Tag: Volume 1

Uprising

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Uprising by Sean McCabe
Series Name: Vampire Federation
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, Supernatural, Thriller, Urban, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Signet/ Penguin
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-41306-2
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

A gruesome ritual murder has stained the Oxfordshire countryside. It’s the first incident in a chain of events awaking Detective Inspector Joel Solomon to his worst nightmare—and it’s a dreadful omen of things to come. Because Joel has a secret: He believes in vampires.

Alex Bishop is an agent of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. She’s been tasked with enforcing the laws of the global Vampire Federation and hunting rogue members of her race. A tough job made tougher when the Federation comes under attack by Traditionalist vampires. They have a stake in old-school terror—and in an uprising as violent as it is widespread.

Now Alex and Joel find themselves in a deadly war between the living and the Undead—and against a horrifying tradition given new life by the blood of the innocent.

Personal & Info

Vampire Federation is a duology. For those interested in the second volume, it’s The Cross. As of right now, I have no plans to read or review the second volume.

Content Warnings

-Violence

-kidnapping and consumption of a baby

Characters

Alex Bishop is the female main character. She is a Vampire Intelligence Agency enforcer. Her job is to travel the world and threaten or execute vampires breaking Federation rules or risking exposure. Alex is approximately one hundred and thirteen years-old as a vampire, and doesn’t completely agree with how the Federation runs things.

Joel Solomon is the male main character. He is a Detective Inspector with a tragic childhood vampire experience. Joel is the spitting image of Alex’s lover from her human life, possibly even a reincarnation.

Kate Hawthorne is the seventeen-year-old daughter of Gillian Hawthorn and her solicitor husband. She lives next door to Dec Maddon, and she has a crush on him.

Dec Maddon is Kate Hawthorne’s neighbor and close friend. Gillian Hawthorne does not think much of him or his family. Dec has a crush on Kate and sometimes doesn’t see clearly because of his feelings.

Harry Rumble is the chief of the London branch of the Vampire Intelligence Agency. He is Alex’s boss, and he reports to the Ruling Council of the Federation.

Xavier Garrett is Harry Rumble’s assistant. He hates Alex Bishop and doesn’t even try to hide it.

Gabriel Stone is the main villain of the novel, and leading General of the anti-Federation group, also referred to as “Trads” or Traditionalists. He reports to a group of ancient vampires to give reports and receive orders.

Lilith is Gabriel’s sister. She’s the one vampire in his group he seems to care about most, even though she can be a bit of a loose cannon. Her combat specialty is swordsmanship.

Seymour Finch is Gabriel Stone’s butler or personal assistant. He is not human nor a vampire.

Jeremy Lonsdale is a multimillionaire politician serving office as a cabinet minister. He is tangled up in the wrong crowd and in over his head with no way out.

Story & Thoughts

I like the setting. It’s relatively modern, so cell phones and most technologies we’re familiar with in current day exist. Vampires have adapted to the modern world by inventing medications that serve their needs, which makes sense. They have three drugs they use regularly: Nosferol, Solazal, and Vambloc.

Nosferol is a poison the Federation uses to execute rogue vampires and those who break the rules. It’s not pleasant. It basically makes all the blood vessels explode and turns the vampire inside out, resulting in a very painful and bloody death.

Solazal, the most necessary drug to blend with society, allows vampires to walk in the sun. They have to take it every twelve hours to keep it in their systems. It seems like Federation registered vampires normally operate during typical human business hours thanks to Solazal.

Vambloc, probably equally important, if not more so, is a short term memory eraser. It allows vampires to feed from humans without risk of exposure. It also prevents humans from changing after a feed.

All this, along with the premise of the story, seems promising. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get into it. I struggled the whole way through.

The chapters are very short, sometimes only two pages. They change by time of day and perspective to tell the story. Early on, it feels like it’s jumping around way too much. I got used to it eventually, but it was jarring for a while to only get a few pages of content from a character before jumping to another.

I’ve seen the book tagged as fast-paced, but it didn’t feel like that to me. A lot of ground was being covered with a lot of characters, but I didn’t feel like the story was actually moving until about halfway through. Even then, I just couldn’t click with it.

I like the overarching story well enough, but maybe I just don’t resonate with how it’s told. If I already had the second book, I would probably read it, but I’m not interested enough to put in the effort to get it. I enjoyed the book enough not to abandon it, but I did consider doing so a few times.

The Wolves of London

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The Wolves of London by Mark Morris
Series Name: Obsidian Heart
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Time Travel, Urban
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Titan
Edition: Mass Market paperback
ISBN: 978-1781168684
Rating: 2.75/5
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Description from the Book

Alex Locke is a reformed ex-con, forced back into London’s criminal underworld for one more job. He agrees to steal a priceless artifact — a human heart carved from blackest obsidian — but when the burglary goes horribly wrong, Alex is plunged into the nightmarish world of the Wolves of London, unearthly assassins who will stop at nothing to reclaim the heart. As he races to unlock the secrets of the mysterious object, Alex must learn to wield its dark power — or be destroyed by it.

Personal & Info

This book looked and sounded spooky, so I grabbed it during a big pre-owned book sale as something to try during spooky season. I know spooky season is already over, but I extend it all the way until Christmas. I never have any Christmas or New Years themed books to read, anyway.

Obsidian Heart is a trilogy. I have no plans at this time to read more of the series. For those interested, volumes two and three are The Society of Blood, and The Wraiths of War

Content Warnings

-Self harm

-violence

-animal violence

-body horror

-kidnapping

-mutilation of children

Characters

Alex Locke is the main character. He is an ex-con who turned his life around. Alex is in his mid thirties and works as a Psychology lecturer. He has two daughters, Candice (18) and Kate (5). Candice lives with her mother (Michelle) and step-father (Glenn), while Alex is raising Kate alone.

Benny Magee is a criminal contact from Alex’s prison days. He’s essentially like a mafia boss, and he provided protection for Alex during his stay in prison. Benny also provided Alex with a number to call if he ever needed help or got into trouble.

