, not a male.

Fresh Meat by Alice Henderson

 

Fresh Meat by Alice Henderson, 355 pages

When a suspicious number of hikers mysteriously disappear from the trails surrounding Lake Tahoe, Sam and Dean Winchester team up with Bobby Singer to hunt a suspected wendigo. But once on the mountain, they find themselves fighting not only monsters, but nature itself, in order to survive.

Fresh Meat takes place in the seventh season of the show, and contains spoilers for season six. The book was a fun ride, but the story dragged a little, especially in the beginning. The characters would have felt flat and interchangeable if I hadn't already been a fan of the show. 

Spirits That Walk in Shadow by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Spirits That Walk in Shadow by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - 306 pages

Jaime is attending college and interacting with the outside world for the first time in her life.  She knows she is going to have to hide her magic from her fellow students.  Little does she know that her roommate is the victim of a viri, a vampire-like creature that feeds on the emotions of people. 

I really enjoyed this book.  I didn't realize that it is a sequel to a previous book.  I'll have to try to find it to read.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - 473 pages
Mortal Instruments #2

Clary wished her life would go back to normal.  But what's normal now is her new life.  She's a Shadowhunter with a mother in a coma, a newly discovered brother, and best friend who thinks he's turning into a vampire.  Now her father is after the sword that is the second Mortal Instrument.

This is the second book int he series.  It furthered the story and added more depth to the characterizations.  A great entry in the series.

Pale Guardian by Barbara Hambly

Pale Guardian: A James Asher Vampire Novel by Barbara Hambly --- 248 pages.

Barbara Hambly is a prolific author of fantasy, horror, historical and mystery fiction.  Although I'm not generally a fan of horror fiction, her James Asher series caught my interest from the first book, Those Who Hunt the Night, and continues to enthrall with this, the seventh book in the series.

The series began at the turn of the previous century, featuring James Asher, an Oxford philologist who has a second, top secret career as an agent provocateur  for the British Secret Service; and his wife Lydia, an early feminist who horrifies her wealthy, aristocratic family by pursuing a medical degree and an interest in researching glandular and blood disorders.

Pale Guardian picks up where the last book, Darkness on His Bones  left off. World War I has begun. James is convalescing in England from the pneumonia that nearly killed him, and Lydia is a volunteer working at a medical station on the front lines in France. The vampire Don Simon Ysidro, disguised as a British colonel on special assignment, is fulfilling his promise to watch over Lydia's safety.

Every vampire in Europe is haunting the battlefields and casualty tents; but Lydia soon discovers that even worse creatures called revenants have appeared, a contagion that infects anyone who is exposed to their blood. Revenants attack and devour both the living and the Undead. They have a kind of hive mind and hunt in packs. And there are those on both sides of the battle who think they can control the creatures and use them as weapons to destroy their enemies.

Asher and Lydia must make a devil's bargain with the vampires to prevent this madness. Don Simon as always is their ally. The World War I setting creates a chilling tale of the evil that men do in pursuit of victory at any cost.

Click HERE to read the review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Reviews.

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole

A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole- 356 pages

Acclaimed author Kresley Cole introduces a sizzling new series with this tale of a fierce werewolf and a bewitching vampire—unlikely soul mates whose passion will test the boundaries of life and death.

A mythic warrior who'll stop at nothing to possess her...

After enduring years of torture from the vampire horde, Lachlain MacRieve, leader of the Lykae Clan, is enraged to find the predestined mate he's waited millennia for is a vampire. Or partly one. This Emmaline is a small, ethereal half Valkyrie/half vampire, who somehow begins to soothe the fury burning within him.

A vampire captured by her wildest fantasy...

Sheltered Emmaline Troy finally sets out to uncover the truth about her deceased parents—until a powerful Lykae claims her as his mate and forces her back to his ancestral Scottish castle. There, her fear of the Lykae—and their notorious dark desires—ebbs as he begins a slow, wicked seduction to sate her own dark cravings.

An all-consuming desire...

Yet when an ancient evil from her past resurfaces, will their desire deepen into a love that can bring a proud warrior to his knees and turn a gentle beauty into the fighter she was born to be?

