Review: A Shade of Blood by Bella Forrest

A Shade of Blood
A Shade of Vampire #2

Author: Bella Forrest

Publication Date: April 8, 2013

Thank you to Bella Forrest for the ARC

Genre: Fantasy

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Synopsis:

Having been delighted by the Christmas best-selling debut, A Shade Of Vampire, readers are begging for more. 

In A Shade Of Blood, Bella Forrest transports you deeper into a unique, enthralling and beautifully sensitive story. Prepare to be lost in its pages… 

When Sofia Claremont was kidnapped to a sunless island, uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet, she believed she’d forever be a captive of its dark ruler, Derek Novak. 

Now, after months of surviving an endless night, the morning sun may soon rise again for Sofia. Something has possessed Derek’s heart and he offers her a gift no human slave has ever been given in the history of his cursed island: escape. 

High school, prom and a chance to move on with her life now await her. 

But will she be able to forget the horrors that steal her sleep away at night? … and the feelings that haunt her for that tormented prince of darkness?

My Thoughts: A Shade of Blood picks up EXACTLY where the last book left off - with Sofia and Ben escaping the Shade with the help of Derek. It is like you didn't even miss a step, the moment I picked up A Shade of Blood I was immersed into the world of the Shade once more.

In this novel, Sofia and Ben finally escape the clutches of the vampires who were holding them captive on the island kingdom known as the Shade. However, when they return to their old life they find that they are changed. They are not the same carefree people they had once been and because of that they seem to drift apart for a while. Ben is hell-bent on getting revenge and destroying the people who ruined his life. Sofia can't stop thinking about the prince of the island, Derek.

The relationship between Sofia and Ben in this novel develops a lot and, at one point, became extremely awkward to read. I believe that was the intention behind it and it leaves the reader kind of with the same sense as Sofia. It was mostly just uncomfortable for me.

However, as the novel progresses I did start to get into it a bit more. Sofia has certainly seemed to grow more of a backbone now that she is no longer a slave to the Shade - or as much of a backbone as one can expect from Sofia Claremont in such a short amount of time. I am glad that she decides to make her own decisions and set out her limits clearly. Though, there are times that I seriously question her decisions or judgments  there are also times that I cheer her on completely.

I thought that this novel would be a lot more action-packed than it was, especially considering what happened in the last book. This one just seemed a lot like filler to make it to the third novel (which I still have complete intentions to read). I believe that a lot of the back story that was touched on in this novel will come into play during the next book, but the story just seemed to lull. There was some character development, of course, which was pretty excellent but I just wanted to see MORE. I think perhaps that one of the issues was that I loved the first book and just didn't want this one to end without some major happenstance? Either way, I loved getting in touch with the characters again and can’t wait to pick up the third one.

Review: The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike

The Last Vampire

Author: Christopher Pike

Publication Date: October 16th, 2003

Publisher: Hodder Childrens

Genre: YA/Fantasy/Paranormal/Horror

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Synopsis:

Sita is five thousand years old and believes she is the last vampire. When someone begins hunting her, she thinks it is the client of a detective she killed. She enrolls in high school and befriends the detective’s son, and later falls in love with him. Meanwhile, Sita’s creator Yaksha has been following her, believing he must kill her to atone for his sins. Sita thought she had killed him years before.

My Thoughts: This book was really short so there isn't a whole lot I can say about it. But even though it was so short I really enjoyed it and I am definitely looking forward to reading more of the series!

I definitely liked Pike's take on Vampires! He makes them real, scary, terrifying, unbelievably powerful, and beautiful. Pretty much all the things a vampire should be. Not that there are plenty of them to go around in this story because Sita is supposedly the last one left! She has been around from the very beginning and now believes she is the only one of her kind that still survives. She's managed to live under the radar for many centuries, but suddenly someone is on to her, getting into her business and asking the wrong questions. Sita does not react well to this type of thing.

Her lust for violence and efficiency in slaughter was a beautiful thing. She's ruthless and calculating and definitely knows how to take care of herself. It's no wonder she has survived as long as she has. I was a little annoyed at times by her conceitedness, but it's not too bad and I guess if I was as stunning and powerful as her I might be a little full of myself too hah.

