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Broken Beasts (Xoe Meyers #3)
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Xoe had hoped that after the events of the last few months, things would finally slow down. No such...
Acanthea Grimscythe (300 KP) rated The Coldest Girl in Coldtown in Books
May 16, 2018
Actual rating: 3.5. Rounded to 4.
I don’t really tend to read a lot of vampire books anymore, especially when they’ve been labeled young adult. Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is definitely an exception to that habit. I needed a break from flipping pages and wanted to get in a little bit of time gaming. When I saw The Coldest Girl in Coldtown available for an immediate audio book borrow from OverDrive, I decided to give it a shot. I’d heard of Holly Black, even if I hadn’t read any of her work.
Black’s novel takes vampirism and spreads it in the same manner that most post-apocalyptic novels spread the infectious diseases that create zombies. Vampires are romanticized, as they often are, especially in young adult books, and in this case, they no longer live in the shadows; rather, they have taken up residence in government organized areas known as Coldtowns. Those that have been infected with the vampire virus are also holed up within the walls of this cities, and there’s no shortage of food, because people are dying to get in.
Waking up after passing out at a party, the main character, a young woman named Tana, finds herself amidst a massacre: people she knows have been slaughtered by vampires. The only survivors are her, an ex-boyfriend, and a strange boy. Her ex is infected, and the boy is a vampire. Deciding to turn him in for a bounty, and worried that her ex will become a vampire himself, the trio travel to Coldtown. It isn’t long before Tana finds herself caught up in what could loosely be described as vampire politics. Amongst betrayal, she must persevere in order to guarantee her own survival.
The majority of the story is told from Tana’s perspective, with a few chapters written in Gavriel, the vampire’s, and another one, maybe two, from her younger sister’s, Pearl’s, point-of-view. These changes exist solely to expound on certain events that have led the characters to where they are, such as Gavriel’s past — which is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of the book. Each chapter also begins with an excerpt, usually from a poem that deals with death, the undead, or vampires.
Voices make a huge impact on listening to audio books, especially for me. If I can’t stand the voice, I will not finish the book more than likely. In the case of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the narrator, Christine Lakin, is absolutely amazing. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, and there is a clear difference between the way each of the characters speak.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown isn’t among my favorite reads, perhaps because I prefer the more traditional approaches to vampires, but it is, undoubtedly, an fun journey. If you like your vampires a bit on the softer side of the spectrum, this one is definitely worth picking up.
I don’t really tend to read a lot of vampire books anymore, especially when they’ve been labeled young adult. Holly Black’s The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is definitely an exception to that habit. I needed a break from flipping pages and wanted to get in a little bit of time gaming. When I saw The Coldest Girl in Coldtown available for an immediate audio book borrow from OverDrive, I decided to give it a shot. I’d heard of Holly Black, even if I hadn’t read any of her work.
Black’s novel takes vampirism and spreads it in the same manner that most post-apocalyptic novels spread the infectious diseases that create zombies. Vampires are romanticized, as they often are, especially in young adult books, and in this case, they no longer live in the shadows; rather, they have taken up residence in government organized areas known as Coldtowns. Those that have been infected with the vampire virus are also holed up within the walls of this cities, and there’s no shortage of food, because people are dying to get in.
Waking up after passing out at a party, the main character, a young woman named Tana, finds herself amidst a massacre: people she knows have been slaughtered by vampires. The only survivors are her, an ex-boyfriend, and a strange boy. Her ex is infected, and the boy is a vampire. Deciding to turn him in for a bounty, and worried that her ex will become a vampire himself, the trio travel to Coldtown. It isn’t long before Tana finds herself caught up in what could loosely be described as vampire politics. Amongst betrayal, she must persevere in order to guarantee her own survival.
The majority of the story is told from Tana’s perspective, with a few chapters written in Gavriel, the vampire’s, and another one, maybe two, from her younger sister’s, Pearl’s, point-of-view. These changes exist solely to expound on certain events that have led the characters to where they are, such as Gavriel’s past — which is, undoubtedly, one of my favorite parts of the book. Each chapter also begins with an excerpt, usually from a poem that deals with death, the undead, or vampires.
