Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Afterlife picks up almost immediately where Hourglass ended--Lucas is in the final stages of becoming a vampire after his attack by the crazed vampire Charity; Bianca, now a wraith, cannot bear to part with him though she knows becoming a vampire would be something Lucas would never want. In the days that follow, things do not get easier for the lovers; Bianca's new powers don't include her being alive (though apparently the powers she now possesses more than make up for that minor issue) and Lucas struggles mightily with his newborn blood lust. Acting upon Balthazar's advice, Lucas seeks sanctuary at Evernight Academy in order to acclimate himself to his new "life", but being back within the walls of the school proves difficult for Bianca as she is unsure if her parents will now accept her new status as a wraith. Though surrounded by friends Balthazar, Vic, Patrice, and Ranulf (love that guy!), there is still something creepy about the ever present Mrs. Bethany, and there's definitely something going on with the other wraiths. How on earth could it all work out?



Afterlife is a page turner, if at times a bit puzzling. Bianca revels in her new abilities as a wraith, but Lucas's transition is met with struggles and depression at the loss of his former life. There were times it seemed as though Bianca had way too many powers, most of them self-taught and highly convenient; her anger at Balthazar is hammered home over and over, even when she knows she could not have done otherwise herself. I felt the trepidation with which Bianca approaches the reunion with her parents was very well done, and the heartsick way Lucas must deal with his Black Cross mother now that he is a vampire was heartbreaking. The friendship among the group--Bianca, Lucas, Balthazar, Ranulf, Vic, Patrice, and Maxie--was strong and supportive, and I loved the spots of humor supplied by Ranulf especially. In fact, all characters within this story were well written and credible, with perhaps the exception of Christopher (never really got into his characterization, though I understand his overall importance).


Afterlife ties up most of the loose ends, though there are still several questions I would like to have answered: What about Vic? What about Balthazar (though I hear he's getting his own novel...yeah!) What about Ranulf? Will Lucas and Bianca be able to remain together? There are possibilities for more novels and I'm hopeful we'll be able to see these characters again. If there are holes in this final tale, there is also excitement and emotion, even if I had hoped for a different outcome. Well written and interesting...I'll be on the lookout for more by Ms. Gray!

~taminator40

Stargazer by Claudia Gray

I'm feeling pretty good about my reading lately...it seems I've picked up several good books in a row, and Stargazer by Claudia Gray is another winner. Her first book, Evernight, threw me a good surprise about midway, and Stargazer manages to do that as well--in fact, it does it more than once! I'm going to be sitting here waiting on pins and needles waiting for the next in the series. Below I am pasting my Amazon review...if you like vampire novels at all, go pick this one up ASAP.

~taminator40

Stargazer, Book Two in the Evernight series, picks up with the beginning of Bianca's second year at Evernight Academy. With her own vampiric senses awakening and her group of friends nearby, Bianca would feel much more at home if only her boyfriend Lucas could have remained with her. But Lucas has fled Evernight to return to the Black Cross vampire fighters; though he knows Bianca herself is a vampire, he still feels loyalty to the group he's been with all his life. So how will the two star-crossed lovers find a way to be together? Enter Balthazar, Bianca's vampire friend, who poses as her boyfriend so that her parents and everyone else are fooled into believing Lucas has been left in her past after last year's disastrous ending of term.

Bianca's story takes many twists and turns throughout Stargazer, and Gray's addition of wraiths following Bianca for unknown reasons brings more drama into the young vampire's life. Bianca must rely on Balthazar in more ways than she'd imagined, but he's got worries of his own: his sister Charity is back in the area, and after 35 years, he feels the need to connect with her. But Charity isn't going to be a docile vampire, and her presence signals danger not just for the humans, but for Lucas's Black Cross group and other vampires as well.

For the second time, Ms. Gray managed to throw me a curveball I hadn't expected at all as I read, and I'm just as delighted this time. In fact, there was more than one unexpected twist in Stargazer; I simply could not put the book down as each layer was revealed. While I understand the attraction between Bianca and Lucas, I have to admit I was rooting for Balthazar and his strong, sweet presence. The tension between the characters felt real and kept the story moving along quickly; sometimes it is not easy to tell who is the good guy and who isn't. Bianca's reactions are understandable and yet sometimes infuriating as well. I had thought the climatic fire scene was going to be the highpoint of the story and then along comes the final two pages which left me on a cliffhanger of epic proportions. I cannot wait to find out what will happen next, and that's truly the best part of Ms. Gray's writing: it leaves you wanting more!