Clover Monroe is the owner of the night club Incognito. She has connections to Benny and provides the job involving the obsidian heart in hopes of making some quick and easy cash. Clover has a good code of morals and loyalty.

Barnaby McCallum is a rich, wheelchair bound, old man presumed to be around ninety. He is the owner of the obsidian heart before Alex gets his hands on it.

Lyn is Kate’s mother. She is currently living in Darby Hall Psychiatric Hospital due to an unusual onset of insanity that occurred while she was pregnant with Kate.

Private Frank Martin is a twenty-year-old man who served in World War I. Due to various events involving the obsidian heart, Frank is alive and well in 2012 to assist Alex.

Story & Thoughts

This book has a lot going on. It is absolutely jam packed with various fantasy themes. There are people with weird powers, possible Erdrich creatures, monstrosities, time travel, and people coming back from the dead. Normally, I wouldn’t think all these different elements would fit together for a good story, but surprisingly they mix well here. It does feel like a bit too much smushed together sometimes, though.

The story itself is interesting, but I’m not fond of the writing style. I like all the details, but some of the more complex monstrosities and body horrors are hard to picture based on the description. The book also does this thing at the start of chapters. It tells you where they are and then jumps backward to tell you how they got there before continuing onward from where they presently are. I don’t like this writing method. I can get through it, but it rubs me the wrong way.

Alex isn’t very smart in regards to his actions. The story takes place in 2012. He lacks caution in choosing babysitters. Apparently he has never done a background check on the people he trusts to watch Kate. I’m pretty sure background checks were not difficult to do in 2012, so that’s just pure carelessness on his part.

It bugs me to no end early in the book when Alex is trying to figure out how to get money to help Candice. He has a matter of days based on her estimate. He goes to a contact he knows is a criminal and then gets upset when the only means provided to make enough money is illegal. Like, come on, what was he expecting? And he has the nerve to turn it down and waste everyone’s time just because it’s illegal as if there is any other way he could possibly make thousands of dollars within a few days.

I only have one or two questions about the story I have any interest in getting answers for, so I’ll likely just google those. The book is interesting enough. It’s not like anything I’ve read before, so I enjoyed the experience, but I have no interest in continuing the series.

If I already had more of the books, I would probably read more, but I don’t, and I don’t have enough interest to want to get them. Some of the plot points are how I expect, so I won’t be surprised if the answers I find are what I’m guessing. Overall, the story isn’t bad, but it’s not great, either. Based on the content, it’s definitely not for the faint of heart.

Wicked: Witch & Curse

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Wicked: Witch & Curse by Nancy Holder, Debbie Vigié
Series Name: Wicked
Volume Number: 1 & 2
Genres: Fantasy, Magic, Paranormal, Romance, Supernatural, Urban, Witches
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Simon Pulse/ Simon & Schuster
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4169-7119-1
Rating: 1.5/5
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Description from the Book

Holly Cathers’s world shatters when her parents are killed in a terrible accident. Wrenched from her home in San Francisco, she is sent to Seattle to live with her relatives, Aunt Marie-Claire and her twin cousins, Amanda and Nicole.

In her new home, Holly’s sorrow and grief soon give way to bewilderment at the strange incidents going on around her. Such as how any wish she whispers to her cat seems to come true. Or the way a friend is injured after a freak attack from a vicious falcon. And there’s the undeniable, magnetic attraction to a boy Holly barely knows.

Holly Amanda, and Nicole are about to be launched into a dark legacy of witches, secrets, and alliances, where ancient magics yield dangerous results. The girls will assume their roles in an intergenerational feud beyond their wildest imaginations…and in doing so, will attempt to fulfill their shared destiny.

Personal & Info

This is the first volume of the two-in-one editions for the Wicked series. In total, there are two thick two-in-one volumes, along with one single volume. Or, for anyone getting individuals, it would equate to five books.

There are tons of different perspectives in this novel. It jumps around to tell a story of past and present, as well as both sides of an ongoing feud.

Content Warnings

-animal sacrifice including house pets

-death

-suicide

Characters

Cathers/Cahors

Holly Cathers is the main character. She’s seventeen when her life undergoes tragic and drastic changes. At the start, her family history is completely unknown to her.

Isabeau Cahors is an ancestral member of the Cathers family. As the successor of the Cahors family, she was arranged to marry Jean Deveraux, even though their families were enemies. Her spirit is not at rest.

Catherine Cahors is Isabeau Cahors’ mother. In her time, she led the Cahors family as Queen Regnant of Le Circle des Cahors, which basically equates to master of her family.

Marie-Claire Cathers-Anderson is Holly’s aunt, the sister to Holly’s father, Daniel. She does not know she is a witch, and she is vain about her appearance. Despite her vanity and wealth, she is a kind person.

Amanda Anderson is one of Marie-Claire’s and Robert’s twin daughters. She is the more kind and down to Earth twin. According to Michael Deveraux, Amanda is normal, like her father.

Nicole Anderson is one of Marie-Claire’s and Robert’s twin daughters. Like her mother, she cares about how she looks. Her dream is to become an actress. Nicole is the daughter with the obvious signs of being a witch.

Many other Cahors family members appear throughout the book, but their parts are small, so I’m not going to bother listing them here.

Deveraux

Duc Laurent de Deveraux is an ancestral “noble warlord” of the Deveraux family. As the ancestral master of the family, he is Jean’s father, and played a part in arranging the marriage of Isabeau and Jean. In modern day, he appears to Micheal in the form of a spirit that looks like a grotesque corpse.

Michael Deveraux is, as far as he knows, the current master of the Deveraux family. He seeks to gain the knowledge of the black fire and destroy what remains of the Cahors family, whether they are ignorant of their heritage and powers or not.

Eli Deveraux is Michael’s oldest son. His father can easily manipulate him by appealing to his greed for money and power.

