How a Terrific Series *Should* End

Daylighters, the final book in the Morganville Vampires series, still keeps the action fresh and constant, and I think that's what I'm going to miss most of all about these books. Even though I believed that things would work out whenever I first picked this book up, it was still a long, twisted ride along the way, just as it's been through the previous fourteen books.

Daylighters opens with our vampire friends in grave danger from an organization that has arrived in town to "cure" the vamps. The tables are turned; no longer in control, Amelie and friends are herded up and held in an abandoned mall while they await a procedure that will rob them of their vampire status. Yes, this includes Michael, and no, Eve and Company are NOT HAPPY. While Claire and Shane work to help Eve, they discover that their beloved Glass House is in danger as well; meanwhile, Claire is accused of murder and taken away in handcuffs. Oh, and remember that strange dog bite Shane got in the last book? Yeah, well, it's the mark of the beast so to speak; at the bidding of Fallon (the head of the Daylighters, the group taking over Morganville), Shane goes hellhound and begins attacking vampires. It's a mess, made even worse with Police Chief Hannah Moses on the Daylighters' side, lots of lost clothing, and the fact that the "cure" has a less than 25% success rate.

I have grown to love all the characters in this series, with the possible exception of Eve. She's just never grown on me; it's as though she's never made it past the emo girlfriend in high school stage, always charging head first into situations without thinking things through, putting herself and others in harm's way. But even Oliver has grown on me; he at least never varied from his same general demeanor and he knows who he is inside. And Claire? Even Oliver remarks on her not being the mouse she was on the day they met. Truly coming into her own, this girl now knows how to survive, with or without her beloved Shane. I absolutely can buy into their relationship because it's mutual and built on a firm foundation, something I feel is lacking in Eve and Michael's. But it's Myrnin, as per usual, who steals the show. More manic than ever, more calculating and emotional, he rescues Claire and treats her as an equal. His slowly revealed feelings for Jesse bring more depth to him, and yet, when Claire is racing back to the lab, he reminds her to check on his pet spider, Bob. Myrnin is magical, and I suspect most of us adore him the most.

Daylighters begins strong and never lets up, even when I couldn't possibly see a way for our heroes to win. All of the major players in the past are back, including the vampires of the town of Blacke. Though at times some of the plot resolutions stretched my imagination to its skeptical limits, I was still enthralled, racing toward an end I really didn't want to see. The final chapter is a bit of a fluff ending, but it's nice and happy and I can live with it. This is a series that goes out on a high note, and I couldn't be a bigger supporter. Highly recommended!

~taminator40

How to do a series right

Fall of Night finds our favorite heroine, Claire, leaving Morganville to go to MIT, a trip made possible by Amelie's promise. Claire's ambivalent about leaving her friends and boyfriend behind, but feels certain she needs to experience the world, so off she goes, moving in with former good friend Liz and working with former Morganville resident, Irene Anderson. Claire's brought VLAD--her device that would level the playing field when a vampire attacks. Little does she know that she's unleashing the downfall of vampires and putting everyone's life in danger.

What I really loved about Fall of Night is that we still see our characters growing and developing, and mostly, having to deal with the consequences of their actions. Claire, in her innocence (and a bit of arrogance), has no idea that she's putting lives in danger. She thinks the "real" world is safe and she can count on those around her, but nothing could be further from the truth. Shane is so attached to Claire that he cannot actually allow her to "leave" Morganville; he packs up and follows her, though he does stay at a distance. But when everything goes horribly wrong, Claire has to come to grips with the fact that it is, indeed, all her fault. As one of my teachers used to say, she's up an unsanitary tributary without the necessary means of transportation.

I love that this series, fourteen books in, still has life and is still taking us in unexpected directions. I love that the core relationships are still solid, and I love that things can spin so utterly out of control in such unexpected ways. I love that Claire has become my favorite kick-butt fighter; it shows that she has evolved so much over the course of the books. I do love the relationship between Shane and Claire, even if I did feel he was out of line in following her. This book ends on such a cliffhanger that I am going to be on pins and needles waiting for November to roll around. Excellent work, Ms. Caine! Other authors should follow your lead in how to keep a series fresh.

~taminator40

Love Me Some Morganville Vampires!

First Observation: I absolutely adore Myrnin. Whew, glad to get that off my chest.

