One of the things I’ve always wanted for long running series books is some kind of recap of what happened in the last book. Especially, when the books like Charlaine Harris’s are released up to a year apart. I finally got my wish and much more with The Sookie Stackhouse Companion. There is an excellent and very detailed synopsis for each book in the series (so far) along with glossaries, a map and character listings with short bios as well as a brand new short story. There are also reader Q&As with Charlaine Harris and Alan Ball to round out and add some padding to this $30 hardcover book. Honestly, I could have done without Ball’s section. He came across a bit annoyed at the questions from fans of the book series who seemed to be criticizing the TV series. What he doesn’t understand is that those of us who’ve been reading these for years honestly want to know why he has deviated so much from the books. Penguin would be remiss if they didn’t take advantage of the dual marketing with HBO’s True Blood but I really feel like the TV series has gone it’s own way and is only loosely based on the books. That’s part of the reason why I can never remember what has happened in previous books because I continually get it mixed up with the show. At any rate, I think the companion was a great idea (that will help me keep story lines straight) and it will certainly be a complement to the library of devoted fans of the series. The only drawback I can see with this book is that it won’t include the last two books in the series leaving it ultimately incomplete.

Release Date: August 30, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-441-01971-7

Deeper Than Midnight is the 9th book in Lara Adrian’s Midnight Breed series. Here’s the book summary:

Delivered from the darkness, a woman finds herself plunged into a passion that is DEEPER THAN MIDNIGHT . . .

At eighteen, Corinne Bishop was a beautiful, spirited young woman living a life of privilege as the adopted daughter of a wealthy family. Her world was changed in an instant when she was stolen away and held prisoner by the malevolent vampire Dragos. After many years of captivity and torment, Corinne is rescued by the Order, a cadre of vampire warriors embroiled in a war against Dragos and his followers. Her innocence taken, Corinne has lost a piece of her heart as well–the one thing that gave her hope during her imprisonment, and the only thing that matters to her now that she is free.

Assigned to safeguard Corinne on her trip home is a formidable golden-eyed Breed male called Hunter. Once Dragos’s most deadly assassin, Hunter now works for the Order, and he’s hell-bent on making Dragos pay for his manifold sins. Bonded to Corinne by their mutual desire, Hunter will have to decide how far he’ll go to end Dragos’s reign of evil–even if carrying out his mission means shattering Corinne’s tender heart.

I liked this book a lot because I was excited for Hunter to get his own happy ending. When he was first introduced he seemed like such a soulless killing machine which is understandable considering his brutal upbringing by Dragos’s minions. But underneath the hard exterior is a vampire who has never experienced love. Corinne, our heroine, made an appearance in the last book when she was rescued from Dragos’s compound along with the other breedmates in captivity. She has her own issues to contend with including a stunning betrayal that will make her question who she can really count on. Their relationship seems ill-fated but these two deserving lovers won’t be kept apart by duty. The secondary plot of the novel is Sterling Chase’s continuing downward spiral. The danger of losing himself to bloodlust is a near reality and he’s hovering ever closer to the edge. It seems that he will get his own book in the #10 Midnight Breed and hopefully a redemption of his own.

If you’re looking for a great series about sexy warrior vampires, the Midnight Breed books will fit the bill. For more information on the series including the reading order of the books visit: http://www.laraadrian.com/series.php

Enjoy,

Vicky

WARNING: Major spoilers below.

A serial killer is hunting the Pacific Northwest, murdering victims in a gruesome and spectacular way. The local police suspect “monsters” are involved, and have called in Anita Blake and Edward, US Marshals who really know their monsters, to catch the killer.

But some monsters are very real. The Harlequin have been the bogeymen of the vampire world for more than a thousand years; they are a secret so dark that even to speak their name can earn you a death sentence. Now they are here in America, hunting weretigers…and human police.

The Harlequin serve the Mother of All Darkness, the first vampire. She was supposed to be dead, but only her body was destroyed. Now she needs a new one, and she’s decided that Anita Blake’s is the body she wants. Edward thinks the serial killings are a trap to lure Anita closer to the most dangerous vampire they’ve ever hunted. The vampires call Edward “Death,” and Anita the “Executioner,” but Mommy Darkest is coming to kill one and possess the other, and she doesn’t care how many others have to die along the way.

Things I Learned from Hit List:

The Harlequin were made out to be such scary bogeymen and they turned out to be not so scary after all. Severely anti-climactic.

Marmee Noir never seems to be gone for good. She might possibly be gone forever this time since Anita kind of ate her, but there was a little whiff of doubt for me.

Hit List = same story, different names and different city. Do we have to keep meeting the same jerky cop who thinks Anita’s a slut and is pissed because she’s not banging him? I can’t even count how many times we’ve met this character.