Jeraud Deveraux, who usually goes by Jer, is Michael’s youngest son. He has more humanity than his father and brother. I think he’s supposed to be Holly’s love interest.

Jean Deveraux is an ancestral member of the Deveraux family. As the successor of the Deveraux family, he was arranged to marry Isabeau, even though their families were enemies. His spirit is not at rest.

Many other Deveraux family members appear throughout the book, but their parts are small, so I’m not going to list them here.

Coven Members

Holly’s

Tommy Nagai is Amanda’s best friend. Holly suspects they should be dating, but neither will cross that line.

Cecile Beaufrere is the mother of one of Amanda’s friends.She practices the art of Voodoo.

Silvana Beaufrere is Amanda’s friend who lives in New Orleans.

Jer’s

Kialish Carter is Jer’s friend, and the son of a shaman.

Eddie Hinook has very few descriptors. His only specifications are that he is Kialish’s lover and he is friends with Jer.

Kari Hardwicke is a teacher’s assistant at the university Jer is attending. As a grad student, she is older than him. They are dating, because Kari has interest in magic for her thesis and she knows Jer’s family practices.

Mother

Anne-Louise Montrachet is a protection magic specialist.

Supreme

Sir William Moore is the Master of the Supreme Coven in London.

James Moore is Sir William’s son. He’s wants to overthrow his father to steal his position.

Madrid/White Magic

José Luís is the current leader of the coven.

Señor Alonzo is the oldest member of the coven. He is the benefactor and father figure.

Armand is the “conscience” of the coven. He is serious and quiet, and he is a former student of the priesthood.

Pablo is José Luís’s younger brother.

Philippe is José Luís’s lieutenant, and a love interest for Nicole.

Other

Robert Anderson is Marie-Claire’s husband. Holly describes him as “gray.” He is a normal, kind human, who processes his problems by overworking or drinking alcohol.

Dan Carter is Kialish’s father, the shaman.

Witch

Rating: 2/5

Story & Thoughts

I feel like this book starts slow. It jumps around to a bunch of perspectives that don’t make much sense at first, which makes it hard to get into. I’m used to reading books with multiple perspectives, but this one is rough for the first few chapters. It’s gets better once the story starts making more sense, but early on the transitions are a bit disorienting. It makes sense though, because it’s supposed to be disorienting to Holly.

The multiple perspectives tell a story of past and present. I don’t think I like the execution. The characters slowly gain more information and understanding of the events they see in their dreams or visions. This is supposed to contribute to plot building, but my problem with it is the events of the present are actually dull compared to the past. The present doesn’t get interesting until closer to the end.

The biggest reason for that is the fact none of the characters involved even know they are witches until about half way through the story. You’d think that would provide ample opportunity for the characters to have interesting experiences to grow and learn, but there are time jumps where we’re supposed to just assume they are studying and researching however they can. I don’t like the story telling method of “time passed so they can just do this now.”

I’m not even sure if I should consider this a romance. The romance for the modern day stuff is seriously lacking. It paints kind of a Romeo & Juliet type thing, but one of them is already in a relationship, and nothing amounts to anything. All the romance is basically exclusive to the past characters, Isabeau and Jean.

Overall, I’m not impressed. There is very little I like about it, but I don’t hate it. If the second novel in this two-in-one is not any better, I will probably donate the whole series instead of reading it.

Curse

Rating: 1/5

Story & Thoughts

This part starts approximately one year after the beginning of the first. Right off the bat, I’m disappointed. Nicole is missing, because she ran away. This could have been used as an interesting scene, where either the group bickers about her desire to flee, or we see her sneak away. Just telling the reader she’s gone seems like poor writing. I have many issues with the storytelling.

Multiple times, there are instances in which people just state things, instead of putting them in the story. It’s like cutting events and learning experiences, and it detracts so much from the story. Most of the things that get this treatment are the parts that should be intense and epic or interesting or constructive to character growth. How are we supposed to understand that Holly is the strongest Cahors since Catherine? We don’t get to see her learn and grow.

There are so many more perspective changes than before. Curse tries to tell the generational parts of the Deveraux and Cahors histories, and adds even more characters to the already large cast. The majority of the historical parts are not dreams or visions. They’re just scattered around and don’t seem to directly contribute any relevance to the story. The history is interesting, but it’s mostly for the reader. Most of the parts involving the history for Isabeau and Jean just rehash everything we already know from Witch.

I have almost nothing but complains to say about this section. It was frustrating to read. The romance is garbage. Holly and Jer don’t know anything about each other. I don’t think they even love each other. I honestly think they just have an illusion of feeling in love, because of Jean and Isabeau influencing them.

Overall

Story & Thoughts

This is one of the crappiest books I’ve ever read. The overarching story is fine, but it has an absolutely terrible execution. A story about three girls discovering they are witches and getting pulled into an ancient family feud should be an awesome story, but it’s not. I’m abandoning the possibility of ever reading the rest of this series, because it’s so terribly written.

You’d think the premise would provide ample opportunity for the characters to have interesting experiences to grow and learn, but there are time jumps where we’re supposed to just assume they are studying and researching however they can. We don’t get to see anything that teaches the reader how magic works while they themselves learn. I don’t like the story telling method of “time passed so they can just do this now.” Any good fantasy novel describes the mechanics of how the magic works to immerse the reader.

I’ve seen authors give advice that specifically says not to just tell what happens, but to show it. This novel struggles with that concept. It skips any interesting learning experiences that could contribute to lore and world building. Even events that are supposed to be climactic with high stakes are disappointing. I cannot express how disappointed and frustrated I am about the storytelling. It got to a point where I just wanted it to be over, but I was determined to finish.

The romance isn’t even good, if it exists at all. There’s a good chance Jer and Holly aren’t actually in love and are just feeling the emotions of Isabeau and Jean. They don’t know each other. I don’t think they’ve ever even had a conversation outside of wet dreams and warnings.