Second Observation: The Morganville Vampire series just does not get stale. Just when you think there is nowhere left to go, Rachel Caine takes us in new directions that seem utterly hopeless. This time, things are rocky from the start, with Amelie and Oliver as a couple (ewwww), determined to keep the human population in its place. That's bad enough, but the humans are starting to rebel, causing enemies to become friends and making targets of our four heroes, especially now that Eve and Michael have committed the ultimate sin--a human has married a vampire. Trying to walk the middle ground becomes next to impossible, and our beloved Myrnin sees the writing on the wall and decides to leave Morganville. Or does he? And what the heck are all these feelings going around? It's a tangled mess fueled by the undead undead Naomi, determined to bring her sister Amelie down however possible.

I love that the relationships between Shane and Claire, Eve and Michael, and Claire and Myrnin have continued to grow realistically, even if Shane does need a smack upside the head on occasion. There are some surprising connections made throughout the book, but nothing is out of character except what is being forced by the vamps in charge.The points of view continue to shift among the main characters, giving us good insight into their mindsets, and needless to say, I adored whenever Myrnin took his turn at describing his dire circumstances. Loved the conflicts, both inner and between the characters; loved that Claire has a backbone and knows what she wants. I'm going to be on edge waiting for the next installment to find out where she ends up.

Final Observation: Despite a bit of meandering into a ghost side story involving Miranda (well done mostly, though I never liked the film crew), Bitter Blood is just further evidence that there are some outstanding young adult paranormal series still going strong because their authors aren't afraid to take risks with beloved characters and situations. I would actually give Bitter Blood a strong 4.5 stars, marred only by an odd film crew and no real resolution (yet) for Jason. Minor, minor issues for a series that is head and shoulder above the rest.

~taminator40

Last Breath by Rachel Caine

Wait...let me catch my breath.


Okay, better now. In Rachel Caine's newest Morganville Vampires book, Last Breath, something dark and sinister has arrived in Morganville...and it isn't Bishop, Amelie, or any of the other vampires who have called the town home. Things have gotten so bad, with both vampires and humans disappearing, that when Amelie receives a note with one word on it--Run--she makes hurried plans to do just that...and to take the vampires with her. Which of course means that conflict is going to arise between the newly engaged Michael and Eve, who refuse to be parted. Claire is once again in the middle of the action, but she knows things are dire when even Myrnin seems worried. When she begins seeing things that no one else does, Claire tries to investigate...and that's when things go from bad to worse.


What I loved, loved, loved about this book: Ms. Caine is not afraid to take us into new territory, even killing off beloved characters if need be to move the story along. The depth of feeling is so real that it literally pulsates off the page, and the surprising revelation of just how much Myrnin cares is both touching and believable. I loved how the history of the series is woven into the book, making it all the more believable, and I loved how there is a determined refusal to give up. It's a page turner of epic proportions; I defy anyone to put the book down once Claire's "incident" occurs.


Nitpicking (and a bit of a spoiler): Still not sure precisely how Myrnin's "cure" of Claire worked, but I suppose it doesn't really make any difference, since it strengthens their bond and accomplished its purpose. I also think Michael and Eve are being ridiculously fast with the marriage thing, but that's a personal opinion from someone on the other side of being married for quite a while. Why antagonize an entire town and rub it in the faces of everyone by hosting an engagement event open to all? And I'm kinda over Eve's Goth look obsession. But like I said, that's just nitpicky. And the cliffhanger? Wow--I want answers and I want them now, but it's a smart move on Ms. Caine's part to mix things up and keep us salivating.


Last Breath is fresh and fast, and a rollicking good read. The four roommates are at their best, showing loyalty, unity, and determination when Morganville is in its death throes. At a time when most series start becoming tired and pale shadows of their former brilliance, Rachel Caine's Last Breath propels the Morganville Vampires books on to new places and deeper character development. This is how a series is *supposed* to be done.

 ~taminator40

Bite Me

In Bite Club, we're back in Morganville with Claire and the gang, and there's a new gym opening up. This is perfect for Shane, who feels the need to work off some of his anger issues. What he doesn't realize is that he's actually being recruited by followers of bad guy Bishop to become part of an elite human fighting force to take down the current vamps in charge. All Shane knows is that he loves fighting, and everyone in the world, including Claire, is against him. Add into the mix the invitation Claire has received to go to MIT (her lifelong dream), and it's questionable whether this couple's relationship can survive.