The same smug, self-righteous thoughts are still running through Anita’s head, regurgitated over and over and over.

That creepy, freak serial-killer Olaf is a were now? Seriously? I’ve had enough of this psycho. Why does LKH like him so much that he has to keep making a reappearance?

The sex part was slightly less annoying in Hit List, at least Anita’s not having to do it constantly anymore. Yes, we know you like pain with sex. Yes we know you like to scream your head off and scratch the crap out of your partners. **Yawn**

I’ve finally come to the realization (probably 12 books after everyone else) that this series will never recover it’s allure for me. Anita will never be as interesting as she used to. Jean Claude will never be the sexy, scary lover again. There’s just no going back. Adios Anita, it was (a long time ago) nice knowing you.

Release Date: June 7, 2011
ISBN-10: 0425241130
ISBN-13: 978-0425241134

Dead Reckoning is the 11th book in Charlaine Harris’s successful Sookie Stackhouse series. Here’s the cover blurb:

With her knack for being in trouble’s way, Sookie witnesses the firebombing of Merlotte’s, the bar where she works. Since Sam Merlotte is now known to be two-natured, suspicion falls immediately on the anti-shifters in the area. Sookie suspects otherwise, but her attention is divided when she realizes that her lover Eric Northman and his “child” Pam are plotting to kill the vampire who is now their master. Gradually, Sookie is drawn into the plot-which is much more complicated than she knows. Caught up once again in the politics of the vampire world, Sookie will learn that she is as much of a pawn as an ordinary human – and that there is a new queen on the board…

Reading a new Sookie book is always enjoyable, it never fails to excite me when I rip open a package and find one of Charlaine Harris’s books inside. The comfort of a series for me is the familiarity of characters and places that I’ve come to know and love. Sookie has been through a lot in the last few years and she’s certainly not getting a break now. The attack on Sam’s bar is puzzling but not for long when Sookie learns that an enemy who wants her dead is back. Sadly, there are a number of those individuals but her luck always manages to hold out and she’s usually the one left alive. Luckily her longevity is primarily due to the help of her powerful supernatural friends and lovers. ‘Cause when you mess with the supes, you’d better have some heavy duty backup. It’s a good thing that Sookie is such a practical woman, anyone else would have had a nervous breakdown by now. There is some sweetness added to the story to break up all the violence, by her little telepathic cousin and at least one fae family member who genuinely seems to care about her. The action in Dead Reckoning at times can seem like it’s non-stop and is a little exhausting. I can’t complain though, because I couldn’t put it down. I read it all in one day. Harris does not disappoint in this latest installment.

By the way, fans of Harris’s Lily Bard mystery series will be delighted to see a familiar face but I’m sad that it was only fleeting. Perhaps it’s a sign that Harris will return her attention to some of the mystery series(s) that she has abandoned? A girl can hope. If you’re looking for more by Charlaine Harris, I’d recommend the Harper Connelly mystery series, about a woman who was struck by lightning giving her the ability to find dead bodies.

Release Date: May 3, 2011
ISBN-10: 0441020313
ISBN-13: 978-0441020317

Here’s the summary from the publisher:

Payne, twin sister of Vishous, is cut from the same dark, seductive cloth as her brother. Imprisoned for eons by their mother, the Scribe Virgin, she finally frees herself—only to face a devastating injury. Manuel Manello, M.D., is drafted by the Brotherhood to save her as only he can—but when the human surgeon and the vampire warrior meet, their two worlds collide in the face of their undeniable passion. With so much working against them, can love prove stronger than the birthright and the biology that separates them?

When she suffers a paralyzing injury, human surgeon Dr. Manuel Manello is called in to treat her as only he can- and he soon gets sucked into her dangerous, secret world. Although he never before believed in things that go bump in the night- like vampires- he finds himself more than willing to be seduced by the powerful female who marks both his body and his soul.

As the two find so much more than an erotic connection, the human and vampire worlds collide … just as a centuries old score catches up with Payne and puts both her love and her life in deadly jeopardy.

I never fail to get excited when I receive a Black Dagger Brotherhood book to review. J.R. Ward continues to entertain me with each book in this unique series. Lover Unleashed is primarily the story of Payne (Vishous’s sister) and Manuel “Manny” Manello but as most of Ward’s recent BDB books, it has multiple story lines interwoven. Manny and Payne’s story was okay but what I really enjoyed was more about Vishous and Jane as well as Qhuinn. Vishous and Jane have a breakthrough in their relationship thanks to Butch. I was hoping for a little man love there but Ward keeps things emotional but chaste between V and Butch. Speaking of man love, Qhuinn has a revelation about what an a-hole he is and starts to become more of a human being (as much as a vampire can be) to make himself worthy of Blay. But, a future vision involving Layla could throw a major wrench into future plans.