Voices make a huge impact on listening to audio books, especially for me. If I can’t stand the voice, I will not finish the book more than likely. In the case of The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the narrator, Christine Lakin, is absolutely amazing. Her voice is pleasant to listen to, and there is a clear difference between the way each of the characters speak.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown isn’t among my favorite reads, perhaps because I prefer the more traditional approaches to vampires, but it is, undoubtedly, an fun journey. If you like your vampires a bit on the softer side of the spectrum, this one is definitely worth picking up.
Beckie Shelton (40 KP) rated The Black Lily (Vampire Blood, #1) in Books
Feb 8, 2018
The Black Lily By Juliette Cross is my first book by this author.
It's a kind of Vampire Twist on the whole cinderella story and seeing as I love fairy tales and am a sucker (sucker get it he he ) for vampires this seemed a win-win.
We have a fairy tale world ruled by vampires, nobles and then the poor peasants
Our Prince Mariel is a vampire and he's having a ball for all the nobility to attend to find his latest bleeder.
Enter Arabelle AKA The Black Lily she's at the ball until midnight to entice the prince so she can drive a gold edged dagger through his vampire heart.
Arabelle is part of the underground movement to stop vampire tyranny.
fleeing the scene of the crime just after midnight. Arabelle thinks she's succeeded in her mission.
Prince Marius wants to find the enchantress bearing a tattoo of a lily and proceeds to start a hunt across the kingdom for the mysterious woman.
Now It took me a while to get into this book, this might have been because I was in a bit of a reading slump, or just plain I wasn't sure about it.
anyway, something must have clicked for me as this changed for me around chapter seven and them a steamrolled through the rest.
so in conclusion, fantastic original plotline, I don't think I've ever seen cinderella imagined with vampires, a great narrative and excellent world building.
this was a fun read with great fleshed out characters my only issue was my inability to originally connect with the story this pulled it down slightly for me and my rating reflected this.
saying that this is still a great read.
I received a free e-copy of The Black Lily from NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
It's a kind of Vampire Twist on the whole cinderella story and seeing as I love fairy tales and am a sucker (sucker get it he he ) for vampires this seemed a win-win.
We have a fairy tale world ruled by vampires, nobles and then the poor peasants
Our Prince Mariel is a vampire and he's having a ball for all the nobility to attend to find his latest bleeder.
Enter Arabelle AKA The Black Lily she's at the ball until midnight to entice the prince so she can drive a gold edged dagger through his vampire heart.
Arabelle is part of the underground movement to stop vampire tyranny.
fleeing the scene of the crime just after midnight. Arabelle thinks she's succeeded in her mission.
Prince Marius wants to find the enchantress bearing a tattoo of a lily and proceeds to start a hunt across the kingdom for the mysterious woman.
Now It took me a while to get into this book, this might have been because I was in a bit of a reading slump, or just plain I wasn't sure about it.
anyway, something must have clicked for me as this changed for me around chapter seven and them a steamrolled through the rest.
so in conclusion, fantastic original plotline, I don't think I've ever seen cinderella imagined with vampires, a great narrative and excellent world building.
this was a fun read with great fleshed out characters my only issue was my inability to originally connect with the story this pulled it down slightly for me and my rating reflected this.
saying that this is still a great read.
I received a free e-copy of The Black Lily from NetGalley and this is my own honest opinion.
https://www.beckiebookworm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
Sarah (7800 KP) rated A Discovery of Witches - Season 1 in TV
Nov 11, 2018
Dull and cringeworthy
I knew after the first couple of episodes that this series wasn’t for me, but I persevered in the hope it might get better as it went along. Sadly it doesn’t.
The main problem is that witches, vampires etc have all been done before. And most have been done better than this. The vampires are all moody and gloomy looking dressed in black, and all of the different creatures show no potential whatsoever. The witches exhibit some powers but nothing particularly impressive, the vampires don’t do much either and the demons do absolutely nothing and don’t show any powers or supernatural abilities whatsoever. For the most part, this is just a romance with a supernatural backdrop thrown in. And even the romance aspect isn’t very good - this stinks of a slightly more adult version of Twilight. It’s cheesy, cringey and moves so quickly it beggars belief.