Bite Club has its moments, with Claire working closely with my favorite, Myrnin, and even taking charge of the situation more than once. I could definitely feel her struggle with her decision to remain in Morganville to be with Shane or leave to go to MIT, and her problems with Shane were heart breaking. I like having Shane's father Frank as the new "brain" behind the town, and the way Michael, Eve, and Claire stick together in order to discover what's going on with Shane's suddenly aggressive behavior is terrific. What I didn't like is how Claire was willing to stand by Shane despite his horrific behavior towards her (I know, I know, he was "under the influence" but he had to have had the tendencies for it to work). I think the author tried to give us insight into Shane's conflicted emotions through the vignettes from his point of view but that didn't really work for me, either. He was just being a jerk and Claire was way too accepting.

I love the Morganville series, and Bite Club actually surprised me with how much action it contained. I was beginning to worry where the conflicts for future novels would be coming, but Ms. Caine still has life to inject into this series. I just hope that with Claire's new sense of independence toward the vampires, she also grows some for herself in her relationship with Shane. Strong females need to be strong in all areas of their lives.

~taminator40

Two More For Your Reading Pleasure

Seems like I can't get myself caught up these days, but I'm finally getting around to posting a few new reviews. Both are paranormal, both are part of a series, and both are worth the read! Keep going...

Book 9 in the Morganville Vampire series, Ghost Town, finds our quartet of friends--Claire, Shane, Eve, and Michael--in hot water once again, naturally. Just when it seems some relative normality may settle into their lives, Eve becomes involved in an out of control party in which vampires are killed. When the others arrive to help, Claire herself kills a vampire--and in Morganville, it's a life forfeited whenever that happens. But luckily (?) for Claire, Amelie sentences her to a non-stop session with Myrnin to restore Morganville's damaged defense mechanism, a task almost sure to fail. And it does, of course...but not quite in the way imagined.

Ghost Town is another spectacular entry in the series, with the fearsome foursome battling forces within their borders that threaten to not only destroy Morganville but their relationships as well. Caine does a terrific job of keeping the storyline moving, throwing us twists and building danger until I literally could not put the book down. I love the relationship between Claire and Shane; their honest, loving encounters bring new dimensions to both characters while giving us enough romance so that it's not all just about the sex. I admit to getting angry with both Oliver and Amelie; they have always been many shades of gray but this book takes their deviousness to new levels. And Myrnin...my favorite! Poignant and funny, I just want to spend more time with him. And from our cliffhanger ending, it looks like I'm going to get my wish. A lot of fun and highly recommended!

 

And then there's Entice...

 

Ever felt yourself torn between what you should do and what you want to do? How about between two equally appealing love interests? Or maybe even between becoming a pixie or staying human? Well, probably not that last one, and Zara White's decision on that issue was settled toward the ending of Captivate, the book previous to Entice. Still, there's a lot of back and forth in this sequel, with Zara knowing she needs to get to Valhalla to bring Nick back from the dead, yet realizing she's placing herself and those she loves in grave danger by doing so. Having to rely on Astley, her pixie king, seems a burden on some levels but as time progresses, time spent with him seems less and less problematic and more...normal. And that's scary for Zara; almost as scary as crossing a rainbow bridge into the hereafter in search of a boy who very well may hate her upon learning she's chosen to become a pixie in order to save him.

To say there is conflict in Entice is to be a master of understatement. Naturally there's still the major conflict of pixies preying on humans, but there is also conflict between Zara and Astley, Zara and Betty, Zara and the pixies, and Zara and herself. Becoming a pixie was what Zara felt she needed to do in order to rescue Nick, but she now must also assume the role of queen to Astley's king, which complicates things. There is a lot of trying to decide what to do in order to rescue Nick; there is a lot of running around chasing false leads, which honestly got a little irritating after a while (the whole Iceland bit? Could seriously have done without that). The story really picks up when Zara places herself in grave danger and the arrival of her mother, a woman who hates pixies with all her heart.


I myself felt torn when I sat down to write this review because I loved Need and enjoyed Captivate, but much of Entice fell short for me. The idea of Zara longing for Nick sometimes felt forced when she took herself off to a dance at school (seriously?) and to a bar (where no one threw high school kids out?). The false leads almost wore me out; I felt at times that perhaps the author was struggling to pad this book out with unnecessary side trips. The storyline has also taken an odd turn with the trip to Valhalla; in my mind, it leaves behind the meaning of the first two books by adding in Norse gods and quests. I want my action logical and in Bedford! But the scenes where Zara is injured and her emotions toward the end of the book made up for my lack of enthusiasm early on, and I am hopeful that the ending is leading us back on track, even if I don't want the Twilight-y twist of loving two guys equally. I'm rounding up from 3.5 stars and looking forward to the next in the series.