Rosario + Vampire, v. 1 by Akihisa Ikeda

Rosario + Vampire, v.1 by Akihisa Ikeda - 200 pages

Tsukune has failed every high school exam.  Luckily his parents found a high school in the remote countryside that doesn't require exams for acceptance.  He's glad to be going there until he arrives and realizes it is a school for monsters.

I thought the premise was intersting, however, I didn't really care for the actual story.  Every chapter was pretty much the same.  Somebody threatens Tsukune to get to Moko and Moko must save the day by becoming a vampire.

Dead Ice by Laurell K. Hamilton

Dead Ice by Laurell K. Hamilton - 576 pages
Anita Blake Vampire Hunter Book #24

This is another foray into character dissection of Anita Blake.  There is no plot to speak of and not much happens over all.  These books have been therapy on a page for many years and I personally am ready to walk away from this series.  I really don't care about Anita's detailed sex life and interpersonal politicking any more.  Hamilton seems to be using this series for very thinly veiled social commentary at the expense of any kind of engaging plot. 

Spirits That Walk in Shadow by Nina Kiriki Hoffman

Spirits That Walk in Shadow by Nina Kiriki Hoffman - 306 pages

Jaimie's first real experience with the "outside" world is when her father drops her off at college.  It's her attempt to live in the non-magical world she grew up in.  Unfortunately, her roommate seems to have attracted the attention of a creature that is feeding off of her depression.  Now Jaimie must work with her cousins to help her roommate escape from the creature's clutches.

I love Nina Kiriki Hoffman's books.  They are so delightfully weird.  They never go in the direction you think they are going to.  This book is the teen sequel to a couple of adult novels she had previously written.  I have not read those books yet but look forward to doing so.

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare - 487 pages
The Mortal Instruments - book 2

Things are getting more complicated for Clary and Jace.  Jace is being accused by the Shadowhunters of being a spy for Valentine.  Clary's mother is in a coma at the hospital.  They still have feelings for each other even after their father Valentine revealed they were siblings.  And now Valentine is raising an army of demons in preparation for attacking the Nephilim.

This is the second book in the Mortal Instruments series.  I read the first book over a year ago but never read the rest of the series.  After listening to the short story collection The Bane Chronicles I decided that if I liked the short stories set in that world then I would probably like the regular stories as well.  Turns out that was correct and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris

Midnight Crossroad by Charlaine Harris, 320 pages

Now that she has wrapped up her Sookie Stackhouse - Southern Mystery series, Harris has moved on to a new locale with just as many interesting characters.

As a newbie moves into Midnight, a town of about 12 residents, he finds that his neighbors are all quite interesting. There's the witch, the vampire and a peculiar cat named Mr. Snuggles.  This book introduces the readers to each new character, but was still able to keep me interested.

Lots of mysteries and a few murders thrown in to keep things lively. I can't wait for the next book in the series!

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead - 448 pages
Bloodlines Book 3

This is the further adventures Sydney and her compatriots in their quest to keep the sister of the Vampire Queen safe from assassins as she hides in an exclusive boarding school.  I enjoy the world building in this series and the fleshing out of even secondary characters.  It was unexpected that St. Louis is featured as a center for the Alchemists who work underground to keep vampires a secret from the rest of humanity.

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead - 448 pages
(Bloodlines Book 1)

If you liked Mead's Vampire Academy books you will be happy to know that the story continues on in Bloodlines.  Secondary characters from the Vampire Academy series come to the forefront when in this book Sydney (the alchemist we met in VA's Blood Promise) is now the narrator.  Sydney is tasked with going under cover at a Palm Springs human boarding school to help protect Jill Mastrano (sister to the Moroi Queen) from assassins.  Other characters we know from the previous series are also along for the ride as part of Jill's "family" at the boarding school.  Bloodlines is another fun read that expands Mead's world originally created in the Vampire Academy books.   