There are some talented actors in this, but sadly the script and the plot really lets them down. Matthew Goode’s attempts at making his vampire snarling, bloodthirsty and terrifying are laughable. The only person who really pulls off any menace is Trevor Eve but he’s sidelined in favour of more irritating characters. Even Teresa Palmer doesn’t come across well, playing so much like Bella from Twilight it’s disturbing.
The show itself is very scenic and beautifully shot, unsurprising considering some of the locations like Oxford and Venice. It’s just a shame that i found it very dull and laughable (not in a good way). I also found the cliffhanger ending disappointing, as the likelihood of me ever bothering to watch another series is slim. I only just made it through these 8 episodes.
The main problem is that witches, vampires etc have all been done before. And most have been done better than this. The vampires are all moody and gloomy looking dressed in black, and all of the different creatures show no potential whatsoever. The witches exhibit some powers but nothing particularly impressive, the vampires don’t do much either and the demons do absolutely nothing and don’t show any powers or supernatural abilities whatsoever. For the most part, this is just a romance with a supernatural backdrop thrown in. And even the romance aspect isn’t very good - this stinks of a slightly more adult version of Twilight. It’s cheesy, cringey and moves so quickly it beggars belief.
There are some talented actors in this, but sadly the script and the plot really lets them down. Matthew Goode’s attempts at making his vampire snarling, bloodthirsty and terrifying are laughable. The only person who really pulls off any menace is Trevor Eve but he’s sidelined in favour of more irritating characters. Even Teresa Palmer doesn’t come across well, playing so much like Bella from Twilight it’s disturbing.
The show itself is very scenic and beautifully shot, unsurprising considering some of the locations like Oxford and Venice. It’s just a shame that i found it very dull and laughable (not in a good way). I also found the cliffhanger ending disappointing, as the likelihood of me ever bothering to watch another series is slim. I only just made it through these 8 episodes.
The start of Bram Stokers biography?
And to think that I nearly gave up on this to begin with! At about 20% in, it just didn't seem to be drawing me in at all. So how pleased am I that I persevered?!!
This is a prequel to Bram Stokers Dracula, and is the story of Bram himself. It postulates that Dracula and vampires really do exist, Bram and his family had an intimate relationship with one (not like THAT!), and Dracula was written as a warning about the Undead. Well, I clearly don't know what to believe now!
The language used in this novel is a little more up to date than Bram Stokers original: it's written for the modern reader (as Bram's was at the time, I suppose), and is consequently much easier to read. This book is supposedly based on notes that Bram left behind - whether they were ideas for another book, or they were 'actual occurrences', we'll never really know.
Bram and his family are followed from Bram's early childhood, up until well after their encounter with Dracul. It's exciting, there's loads of action, and I had some serious worries about Bram's siblings! There's loads of historical detail (potato famine in Ireland, disease, poverty) which I rather enjoyed. But it's the encounters with the vampires that I really loved. There's always going to be someone that makes the comparison to 'that' vampire series, and so I'll be the one. There IS NO comparison. These aren't nicey-nicey vampires who sparkle. These are largely speaking, evil, dark-magic-using, killing machines. Much more fun.
I think this is probably going to be a series. Which I will obviously be reading. Obviously.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
This is a prequel to Bram Stokers Dracula, and is the story of Bram himself. It postulates that Dracula and vampires really do exist, Bram and his family had an intimate relationship with one (not like THAT!), and Dracula was written as a warning about the Undead. Well, I clearly don't know what to believe now!
The language used in this novel is a little more up to date than Bram Stokers original: it's written for the modern reader (as Bram's was at the time, I suppose), and is consequently much easier to read. This book is supposedly based on notes that Bram left behind - whether they were ideas for another book, or they were 'actual occurrences', we'll never really know.
Bram and his family are followed from Bram's early childhood, up until well after their encounter with Dracul. It's exciting, there's loads of action, and I had some serious worries about Bram's siblings! There's loads of historical detail (potato famine in Ireland, disease, poverty) which I rather enjoyed. But it's the encounters with the vampires that I really loved. There's always going to be someone that makes the comparison to 'that' vampire series, and so I'll be the one. There IS NO comparison. These aren't nicey-nicey vampires who sparkle. These are largely speaking, evil, dark-magic-using, killing machines. Much more fun.
I think this is probably going to be a series. Which I will obviously be reading. Obviously.
Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy of this book.