~taminator40

Review Time...Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires #8)

Kiss of Death picks up with our favorite Morganville residents--Claire, Eve, Michael, and Shane--being issued passes out of Morganville to visit Dallas where Michael will be auditioning for a music executive. Under the chaperoning of baddie vampire Oliver, things of course go awry (inserting understatement), and all four are soon fighting for their lives when a rogue band of vampires is discovered...well, make that two rogue bands actually. Lots and lots of action follows that echoes a horror movie script: hiding in small rooms while blood crazed vampires chase you; a deserted town with its citizens living in terror; a hearse; a creepy motel with local rednecks threatening harm. In other words, business as usual for our friends.



I love the Morganville Vampires series, and this one's no exception. The witty banter is great, and Ms. Caine gives the series an up-to-date feel without making it seem too trendy. I especially love the cameraderie between the four friends, and the relationship between Claire and Shane, which has definitely grown into something much deeper. And I adore Myrnin, though there was far too little of him in this novel, and the foreshadowing of Claire not looking back at him makes me very worried about his future well-being.



Still, I have my quibbles with this entry, though I really tried hard not to. Caution: possible spoilers ahead. Still reading? Okay, here's the deal. I really couldn't understand why all four friends were issued passes because it really didn't make much sense; why not keep Eve in Morganville at least so Michael had a reason to return? And perhaps, if Amelie did mean for Oliver to find the rogue vamps, Claire might have been needed if more serum was necessary. But otherwise it just didn't seem logical. Also illogical was how a busload of vampires--a busload!--was able to escape the strict confines of Morganville (a fact repeatedly hammered home in earlier installments). The whole busload of snacks bit was a little...odd, even for vampires. And the bit about the hearse? Too over the top, even for Eve. Oh, and a number two pencil?



I'm really not complaining because I got to spend time with my favorite foursome, and Caine's writing is tight and exciting all the time. This one's most definitely a set up for the next book, which is fine; it's also very creepy and a good way to see how the characters' relationships are progressing. As always, I can recommend these novels to all and sundry who love vampire books, and I'm ready for Ghost Town to be in my hot little hands as soon as possible.


~taminator40

Fade Out (Morganville Vampires # 7)

After having read (and been disappointed by) the sixth book in the House of Night series, it's nice to pick up the seventh book in the Morganville Vampires series and find that not only is the quality good, it's improving! My review is below:


How wrong is it that I stretched a 220+ page book out for five days because I didn't want to see it end? Hopefully not too wrong, because once I was back in Morganville, I didn't want to leave. Fade Out is book # 7 in Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series, coming after the drama with evil Bishop has ended and things are supposedly "back to normal" (or as normal as it can be when the town is run by vampires). Main character Claire Danvers is back in class at Texas Prairie University, still with boyfriend Shane, and again working with slightly off-center vampire Myrnin. Michael's adjusting to life as a vampire, and Goth girl Eve has earned a part in the town's new play. The problem comes when castmate Kim suddenly shows up and inserts herself between not only Claire and Eve, but Claire and Shane. Something's just not quite right about Kim, but Claire starts to feel as though she's the only one who sees the problem...until Kim goes missing and her dirty little secret comes to light.




Love, love, love the characters in this tremendous series, and I love that our vampire friends are showing more range in emotion and fallibility. Amelie, the vampire who founded Morganville, is still mourning the loss of lover Sam; Oliver, Eve's former boss and Amelie's next in command, is showing signs of irritation over the way things are being run; and Myrnin, dear, odd, funny Myrnin, is in denial about computer Ada's intentions. Sides are being drawn once again between those vampires in charge and those who have gone rogue, and Claire and her friends are finding themselves caught firmly in the middle.