I don’t recommend this book or series to anybody, unless you enjoy bad storytelling. It’s a good premise with a terrible execution. Also, someone kills a cat, and not just any cat, a beloved house cat. That felt more like it was done for shock value than storytelling. I’m just so glad this book is done. I don’t often compare books to garbage, but this one is kind of garbage. It was an ordeal to finish.

Of Monsters and Madness

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Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday
Series Name: Of Monsters and Madness
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Mystery, Romance
Intended Age Group: YA
Publisher: Egmont
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-60684-463-2
Rating: 2.5/5
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Description from the Book

Summoned to Philadelphia after her mother’s death, seventeen-year-old Annabel Lee hopes this new start will be her chance to make her dream of becoming a surgeon a reality.

But there are dark secrets in Annabel’s new home: whispers of strange activities, unsavory characters making deliveries in the dead of night, and a wave of murders sweeping the city. And when her father deems her interest in medicine unseemly and forbids her from practicing, she’s determined to prove him wrong.

With the help of handsome laboratory assistant Allan Poe and his unsettling cousin, Edgar, Annabel probes into her father’s research. But the links she discovers between the experiments being conducted, the stories Allan writes late into the night, and her new city’s gruesome crimes can be no coincidence. And she’ll sacrifice everything to stop them.

Inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Of Monsters and Madness is a Gothic thrill for the modern age.

Personal & Info

I’m going to warn interested readers now, this book does not have an actual ending. It abruptly stops, then has a chapter that says two weeks later. That last chapter describes the premise for the second book in the duology. The second book, Of Phantoms and Fury, has no physical copy. It’s only available as an audiobook.

Characters

Annabel Lee is the main character. The story is in her first person present tense perspective. Based on the dates the book provides, Annabel is sixteen. For the last ten years, she’s been living in Siam with her mother.

Markus is Annabel’s father. He has a twisted foot that hinders his walking. His personality is not pleasant. He used to be a doctor, and he has a laboratory in the basement.

Grand-père is Annabel’s grandfather. We never get a name for him aside from how Annabel and the servants refer to him.

Allan Poe is Markus’s assistant. Everyone considers him to be a fine gentleman.

Edgar Poe is Allan’s cousin, and Markus’s assistant. Unlike Allan, he is not a gentleman, and everyone in the house avoids him.

Maddy is Annabel’s dressing maid. She is kind and apparently short.

Cook and Johanna are the house chef and chef’s assistant. They are both kind and hard working.

Mrs. Tusk is Annabel’s tutor. She is the former headmistress of Menard’s School for Girls.

Story & Thoughts

The story takes place in Philadelphia in 1826. Annabel has lived in Siam with her mother for the past ten years, until her mother fell ill and died. The book starts with Annabel arriving in Philadelphia by ship, payed for her by her father, whom she’s never met. She has been invited to live with him in his house that is completely different from her usual lifestyle.

From there, the story is rather simple. Annabel adjusts to living in a large house that has servants. She hardly ever sees her father, because he’s so busy with his work. During her free time, Annabel explores the house and discovers there are suspicious activities and secrets.

Edgar Allen Poe’s work is actually incorporated into the story. I didn’t catch on right away, because I’m not into poetry or classic literature. Some of the more common references jumped out at me and then the story started making more interesting sense.

I don’t want to say too much about anything, because it would be so easy to spoil the entire story. All I can really say is it’s definitely Edgar Allen Poe and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde smashed together, but it works. If you like one or both of those, then you might like this book. It’s just okay to me, but I’m not terribly familiar with either source material.

It bothers me that the book doesn’t have an actual ending. A more solid wrap up would probably earn it some extra points. The story also feels a little slow, because it’s the kind that builds things up until closer to the end. Nothing is very surprising, either, because knowing the inspirations for the story makes the bigger plot points obvious.

The Darkdeep

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The Darkdeep by Ally Condie, Brendan Reichs
Series Name: The Darkdeep
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal
Intended Age Group: Children
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 978-1-5476-0046-5
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Everyone in Timbers knows Still Cove is off-limits, with its creepy Beast sightings and equally terrifying legends. But when a bullying incident sends twelve-year-old Nico Holland over a cliff and into Still Cove’s icy waters, friends Tyler and Emma—and even Opal Walsh, who usually runs with the popular kids—rush to his rescue…and discover a mysterious island hiding in the murky, swirling mists below.

Though the island appears uninhabited, the kids can’t shake a feeling that something about it is definitely not right. Their suspicious grow when they stumble upon an abandoned houseboat filled with all sorts of curiosities: odd-looking weapons, unnerving portraits, maps to unknown places, and a glass jar containing something completely unidentifiable. And in the boat’s lowest depths churns a dark, deep secret.

As the group delves into this mysterious new clubhouse, their lives begin to intertwine in weird and dangerous ways. For something ancient has awakened…and it can detect not only their wishes and dreams, but also their darkest, most terrible imaginings. Do they have what it takes to face the shadowy secrets lurking within their own hearts?

Personal & Info

This book is written in two perspectives that alternate by chapter.

The Darkdeep is volume one of a trilogy. The second and third books in the series are The Beast and The Torchbearers.

Apparently, this is the same author as the dystopian trilogy, Matched. I tried to read that from the library a few years ago and couldn’t finish it. My notes say I intended to finish it, but just never did. I guess it was too dull for me to pick back up. I don’t have the same problem with this book. After finishing, I put the second and third volumes on my wish list for a later date.

Characters

Nico Holland is one of the twelve-year-old main characters. Half of the story is in his perspective. Nico lives mostly alone with his dad, Warren Holland, who tends to work a lot and leaves him home alone frequently. His dad is a ranger, and Nico’s older brother Rob is away at university.

Tyler Watson is one of Nico’s best friends. He seems like the cautious intellectual of the three.

Emma Fairington is Nico’s other best friend. She seems to be the curious adventurous type. Emma has been close friends with Tyler since they were little.