Almost to Die For by Tate Hallaway

Almost To Die For by Tate Hallaway, 241 pages
(Book one of A Vampire Princess series)

16 year old Anastasija Parker just wants to pass her witch test so she can be part of her mother's coven. Generation after generation of Parker women have passed their initiation and joined the ranks of the coven ... until Anastasija. The trouble is for some reason Anastasija cannot perform any spells. She can feel magic, but that's as far as it goes. Failing the test means not being included on the family tree or being a part of the coven. She'll just be a spectator from a distance. When her absentee father shows up before her test, Anastasija's life is sent spiraling out of control. Add to the mix two very opposite guys vying for her love and you have the perfect teenage fantasy drama story. Love triangles abound in Teen Fiction these days and the author does not disappoint in this book.

Undead and Underwater by Mary Janice Davidson

Undead and Underwater by Mary Janice Davidson - 352 pages

This is a collection of novellas featuring the world's of Queen Betsy and Fred the Mermaid from Davidson's popular series.  The writing is not the best in this collection and I mainly finished it because of lack of anything else to read in the house.  It's not the worst book ever but not one to seek out.  The title goes along with the titles in the Queen Betsy series so people pick this up expecting a whole book in that world so there is disappointment from the get go.  I haven't read the Fred the Mermaid series so I may have to check that out when I need some fluff to read.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, 332 pages


Definitely not a Twilight book or even the P.C. Cast series -- This is a stand alone vampire series that actually reads very well. I liked the different type of vampires and guardians in the story. It seemed to take various myths and blend them into one good tale.
Ever since the accident that took her family, Lissa has been very close to her guardian, Rose. In fact, they have a bond that allows Rose to enter Lissa's mind and see/feel everything that she does. In the beginning of the novel, they are captured and taken back to an academy for vampires that they both attended before. Supposedly, it is for their protection ... Lissa's especially because she is royalty. When strange happenings at the school begin to occur again, it is very clear that Lissa is no longer safe. Will Rose be able to protect her best friend from the dangers that lurk around every corner?  And how do you fight a danger you aren't sure about at all? Filled with forbidden romances, vampires, parties, murderous villains, high school drama and everything in between, this series definitely has "TEEN" written all over it.

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins

Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins, 327 pages
(#3 Hex Hall Series)

In possibly the final installment of the Sophie Mercer story, Sophie alone has escaped the clutches of the evil Casnoff sisters with her demon powers bound inside of her. As she tries to discover what has happened to her vampire bestfriend, demon father, warlock fiance and her "works for the enemy" love interest, Sophie will uncover far more than she imagined. After having her world rocked by several revelations, Sophie must pull her self together to: 1. Find her friends and her father. 2. Unlock her magic that has been tucked away inside her. and 3. Stop the Casnoff sisters thereby ceasing their plot to amass a demon army by changing all of her classmates into demons. Being powerless is a problem until Elodie steps in to save Sophie's skin more than  few times. By far my favorite of the series save for a few story-lines that went sour in my opinion. Most notably was Cal's story. I really thought the author could have done more for Cal than she did. Other than the few flaws, I was overall happy with the "ending."

Possession: A Greywalker Novel by Kat Richardson

Possession: A Greywalker Novel by Kat Richardson - 368 pages
(Book 8)

Seattle private investigator, Harper Blaine, takes on the case of a comatose woman whose sister thinks the may be possessed.  Blaine has an affinity for supernatural cases due an ability to slip into the grey areas between worlds that happened after she was clinically dead for a brief time.  The pursuit of this mystery uncovers other potential victims and ties into horrific crimes from Seattle's past reaching into the present through vengeful spirits.  Blaine allies herself with a vampire necromancer to try and save the victims before their souls are lost forever.  Seattle itself is almost a character in this very atmospheric series.  The main mystery is resolved in each book but the relationships will make much more sense if you start from the beginning.

Blood Work: An Original Hollows Graphic Novel by Kim Harrison

Blood Work: An Original Hollows Graphic Novel by Kim Harrison - 176 pages

This graphic novel is a prequel to the bestselling Hollows Series, telling how living vampire Ivy and witch Rachel first met while still working cases for the government.  The future roommates and business partners did not get along at all at first glance and build trust during the case.  It was very interesting to see beloved characters in a new format. I especially enjoyed the added material after the story that explained the development process for the graphic novel.  I liked getting a peek behind the curtain...