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Sirius The Jaeger in TV
Jul 5, 2020
Search For The Ark - 8/10
Sirius The Jaeger is a supernatural action thriller anime written by Keigo Koyanagi and directed by Masahiro Ando and produced by P.A. Works. Original character designs by Kinu Nishimura, with Mai Matsuura and Souichirou Sako adapting the designs for animation and music by Masaru Yokoyama.
Under the guise of the "V Shipping Company", a group of vampire hunters called "Jaegers", follow a group of vampires from China to Japan in 1930. Among the Jaegers, is a werewolf named Yuliy, whose home village was destroyed by vampires. Both sides battle over possession of holy relic known only as, "The Ark of Sirius". Which if acquired could have the potential to give power of a God.
This series was great. As some of the more pickier critics point out, it's hard to say if something is "classic" or cliche, but I for one really liked and enjoyed this show. The characters were pretty unique and I was very interested in both the group dynamic and the overall story arc and where it was going. The animation was very fluid, lots of energy in the fight scenes and good choreography. I really liked the progression of the main character and feel it makes up for him being kind of sad and mopey, especially in the beginning. Things do change towards the end when it becomes less about the group but it had a pretty satisfying ending and was more emotional than I thought it would be. I give it a 8/10 and recommend it for anyone who likes vampires or vampire anime.
Under the guise of the "V Shipping Company", a group of vampire hunters called "Jaegers", follow a group of vampires from China to Japan in 1930. Among the Jaegers, is a werewolf named Yuliy, whose home village was destroyed by vampires. Both sides battle over possession of holy relic known only as, "The Ark of Sirius". Which if acquired could have the potential to give power of a God.
This series was great. As some of the more pickier critics point out, it's hard to say if something is "classic" or cliche, but I for one really liked and enjoyed this show. The characters were pretty unique and I was very interested in both the group dynamic and the overall story arc and where it was going. The animation was very fluid, lots of energy in the fight scenes and good choreography. I really liked the progression of the main character and feel it makes up for him being kind of sad and mopey, especially in the beginning. Things do change towards the end when it becomes less about the group but it had a pretty satisfying ending and was more emotional than I thought it would be. I give it a 8/10 and recommend it for anyone who likes vampires or vampire anime.
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Eternal Bloodthirst (Blood Moon #1) in Books
May 8, 2023
In a genre full of vampires, S.J. Blackrose has managed to carve out her own niche with a set of vampires different from any I have previously read. In this, there are two types of Vampire - one feeds from each other, and the other feeds from humans. They have soulmates but they are always from the opposite 'set'. They have a choice to become one or the other once they are together.
However, a twist is made to this within the story, and that is that a time limit is now imposed upon those who have found their mates. In an effort to show how important a bond is, and how respected it must be, Lilith creates a time limit of 100 years. If you have not bonded within that time, you will both die. Simple, but effective. Amongst this, you have a history of lies and manipulations, the return of an old enemy thought long vanquished, secrets amongst those who you thought you knew, and a mahoosive cliffhanger ending. Excellent.
This book is well-written and with a smooth pace. There were a couple of editing errors that I found but nothing to spoil the general flow of the story. Told from a multiple set of viewpoints, this makes for an in-depth and tantalising glimpse into any given situation and certainly helps to move the story onward.
Definitely recommended for fans of vampires out there, who like things with a twist and a dash of spice.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 5, 2016
However, a twist is made to this within the story, and that is that a time limit is now imposed upon those who have found their mates. In an effort to show how important a bond is, and how respected it must be, Lilith creates a time limit of 100 years. If you have not bonded within that time, you will both die. Simple, but effective. Amongst this, you have a history of lies and manipulations, the return of an old enemy thought long vanquished, secrets amongst those who you thought you knew, and a mahoosive cliffhanger ending. Excellent.
This book is well-written and with a smooth pace. There were a couple of editing errors that I found but nothing to spoil the general flow of the story. Told from a multiple set of viewpoints, this makes for an in-depth and tantalising glimpse into any given situation and certainly helps to move the story onward.
Definitely recommended for fans of vampires out there, who like things with a twist and a dash of spice.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jan 5, 2016
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Salem's Lot in Books
Sep 14, 2018
King's fantastic take on vampires
Despite being a massive King fan, I've never read Salem's Lot. Its just one of his books that it never occurred to me to read, until i started to collect his entire works and read everything I hadn't read before.