Opal Walsh is the other main character. Half of the story is in her perspective. She doesn’t quite have a solid friend group. Opal used to be close friends with Nico when they were little, but as time passed, they drifted apart. Now she lives in the rich part of town and hangs out with the popular kids. Her mother, Kathryn Walsh, works at the bank.

Logan Nantes is basically the most popular guy at school. He is the son of Sylvain and Lori Nantes. His family owns the most profitable business in town, a logging company that employs the majority of the townsfolk. Logan covers the role of school bully to Nico, because of a recent family grudge. He’s also the leader of the popular friend group that Opal hangs around.

Story & Thoughts

This is a fun read. It’s not mind-blowingly amazing, but it checks a lot of boxes for what I expect from novels for the intended age group. Stories like this one, with themes about facing your fears, are fun and empowering.

The story takes place in the vicinity of the fictional small town of Timbers in the state of Washington. Their local myth is that there is a Beast living in the eternally foggy Still Cove. It’s in this cove that the kids discover an unknown island full of mystery.

The oddities inside the houseboat are just the beginning. I like the idea of the figments and the explanation behind them. It makes for a cool story while adding some horror and thriller aspects with a little silliness. It’s the right balance to make things interesting without making it scary. The movie and tv references also make things relatable.

I don’t like that the whole town treats Nico badly because of a job related decision his father made, but I get they have reason to be upset. It’s completely unfair to Nico. He didn’t do anything wrong, and really, neither did his dad.

As a first volume in a series, I think this book does a good job. It has its own complete story with no cliffhangers, but it sets up some eerie questions for the next book to answer. There is obviously still more going on than the kids realize. I like the book enough to be interested in reading the rest of the series, but I likely won’t go out of my way to get more volumes

Pandora

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Pandora by Anne Rice
Series Name: New Tales of the Vampires
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Edition: Hardcover
ISBN: 0-375-40159-8
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

Anne Rice, creator of the Vampire Lestat, the Mayfair witches and the mazing worlds they inhabit, now gives us the first in a new series of novels linked together by the fledgling vampire David Talbot, who has set out to become a chronicler of his fellow Undead.

The novel opens in present-day Paris in a crowded café, where David meets Pandora. She is two thousand years old, a Child of the Millennia, the first vampire ever made by the great Marius. David persuades her to tell the story of her life.

Pandora begins, reluctantly at first and then with increasing passion, to recount her mesmerizing tale, which takes us through the ages, from Imperial Rome to eighteenth-century France to twentieth-century Paris and New Orleans. She carries us back to her mortal girlhood in the world of Ceasar Augustus, a world chronicled by Ovid and Petronius. This is where Pandora meets and falls in love with the handsome, charismatic, lighthearted, still mortal Marius. This is the Rome she is forced to flee in fear of assassination by conspirators plotting to take over the city. And we follow her to the exotic port of Antioch, where she is destined to be reunited with Marius, now immortal and haunted by his vampire nature, who will bestow on her the Dark Gift as they set out on the fraught and fantastic adventure of their two turbulent centuries together.

Personal & Info

This month (October, 2024) is my first time trying any Anne Rice novels. At this point, this is only the second. I might try more if I come across them, but I likely won’t go looking for them.

While this is not directly part of Anne Rice’s series, The Vampire Chronicles, it is associated with it. I haven’t read that series, so I’m basing my knowledge on what information I have been able to gather. The events and characters mentioned in chapter one are supposedly relevant to The Vampire Chronicles, but you do not need to be familiar with any of it to understand the meat of the book.

The New Tales of the Vampires series only has two volumes. The second book is Vittorio, The Vampire. I have no intention of reading it, but now you know what to look for if you do.

Content Warnings

You can expect the story to include or mention things that were normal in the historical time period in which the book is set. These include things like slavery, rape, grooming, and pedophilia.

Characters

Pandora is the main character. Her birth name is Lydia, and ever since her childhood, she’s always been smart and well-read. She is a citizen of Rome and daughter of a Senator. Her father, the Senator, is Maximus. She has five older brothers, two of whom are Lucius and Antony. I don’t recall any mention of names for the other three.

Marius is a friend of Pandora’s father, Maximus. He is a traveling scholar from a nation of people the Romans consider barbarians. He is also the only man Pandora has ever truly loved.

Flavius is a philosopher and scholar. He has an ivory leg, and has been a slave all his life.

David is the vampire who asks Pandora to write her memoir, and therefore, the recipient of her narration. There is another David in the story with a son by the name of Jacob, but they are not relevant to this David, and they only play a transitional role in the story.

Story & Thoughts

I admit, I didn’t know what this was when I got it. Upon seeing the title Pandora, my thought process led me to think about the Pandora of the Pandora’s box myth. That is not what this is, but the story does have Greek and Roman themes, which is something I tend to enjoy.

The book is basically a journal style memoir about this vampire Pandora’s life. This guy David Talbot makes a request in chapter one that she write it. He wants to know her story. That’s all fine and dandy, but chapter one is a slog! It was a struggle to get through four pages, let alone finish the chapter. Pandora spends the whole chapter reflecting on the request, the café she’s sitting in, the pen in her hand, the journal she’s writing in…Her musings are so boring and agonizingly slow. Plus, if you’re not familiar with The Vampire Chronicles, a chunk of what she talks about regarding other vampires is nonsensical.

Once the story gets going, though, it’s actually kind of enjoyable. I like things with Greek, Roman, or Egyptian themes, so the setting of Pandora’s history is at least interesting. I’m no history buff, but I think at least some of the things mentioned in the story are historically accurate. They line up with some other things I’ve read that have similar themes.

Pandora’s journey from child to adult to vampire is definitely interesting, but only enough for me to finish the book. It’s not very long, so her whole life is crammed into only about two hundred pages. The book could have been much longer. The majority of her existence is crammed into the last chapter. It literally glosses over everything in her life after her first night as a vampire. That’s practically the entire two thousand years. You can’t seriously tell me that nothing else interesting happened during those years. Apparently, Pandora feels only her sightings of Marius are worth mentioning.