Manny and Payne are not the most exciting couple. Some of the plot prompted a little eye rolling like the sexual healing bit. Right, okay, you can cure a severed spinal cord with a few orgasms. Sure…. That plot point wasn’t really thought all the way through. I did enjoy the part with Manny’s racehorse Glory though. I’m a sucker for guys that have a soft spot for animals and Manny’s affection for his horse was touching. There is still quite a bit of story to keep this series moving and with a new band of warriors in town, the BDB has some competition for keeping vampire society safe. Wrath better watch out because there’s a new sheriff in town, Xcor, and he’s got his eye on the big guy’s throne…

Loved it. Go read it.

ISBN: 978045
Release Date: March 29, 2010

Dark Angels Revealed: from Dark Rouges to Dark Romantics by Angela Grace is a fan guide for lovers of the “dark angel genre”. The book highlights forty of the most popular dark angels from books, movies and TV shows. Here’s the book cover copy:

The Ultimate Fan Guide to Dark Angels!

Dark Angels have a way of capturing the popular imagination. From Lestat of The Vampire Chronicles to Edward Cullen of the Twilight series to Count Dracula of Bram Stoker’s classic novel, fans are enraptured by heaven’s mysterious and misunderstood outcasts. Now comes the ultimate fan guide for lovers of the dark angel genre. Dark Angels Revealed dives into the lives of the most popular dark angels from novels, movies, and television including:

— The Cullen family from Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series

— Acheron of the best-selling Dark Hunter series

— Bill Compton of the hit television series True Blood

— Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

— Jean Claude from the acclaimed Anita Blake Vampire Hunter novels
Each entry is a revealing look into a dark angel’s strengths, weaknesses, and special powers. Even the most diehard fan will glean new insight into each character’s psyche, gifts, and personal demons. Brimming with photographs, key lines and scenes, and little known facts and trivia, this is the definitive insider’s guide to these incredible creatures.

This book’s identity and target audience is a hard one to figure out. Certainly, vampires have enjoyed a lot of recent popularity in movies and television as evidenced by the Twilight series books and movies and HBO’s hit show True Blood based on Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels. The favorite characters that everyone seems to be lusting for, trend towards the newer younger and hipper vampires which are absolutely included here. It’s a bit puzzling though, to see entries that younger fans of the genre may have never heard of such as Barnabas Collins from Dark Shadows (which ended before most readers were born) and Julian Luna from the short-lived Kindred series. In my view, the book is intended to appeal to nearly everyone while it’s likely to appeal only to a very small audience. Readers who want more details, trivia and images of Eric Northman will probably have zero interest in Count Orloff or Elizabeth Bathory. Speaking from personal experience, I rarely buy a book that I’ll only want to read one or two chapters.

As the title describes, the featured characters are not all vampires but are “heaven’s mysterious and misunderstood outcasts”. This results in an eclectic mix that is a less than cohesive collection. As for the “dark angel” genre, I’m not convinced that it really exists but who knows, maybe it will be the next big thing. I’ve been unable to find a definition other than the one provided by the author. I suppose she could be credited with defining it by publishing this book. I can’t say that I’d recommend this book because I don’t know who it’s target audience is.

Release Date: May 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1592334571

In the Company of Vampires is Katie MacAlister’s Dark Ones series, Book 8.

Here’s the back cover copy:

If only a broken heart were all she had to deal with…But there are Viking ghosts, gods, werebeings, and one sexy-as-sin vampire on Francesca’s case. And her biggest trouble is spelled with a capital-L-for Loki, the trickster god who made good on his promised revenge by abducting her mother.

But when Fran arrives at GothFaire to save her mother, things go from bad to worse. Her immortal ex, Benedict, is there, full of secrets…and with a new girlfriend. Fran must battle not only a power-hungry group that wishes to dominate both the immortal and mortal worlds, but the woman who claimed Ben’s heart. Shape-shifters, Vikings, and a town filled with deranged opera fans. It’s a good thing Fran’s no ordinary mortal…

I had a lot of issues with this book; a scattered plot that’s pretty much all over the place, zany verging on stupid characters like viking ghosts, hard to remember connections to previous books and strange creatures that I can’t remember what they are, like “illargi”. The missing mom plot line was also kind of confusing. Fran was convinced her mother was abducted based on nearly zero evidence. It turned out to be a bit of a red herring in the end. Regarding the romance aspect of the story, although initially there were a lot of unexplained issue between Fran and Benedikt, I found their conflict to be believable and complex. One drawback (and I’ve said it before) is that MacAlister’s heroines are incredibly similar in this series. They all do the same distracted stream of consciousness chatter that I find incredibly annoying and which the heroes always find endearing. Having a signature isn’t necessarily a bad thing but I’m not that interesting in reading about the same woman over and over again. Honestly, the book was a bit forgettable.