It's a testament to Ms. Caine's imagination that this series is improving instead of becoming stale, and the fact that both brains and loyalties are being tested shows that she's not willing to settle for the obvious. There is lots of action but also lots of humor in this novel; it's Myrnin's antics that made me laugh and long for my own set of vampire bunny slippers. Claire's dedication to doing what's right, even when it doesn't necessarily feel right, moves the book subtly along, and the growing relationship between Shane and Claire also is well done. The book ends on a cliffhanger (sigh), so naturally I'll be waiting restlessly for the next installment. Here's hoping it's a bit longer so I won't feel the need to ration myself while reading in order to stay in Morganville.

~taminator40

Morganville Vampires, Book 6

Book #6 in the Morganville Vampires series picks up a month or so after book #5: Bishop is in charge of Morganville, and he is cutting no one, vamp or human, any slack as he exercises his evil muscles. Claire's at his beck and call, Shane and his father are imprisoned, Michael belongs to Bishop, and Eve is alone at the Glass House. Things seem desperate as Claire's 17th birthday arrives, until at last, Myrnin reveals that he isn't really on Bishop's side and that Amelie and her vamps are re-forming. But the race is still on to find a cure for the disease affecting the vamps, rescue Shane and his father, and destroy Bishop before he destroys Morganville.

Before you begin Carpe Corpus, make sure you've got a dedicated block of time because the action and the pages will fly once you start. It's one dangerous situation after another as plans go awry and major twists are thrown. Not only must Claire find a way to help Amelie, she's got to contend with her overprotective parents (I just kept wondering why on earth they'd even been brought into Morganville--they seemed so pointless most of the time) and try to regain Eve's skeptical trust. Finding a stopping point wasn't an easy task, I can assure you.

The relationship between the four friends has never been stronger as Carpe Corpus unfolds, but the relationship between Shane and Claire goes even further, advancing to its next natural level, complete with lots of deep emotion. While I have to question whether or not having sex was a good idea, I can say it was realistically shown and featured what seems to be a real love. Certainly for this reader, I was captured by the genuineness of emotion, but would have to recommend that these novels might be best read by older teens.

So what can I say at the conclusion of Carpe Corpus? I've already pre-ordered Fade Out, Book 7, and will be anxiously awaiting reuniting with my friends in Morganville. Fun reading and great action--it doesn't get much better than this.

~taminator40

Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming...

Lord of Misrule, Book 5 in the Morganville Vampires series, picks up with the town of Morganville literally burning around the heads of our quartet of friends: Claire, Shane, Michael, and Eve. Amelie, the vampire in charge of Morganville, must fight against her father, Bishop, in order to maintain control of the town, and she must rely on not just Claire and her friends but also the loyalty of the other vamps in town, including the ever unpredictable Myrnin. But as time passes, it becomes clear that Bishop's got his own hold on some of the vamps, and many of the humans are in revolt as well. Claire and her friends must make life or death decisions in order to protect not only themselves but the ones they love from certain destruction in the vampire battle.


Lord of Misrule is fast paced and action packed; filled with its own drama, it's also a bridge to the ultimate fate of the vampires in Morganville. Claire's called upon to help Amelie but finds herself in grave danger, facing down Bishop and his minions even while enduring a major storm. The chaos keeps coming and naturally the book ends on a cliffhanger, making it very good for me to have #6 close at hand. I love the depth of the relationship between Claire and Shane, and I love how Claire's learned to stand up for herself and those she loves. Her parents are fairly extraneous to the story but everyone else is present and accounted for; I can hardly wait to find out what side Myrnin is really on. Definitely fun and entertaining and I'm ready for more!
~taminator40

Morganville Vampires, Book Four: Feast of Fools

I'm devouring this series! These books seem to be the perfect summer fare for me: light, intriguing, quick, fun. On to my thoughts on finishing book four:


Claire, Claire, Claire...are you ever going to keep yourself out of trouble? Somehow I doubt it. In this fourth book of the Morganville Vampire series, we pick up almost immediately where Book 3 leaves off: Claire and her housemates are dealing with the arrival of her parents to Morganville when, out of the blue, Amelie's father (read: Big Daddy of All Vampires) arrives at the Glass House with two of his cronies, demanding food and Amelie. Turns out he's not there for a friendly visit, of course; he's there to wrangle control of Morganville from his daughter, and he doesn't give a flip who he hurts (or kills) in the process.