I got some amusement out of this book, but all in all, I’m just glad it’s done. I have no interest in pursuing any of the other volumes or relevant series. It was okay, and it had its moments. That’s about all I can really say about it.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Series Name: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Supernatural, Vampires
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Grand Central/ Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-4555-1017-7
Rating: 2/5
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Description from the Book

“My baby boy…” she whispers before dying. Only later will the grieving Abe learn that his mother’s fatal affliction was actually the work of a vampire. Gifted with his legendary height, strength, and skill with an ax, young Lincoln sets out on a path of vengeance that will lead him all the way to the White House.

While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving the Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for almost two hundred years—until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln. Now, using the journal as a guide, Seth reconstructs the true life story of America’s greatest president. For the first time ever, he reveals the hidden history behind the Civil War—and uncovers the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of the nation.

Personal & Info

First of all, I must stress that I put the intended age group as adult, not because of anything violent or explicit, but because it’s important the reader have a mature enough mind to know fact from fiction. This book is completely fictional with some real history wrapped into the story. If you can’t tell on your own that this is a retelling of history with a fictional twist, then you shouldn’t be reading it.

This novel is part of a duology. The sequel focuses on Henry Sturges, and I’d likely enjoy that one more than this one, but I have no plans or interest to read it. It’s called The Last American Vampire.

I’m not a history buff, so my review will not be taking historical accuracy into consideration.

I got my copy pre-owned from a large sale. It saddens me to see that it was a Mother’s day gift signed by a bunch of family members that ended up donated. Also upsetting that the signatures are on the inside cover instead of one of the pages that are intended for things like that.

The movie adaptation for this book got the action movie makeover treatment. It is very different. Most of the characters have entirely different personalities, while others don’t even appear at all. If you can separate the book from the movie, they’re both good in their own ways, but neither is great.

Characters

Normally, this is where I would list all of the important characters. Unfortunately, the format of this book makes that a little difficult. Most of the characters only appear briefly, so I’m just going to list a few that have the most significant bonds with the main character and might be around for more than a couple passing mentions.

Abraham Lincoln is the main character. If you don’t already recognize the name from history class, I’ll be surprised.

Thomas Lincoln is Abe’s father. He lacks ambition and will only provide the bare minimum for his family.

Henry Sturges is the vampire in the introduction, and the first vampire to befriend Abe. He appears approximately twenty-five.

Jack Armstrong is a close friend of Abe’s from Clary’s Grove in the New Salem area. He is Abe’s first apprentice. His stature is large, but patience and planning are not his strong points.

Mary Todd is Abe’s wife, and cousin of John Stuart, who is Abe’s partner at a law firm.

Joshua Speed is Abe’s second apprentice. He’s considered annoying, but becomes a close friend to Abe.

Story & Thoughts

For me, this book is an opportunity to try something new, while sticking to a theme I enjoy. It is a sort of retelling biography. I don’t normally touch biographies, but my thought process is, maybe incorporating vampires into it will make it tolerable.

As it turns out, a biography with real world history in it that also has vampires is indeed more tolerable for me than a normal biography. However, it doesn’t make it entirely enjoyable. This book’s writing style focuses around a bunch of journal entries surrounded by narrative story telling. I have many problems with this.

I think my main complaint is the story progresses too quickly. The novel covers the life of Abraham Lincoln from birth to death, and I don’t think the book is big enough to do it justice. It’s hard to get attached to any characters when almost all of them barely stick around, or only get passing mentions. It might just be my preference for reading books in a series format, but I think this book might have been better as a series, so that it could delve more deeply into Abe’s life. I understand that probably wouldn’t work with this particular novel premise, though.

I can’t really complain about the story, since it focuses on real world history. It’s enjoyable enough, and the vampires weirdly fit in a believable way. I’m not a fan of all the dates scattered around. That’s part of the biography part of it, but they mean nothing to me, and the story would feel more natural without them.

What it really comes down to is I’m not a fan of the biography style. I’d much more enjoy a story just told like any other story. For me, the biography style detracts significantly from everything. I just feel like I wanted more than what I got from the book.

The Prince of Mist

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The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Series Name: Niebla
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Mystery, Paranormal, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Middle Grade
Publisher: Little, Brown/Hachette
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-316-20606-8
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

It’s wartime, and the Carver family decides to leave the capital city where they live and move to a small coastal village. But from the minute they cross the threshold of their new home, strange things begin to happen. In that mysterious house lurks the spirit of a young boy who died by drowning.

Max and Alicia Carver begin to explore the strange circumstances of that death and discover the existence of a mysterious being called the Prince of Mist—a diabolical character who has returned from the shadows to collect on a debt from the past. With the help of their new friend Roland, the Carvers soon get caught up in an adventure of sunken ships and enchanted statues—an adventure that will change their lives forever.

Personal & Info

I got this book as one of many from a large sale. The cover looks like it has a ghost on it, so I figure it will be a decent spooky season read. There is a Q&A in the back of the book. I will not be reading that. I always skip those unless the book is exceptionally phenomenal.

The series as a whole is a trilogy. The second and third volumes are The Midnight Palace and The Watcher in the Shadows. Based on what I can tell from descriptions, I don’t think the story with these particular characters is ongoing. It looks like each book has a new set of characters.

Characters

Max Carver is the main character. He is thirteen and the majority of the story is in his perspective.

Maximilian Carver is Max’s dad. He’s a clockmaker, and is frequently referred to as “the clockmaker.”

Andrea Carver is Max’s mom.

Alicia Carver is Max’s older sister. She’s about fifteen.

Irina Carver is Max’s younger sister. She’s eight.

Roland is either sixteen or seventeen. He is the adoptive grandson of the keeper of the lighthouse, Victor Kray.

Victor Kray is Roland’s adoptive grandfather and the keeper of the lighthouse. He took up the post after arriving at the town via shipwreck.

Story & Thoughts

This book is a little too normal for my taste. It takes place in 1943 during the war, but the war is more of a setting detail for the time period than anything. The Carver family decides to relocate to a more rural oceanside town. They move into a nice house near the beach that has been sitting empty for years and that’s where the story actually starts.