Release Date: November 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 0451231600
ISBN-13: 978-0451231604

Book Description from HarperCollins:

Aspiring writer Jane Austen knows that respectable young ladies like herself are supposed to shun the Damned—the beautiful, fashionable, exquisitely seductive vampires who are all the rage in Georgian England in 1797. So when an innocent (she believes) flirtation results in her being turned—by an absolute cad of a bloodsucker—she acquiesces to her family’s wishes and departs for Bath to take the waters, the only known cure.

But what she encounters there is completely unexpected: perilous jealousies and further betrayals, a new friendship and a possible love. Yet all that must be put aside when the warring French invade unsuspecting Bath—and the streets run red with good English blood. Suddenly only the staunchly British Damned can defend the nation they love . . . with Jane Austen leading the charge at the battle’s forefront.

Warning spoilers ahead.

Mash-ups of classic books and monsters are all the rage right now. Jane and the Damned is one of the latest contributions to this clever genre. This is the story of Jane Austen prior to her literary success and how she becomes a vampire at what should have been an innocent evening of dancing and flirtation. Jane has little trouble adjusting to her new nature and her family is surprisingly accommodating. Jane’s vampirism allows her to break out of the conventions of her time and experience freedom and liberties otherwise unavailable to her. Jane has new-found power, strength and even sexuality that was previously repressed. She becomes part of a different world of decadence but also one where she receives respect, not as a woman but as a transformed creature that is outside of gender expectations.

I very much enjoyed the story; I like the idea of vampires as revolutionaries who intervene in historical events to either protect humans or to control the future. I was a bit sad at the ending but the door was left slightly ajar for Jane to continue her life as an undead crusader rather than take the cure. I understood her internal struggle between family and romantic love but was a little disappointed at her choice. Oh well, if Jane Austen really had been a vampire who knows what would have happened? What would literature be without the classic Pride and Prejudice? Janet Mullaney is a self-described big fan of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer. I can definitely see shades of Heyer in her story, especially in the choice of time period and the setting of Bath, England. If you like traditional English romantic novels I think you’ll really enjoy Jane and the Damned.

Publisher: Avon
Release Date: September 28, 2010
ISBN-10: 0061958301
ISBN-13: 978-0061958304

Here’s the book synopsis from Lynsay Sands:

As a chef and restauranteur, Alex Willan had enjoyed so much success she allowed herself to be talked into opening a second restaurant. It’s a decision she’s come to regret. Calamity after calamity have slowed the opening and driven her to the edge of bankruptcy. But things go from bad to worse when a competitor lures away the chef at her original restaurant leaving her torn between the choice to keep the original restaurant running, or getting the second restaurant going. With so much happening, Alex simply doesn’t have time for her sister Sam’s attempts at matchmaking, so when Sam calls with yet another man she “just has to meet” Alex tells her that if the man doesn’t cook, don’t even bother. Imagine her surprise when Sam says he’s a chef from Europe. He appears to be the answer to her prayers.

Cale Argeneau was finding himself somewhat world weary and bored so when his Aunt Marguerite suggested a visit to Canada to spend some time with his cousins, he thought “why not?” What he didn’t realize was that the intrepid Marguerite Argeneau thought she might have a match for him. Once he finds out, he’s less than excited. He’s waited centuries for a life mate and finds it hard to believe this Alex woman his Aunt keeps going on about could be the one. It was the shock of his life when he met Alex and found she was indeed a possible life mate. But that wasn’t nearly as shocking as the realization that the only way he was going to get anywhere near the woman was if he claimed to be a world class chef. Cale couldn’t even boil water, but he was about to take a crash course in cooking. He was also going to have to find out who was behind the calamities that were plaguing this new restaurant endeavor before someone got hurt. He’d do that and more to be near the woman who had reawakened his appetites, because it wasn’t just food he now found himself hungry for, but also Alex herself and the life he could have with her.

I like the engaging way Lynsay Sands writes. Her Argeneau vampire books are always ones that I don’t want to put down and inevitably read very quickly. Usually I find some elements of the plot of characters distracting but I really enjoyed Hungry For You. Despite the dubious beginnings, Cale pretending to be a chef even though he knows nothing about cooking smacks a bit of a cheesy sitcom plot, it moved past that subterfuge fairly quickly to be something a bit more entertaining. I also like that there is a continuation of the previous books and their characters in each book. It adds more substance and interest to the individual romance plots. The only thing that didn’t work for me is the way the love scenes are written. They seem less about emotions and feelings and more of a wooden description of who touched who and when. But that’s more personal preference than anything. Overall, I found the book to be a humorous and light vampire romance. It’s great for a few hours of mindless entertainment.

Release Date: November 30, 2010
ISBN-10: 0061894575
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-189457-2