There is a lot of action in Feast of Fools, with Michael conflicted over his vampiric nature, Eve losing her estranged father, Shane forced to attend a vampire ball as the escort of the dangerous Ysandre, and Claire still working with the increasingly volatile Myrnin on a cure for the disease affecting the vamps. The relationship between Shane and Claire continues to grow (rather nicely, as a matter of fact), and Claire's self-confidence increases despite her misgivings for belonging to Amelie. The height of the action hits when Amelie is forced to give a ball for her father, and sides are chosen as to whom loyalty will be given. Claire's knowledge brings her into the center of things, and once again we're left on a major cliffhanger (and I'm left checking my mailbox every few hours, waiting on my Amazon shipment that contains book #5!).


Feast of Fools is a very interesting installment in the series; we see Claire maturing constantly as she tries to figure out the complex intricacies of the vampire society and her place in it. The addition of her parents has left me a bit puzzled because it honestly feels as though Claire is the parent and her parents are the clueless ones. I like how the series develops its characters as the stories move along, and I like how, despite the turmoil going on in Morganville, there are some rather "human" stories, such as Michael playing guitar in Common Grounds. I may as well confess it now: I'm hooked, and I'll be reading this series until it bleeds me dry. Great, great fun.
~taminator40

Vamps, Vamps, Everywhere! (Okay, I'm out of ideas for titles, people)

Book Three of the Morganville Vampires series picks up just after Claire Danvers, the almost seventeen year old early admittance college student, signs a contract with the Founder, aka the Head Vampire, Amelie. Basically, what's she done is sign away her life, but she's done it for a good cause: she believes that her actions will save her three housemates from the vampires. Only now one of the housemates, Michael, IS a vampire, and Shane and Eve are violently against making any deals with the undead. So what has Claire done?


Welcome to Morganville, a town run by vampires and a place where you might find yourself as lunch if you aren't careful. Claire, unfortunately, hasn't been very careful, but her new contract with Amelie aims to fix that. And in fact, things start off well, in that Claire is bumped into more accelerated classes, which she finds pleasing; the downside is that she is given as an apprentice to Myrnin, a slightly odd, vaguely dangerous vampire. It's imperative that Claire learn as much as she can from Myrnin, but as the sessions go on, it becomes clearer that there is something more wrong than usual with the vamp. Will Claire survive her lessons with him? What is he trying to teach her? All her questions lead to a big conclusion that ultimately puts Claire and the entire vampire community in danger.


As per usual, I raced through Midnight Alley. I love that the story moves along so quickly and I love the interactions between the four roomies. If I get frustrated at times, it is with the continuing presence of the annoying Monica and the illogical turns Claire sometimes takes. There's some minor drug use going on in this one, and the user will undoubtedly surprise some people. But overall this series just continues to improve and capture me from the first pages. This book actually earns a very solid 4.5 stars. On to the next!
~taminator40

The Morganville Vampires, Book Two

The second book in the Morganville Vampires series picks up almost immediately where the first book left off (and that's a very good thing, as the first closed on a major cliffhanger!). The four roommates find themselves at the mercy of Shane's crazed vampire-hunting father and his gang, and the focus is on Michael, whom Shane's dad has rightly determined isn't alive. But the conclusion is actually wrong, in that Michael is a ghost, not a vampire, and before the other three roomies can intervene, Shane's dad does the unthinkable and offs Michael. From that grim beginning, The Dead Girls' Dance takes off with more drama and danger in the town of Morganville.

There are lots of dangerous situations in Book Two, and a major race against time to save Shane, wrongly accused of killing a vampire and sentenced to death. The reappearance of Amelie gives another dimension to the vampires in that while she's not exactly warm, she's at least a little accessible and helpful. The best addition is Sam, a solitary vampire with ties to Michael; his appearance gives hope that possibly the vampires and the humans of Morganville may eventually be able to live together with a little more trust.

I'm not really sure why this novel is titled The Dead Girls' Dance in that the actual dance is a very, very small portion of the book, and not all that central to the action. That aside, it would be nice to see a book where Claire doesn't spend so much time getting beaten up in some way, and with maybe a bit of personality redemption for Monica. I love how Eve and Claire take charge of the situation and do all they can for their roomie, even putting themselves in grave danger. These novels are very action packed and often a situation will seem to have no positive resolution, keeping me on the edge of my seat and racing through the pages. I like the love stories going on in the background as well, but would hate to see everyone tied up in relationships too quickly.

Book Two is a wild ride that kept me up past my bedtime to finish. I'm excited that I have the next two books in the series here to get to this summer. This is a good, intriguing vampire series that will keep you entertained fully.

~taminator40