The description is a bit misleading, so it should really be taken with a grain of salt. As the story progresses, it all seems very normal. The family gradually settles into the house, and the kids start to make friends. The mystery presents itself as a simple intrigue of looking at interesting things on the property, like an enclosed garden of statues, and unlabeled videos. It just has an inkling of it all being a little strange.

Eventually, some paranormal stuff starts to happen, but it’s just some minor eerie things. The house isn’t haunted. This is not that kind of story. There’s something bigger going on, and all the little things are a build up.

My biggest take away from the story is that it makes me think of Rumplestiltskin. That’s about as much as I can say without outright spoiling anything.

Initially I was going to rate it a 2.75, because the story is fine, but a little dull, since it mostly follows the day to day life of Max. But I like the later parts enough that I bumped it up to a three. What it comes down to is, the story itself is good, but it just isn’t my kind of book.

I’m not satisfied with the ending, either. If you want a story with a happy ending, this isn’t for you. I don’t care that it isn’t a happy ending, it’s just not the ending I wanted. At least it ends complete enough that I don’t feel the need to bother with the other volumes, because I don’t have enough interest to want to.

Some Girls Bite

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Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
Series Name: Chicagoland Vampires
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Fae, Magic, Romance, Shifters, Supernatural, Urban, Vampires, Witches
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: New American Library/ Penguin Group (USA)
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-451-22625-9
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago’s vampires announced their existence to the world—and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got only a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker…and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadodan House. Now I’ve traded sweating over my dissertation for learning to fit in at Kenwood mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of Course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred-year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude—and servitude. Right…

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I’m surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan’s attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone’s still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival house? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war…and there will be blood.

Personal & Info

If you like House of Night, you might like this series. House of Night is YA, but this one is more adultish, with kind of similar vibes. Or if you like Chicagoland Vampires and want to try a YA alternative, you might like House of Night. If you’d like more information about House of Night, I have a review for the first volume, Marked, and will be reviewing more volumes at some point.

Characters

Merit is the main character. She’s a twenty-seven-year-old grad student from a wealthy family, but she has no interest in her family’s money or influence. Apparently, she has terrible fashion sense, but I find her clothing choices relatable.

Mallory is Merit’s roommate and best friend. She inherited the house in which she and Merit live. Mallory is a successful advertising executive at McGettrick-Combs. More importantly, she’s a vampire buff.

Mark Perkins is Mallory’s aimless boyfriend. He goes on a lot of adventurous trips, but has no idea what he wants to do with his life.

Joshua Merit is Merit’s dad. He owns the Merit Properties real estate company, and he is part of the Chicago Growth Council, which advises the mayor. Joshua cares only about money and political influence.

Meredith Merit is Merits mom.

Charlotte Merit is Merit’s older sister. She is married, so she does not live with the Merit family.

Robert Merit is Merit’s older brother. He is in line to inherit the family real estate company.

Seth Tate is the mayor of Chicago.

Ombudsman’s Office

Chuck Merit is Merit’s grandfather, and the Ombudsman. He is a liaison between humans and supernaturals to help handle disputes.

Marjorie is Chuck’s secretary. She’s about fifty-years-old.

Jeff Christopher is a twenty-one-year-old computer prodigy and shape-shifter. He’s also a bit girl crazy.

Catcher Bell is a twenty-nine-year-old sorcerer. As Chuck puts it, he is pretty, but gruff.

Below is a list of the Chicago vampire Houses and any known members. Some vampires are named with no additional information. Not every vampire is likely to be important, so these are just running lists to keep track of members of each House.

Cadogan House

Ethan Sullivan is the Lord of Cadogan House. He is 394 years old, and he’s attractive in the most stereotypical ways. He is fit and has long blond hair, like Thor. However, his personality leaves much to be desired.

Helen is the Cadogan representative who handles transitions for newly changed vampires.

Malik is Ethan’s second in command. If anything happens to Ethan, Malik would inherit the House.

Amber is Ethan’s courtesan. She covers the role of the snobby pretty girl.

Sean & Colin are bartenders at Temple Bar.

Gabrielle is Amber’s snobby friend.

Security

Luc, or Lucas, is captain of the Cadogan House guards. He has cowboy vibes.

Lindsey is a Cadogan House guard. She is apparently the resident psychic, and fast friends with Merit.

Peter is a Cadogan House guard. He has contacts beneficial to the House.

Juliet is a Cadogan House guard. She is “slippery” and gathers data.

Kelley is a Cadogan House guard. She is the resident mechanical and software genius.

Initiates

Warner

Joseph

Adrian

Michael

Thomas

Connor obviously comes from a rich family, but he is optimistic and kind.

Penny

Jennifer

Dakota

Melanie

Christine is the daughter of a famous notorious criminal defense attorney. She is an acquaintance of Merit’s from pre-vampire life.

Grey House

Scott Grey is the Lord of Grey House. He is a sports fan.

Navarre House

Celina Desaulniers is the Lady of Navarre House. She orchestrated the coming out of vampires in Chicago.

Morgan is Celina’s second in command. If anything happens to Celina, he would inherit the House. He’s charming and funny.

Alexander

Rogue

The rogues are not and do not have a House. Instead, they have a representative, and work together when they have to.

Noah Beck is the representative for the Rogue vampires.

Story & Thoughts

As the first volume of a series, this book does a good job at many things. It introduces a large number of characters, not all of them significant, yet. The ones that matter seem well defined and realistic enough to believe they could actually exist. Their interactions have personality, so they don’t feel flat.

The most important thing about the characters, I think, is Merit is a strong female lead. She doesn’t always know what the best thing to do is, but she stays true to herself. She doesn’t let anyone boss her around or convince her to accept any sexist or outdated terms. Her own moral compass always comes first. I don’t come across many female leads like her, and I’d like to see more of them.