I never knew that this book was about vampires, and whilst this becomes fairly obvious quite early into the book, it was a pleasant surprise. As with most of King's books, this is extremely well written, and has his usual mix of varied and interesting characters, with the writing style split between all of them. There are some good and obvious references to Dracula in this, but its a fantastic modern(ish - 1970s) take on a classic vampire story. And unusually for King, this story isn't an epic novel like some of his others. It doesn't seem to go into as much detail either storywise and characterwise as some of his other bigger novels (The Stand, Needful Things etc), and this is really my only criticism. The story is still detailed and a very good, it just isn't what I'd come to expect from a King novel especially with a plot like this.
I never knew that this book was about vampires, and whilst this becomes fairly obvious quite early into the book, it was a pleasant surprise. As with most of King's books, this is extremely well written, and has his usual mix of varied and interesting characters, with the writing style split between all of them. There are some good and obvious references to Dracula in this, but its a fantastic modern(ish - 1970s) take on a classic vampire story. And unusually for King, this story isn't an epic novel like some of his others. It doesn't seem to go into as much detail either storywise and characterwise as some of his other bigger novels (The Stand, Needful Things etc), and this is really my only criticism. The story is still detailed and a very good, it just isn't what I'd come to expect from a King novel especially with a plot like this.
Merissa (13197 KP) rated Stephan's Monster (Vampires of Vadin #2) in Books
Dec 14, 2018
Stephan's Monster (Vampires of Vadin #2) by Shelby Rhodes
Stephen's Monster is the second book in the Vampires of Vadin, and it goes off in a different direction than I thought it would! I was hoping for Asher and Kaiden's story, but no. Instead I get Jayden and Stephen, an opposite's attract couple, with deep and dark similarities. They are drawn to each other, and Stephen tries to help Jayden overcome his 'monster'.
Whilst these two have backgrounds as heartbreaking as you could imagine, this is not a heartbreaking story. Instead, it is one of acceptance, of love, and even of hope. Stephen's obsession with pink made me laugh, as Jayden's monster made me cry. So many highs and lows in this book, and I loved every word.
Nice to reunite with Adrian and Xavier from book one, plus other characters. If you enjoy dark romances with tortured heroes, then I can absolutely and utterly recommend this book!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Whilst these two have backgrounds as heartbreaking as you could imagine, this is not a heartbreaking story. Instead, it is one of acceptance, of love, and even of hope. Stephen's obsession with pink made me laugh, as Jayden's monster made me cry. So many highs and lows in this book, and I loved every word.
Nice to reunite with Adrian and Xavier from book one, plus other characters. If you enjoy dark romances with tortured heroes, then I can absolutely and utterly recommend this book!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
AJaneClark (3975 KP) rated Lord of Misrule (The Morganville Vampires, #5) in Books
Dec 13, 2019
In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, a master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil undead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.
Violent black clouds promise a storm of devastating proportions. As student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements - both natural and unnatural- the unexpected happens; Morganville’s vampires start to vanish one by one. Discovering why leads Claire to one last choice: swear allegiance to Bishop... or die.
As the fifth book in the Morganville series by Rachel Caine, the main characters and their relationships are well and truly established. True to form Lord of Misrule is well written, the storyline flows from point to point and continues to surprise and encourage you to want more. I always find these books to be an easy and enjoyable read, not too taxing or time consuming, but still give the reader what they need. I did find there were perhaps too many things going on in this chapter of the series, but perhaps all will be revealed in book 6.
Violent black clouds promise a storm of devastating proportions. As student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against the elements - both natural and unnatural- the unexpected happens; Morganville’s vampires start to vanish one by one. Discovering why leads Claire to one last choice: swear allegiance to Bishop... or die.
As the fifth book in the Morganville series by Rachel Caine, the main characters and their relationships are well and truly established. True to form Lord of Misrule is well written, the storyline flows from point to point and continues to surprise and encourage you to want more. I always find these books to be an easy and enjoyable read, not too taxing or time consuming, but still give the reader what they need. I did find there were perhaps too many things going on in this chapter of the series, but perhaps all will be revealed in book 6.