As expected, there are a lot of world building and lore dumping, but they’re all interesting. Despite what the description implies, vampires are not undead in this world. The lore is a little different than normal. The transition to become a vampire is more of a genetic alteration than an undeath. They only need blood about once every other day. They can still eat and drink normal food and beverages. Sunlight is still a weakness, or in this case, considered a deathly allergy. There’s actually a whole culture involved, and I think that’s pretty cool.

I like the book enough to read more of the series if I get the chance, but I won’t go out of my way to find more. I’m satisfied with the story and the ending. There isn’t a cliffhanger, so there’s no pressing need to get another volume.

The epilogue tries to do one of those stereotypical, end of an episode, ominous, “danger is coming, but I’ll be ready,” type things. I see what it’s going for, but I can’t help laughing at it. It’s not really a spoiler, but Merit finishes by saying she’s very, very good at her job. That’s just laughable to me. She’s been a vampire for, like, two weeks, and has hardly any training. I just can’t take that seriously, because she is not good at her job, not yet, anyway.

The Mummy or Ramses the Damned

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The Mummy or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice
Series Name: Ramses the Damned
Volume Number: 1
Genres: Historical, Horror, Romance, Supernatural
Intended Age Group: Adult
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 0-345-36994-7
Rating: 3/5
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Description from the Book

Ramses the Great lives….

Reawakened in opulent Edwardian London, he becomes Dr. Ramsey, expert in Egyptology and member of a group of jaded aristocrats with strange appetites to appease. But searing memories of his last reawakening, at the behest of Cleopatra, burn in his immortal soul. For he has drunk the elixir of life and is now Ramses the Damned, doomed forever to wander the earth, desperate to quell hungers that can never be satisfied. And his most intense longing of all, a great love undiminished by the centuries, will force him to commit an act of unspeakable horror….

Personal & Info

This book has several perspectives. Most of the important characters I listed have at least one section of their own perspective. I think Julie, Elliot, Ramsey, and Cleopatra take up the majority.

This was first printed in 1989, and takes place in 1914, so keep that in mind for any possible unsavory differences from modern culture. The phrasing of sentences throughout the book are a little strange in that they sometimes seem worded backwards. I don’t know if that’s just a thing from the time period or poor editing.

The series for this is a trilogy. The second and third books released in 2017 and 2022. They are The Passion of Cleopatra and The Reign of Osiris. The writing for them is probably a bit different, because Anne Rice’s son Christopher Rice worked on them.

Characters

Lawrence Stratford is an archaeologist who chooses to live his life chasing Egyptian secrets instead of running the family shipping business.

Julie Stratford is Lawrence’s daughter. Like her father, her interests are Egyptian history and archaeology. Lawrence describes her as fearless.

Randolph Stratford is Lawrence’s brother. He is currently in charge of running the family shipping business and is not doing a good job.

Henry Stratford is Randolf’s son and Lawrence’s nephew. He is the family disappointment, because of his gambling and drinking problems.

Elliot Savarell is the Earl of Rutherford. The family title dates back as far as Henry VIII. Elliot is a close family friend of Lawrence’s, and he is married to Edith Christian. He suffers from chronic arthritis in his hip and legs, which makes him have to use a cane. Elliot shares Lawrence’s love for Egyptian history.

Alex Savarell is Elliot’s son, the Viscount Summerfield. He is Julie’s unofficial fiancé. Everyone describes him as childishly innocent and kind.

Samir Ibrahaim is Lawrence’s archaeology assistant. He works for the British museum.

Ramses, known by the modern day alias Reginald Ramsey, is the mummy. He has many historical titles, such as Ramses the Great, Ramses the Damned, the immortal guardian, etc. Ramses is immortal, because he drank an elixir. He knows of no possible way to end his immortal life, so instead, he takes the occasional centuries long nap, kind of like a vampire.

Cleopatra, the historical Egyptian Queen, is basically Ramses’ ex-girlfriend. She refused the immortality elixir in favor of death to be buried next to her love, Antony.

Story & Thoughts

I had some trouble getting into this. It starts by going over the money problems Randolph’s side of the Stratford family and the Savarells are experiencing. It takes more pages than the average reader allows before it actually gets going, and the problems presented are so normal compared to what one would expect from a mummy story. However, once the mummy inflated and got moving, things became more interesting.

My rating is a tentative three, for a multitude of reasons. The first being, once things finally get moving, the story is actually kind of dull. The first half of the book mostly focuses on Ramsey learning about the modern world. He has to learn the language, and Julie takes him all over London to teach him about modern machines, customs, and history. Eventually, Ramsey wants to go to Egypt to see how his home has changed, but until then, the only really interesting parts are when Ramsey occasionally scares the crap out of Henry with simple conversation.

There are practically no thrills to the story. If you’re hoping for something similar to The Mummy movie, that’s not what you’re going to get. At best, there are a few specific moments of tension or suspense.

My biggest issue with the book is that the romance is not great. I really like some of the characters, but some of their backgrounds and personalities seem like a complete waste. On top of that, the men in the story are almost all promiscuous and unfaithful. The book handles the subject of sex very poorly. There is a conversation at one point where Ramsey defends Cleopatra’s character as a person and says there is more to her than just a seductress. This is completely invalidated by the story making Cleopatra have sex constantly with almost any man who talks to her.

Sometimes the characters feel deep and wonderful, but the way sex is handled just detracts from the overall experience. The relationships feel undervalued because of it. It’s like nobody appreciates anybody as much as they should. The only one who makes any reasonable love life decisions is Julie, and even then I don’t agree with her choices. Her choices regarding the elixir don’t make sense when paired with her desires and feelings. I won’t elaborate on this further due to spoilers, but her choices throughout the book don’t make much logical sense to me.

In general, the story is good. I understand the feelings and drama it’s trying to portray. I just don’t think it did a good job conveying it. It’s not worth it for me to look into any more of the series. I feel like I would be too frustrated to enjoy it, if the rest are anything like this one.