Another thing I really liked about this book was the inventive back story it gave us about the creation of all vampires and Sita's role during the event. I thought that was a really fantastic touch to the story. It really helps the reader immerse themselves in the world and make everything feel more realistic when we get the whole story. It was also really unique and not like any I'd heard before so points for that too.  It was short but Pike managed to pack a lot in there without it being to overwhelming and just enough to make you want to read more.

Although it was a tad predictive and Sita has a somewhat confusing personality, I still thought this book was pretty good and I will definitely continue into the series to see what becomes of her and her kind. And yes I would recommend this book to others. Especially those of the vampire loving kind, I think you'll enjoy Pike's creative creation story.

Review: A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

A Shade of Vampire

Author: Bella Forrest

Publication Date: December 14, 2012

Genre: Fantasy

Thank you to Bella Forrest for the review copy!!

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Synopsis:

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. 

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.

An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains. 

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. 

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

My Thoughts: This is a short novel but definitely one vampire lovers should pick up.  Sadly, I think I may never had read it had it not received a request to review it - which would have been my loss.  I really loved how this book took the vampire lore back to how it is supposed to me.  There were no glittering vampires, no magical daylight rings.  There were just vampires who couldn't stand in the sunlight and were blood thirsty and could be killed with a wooden stake through the heart.

Sofia Claremont's only wish is not to go crazy.  Which sounds weird, but after seeing her mother slowly go insane and thinking she may have the same disorder makes her fear for the worst.  One night, after getting into a fight with her bestie Ben (who she happens to have more-than-bestie feelings for) she is abducted from the beach where she was taking a walk only to wake up in the Blood Shade.  The Blood Shade where vampires are real, humans are chained and slaved and her only hope of survival is their newly-awakened prince.

This was a short novel, so things tended to go a little quick but I liked it.  The fast-paced flow made sense to the story and didn't have you stopping to think that is was unrealistic at all (well, other than the vampires but who doesn't love a little vampire now and then?).  Though, when there is no sun in the sky I guess it would get rather hard to tell days from nights so the days kind of blurred for the main characters in my eyes and I am not quite certain how long they had been together.  Regardless of that, it seemed perfectly fitting with the story.

I also loved the characters, pretty much all of them.  I thought a couple could have been more developed but when I found out that this was only the first one in a series I was a bit more forgiving on that factor.  I felt like I knew the main characters well enough which was great and I fully expect the others to be fleshed out more in the upcoming book(s) and I look forward to it.

Sofia and Derek felt like opposites of each other, but it also felt like they completed each other as well - like they were two halves to one whole.  What she lacked he had and vice versa and they seemed to feed off of each other and adapt and become more than what they were.  Derek's transformation because of Sofia is more apparent since he struggles a lot more but Sofia's changes are evident as well.

This book was a short, sweet and quick read but once I stopped I couldn't put it down.  I loved how it took me back to the vampires of old.  I can't wait to pick up the next book in this series when it is released.

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules

Author: Julie Kagawa

Publication Date: April 24th, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Genre: YA/Dystopia/Romance/Paranormal

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Synopsis:

"In a future world, vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity."Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of "them." The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked--and given the ultimate choice. Die...or become one of the monsters. Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend--a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what--and who--is worth dying for.

My Thoughts: My review will never come close to doing this book justice. I will never find the words to try to tell you amazing it is, or the right words that will make you go pick up this book right now and read it. You definitely should. Right now!

Yes, I know, vampires. There is a ton of vampire YA out there, that's for sure. I know some people will try to shy away from vampire related things simply because it's the big thing right now and they don't want to be just "part of the fad". But this book is definitely the best vampire book I have ever read, easily. If you are at all into vampires in any way this book is a definite must read for you! If you have been staying away from the vampire thing because of all the hype, may I suggest you give it a try and start with this book, I'm pretty positive it will change your mind.

This is the first book I've read by Julie Kagawa, but you can be assured it won't be the last. I have found another writer who rocks my world. This story rattled me to the core. Even after it was over, my thoughts and emotions were still aflame with traces of the characters and events. There are very few books I've read that have taken me to the places that this one did.  I was sucked in with no chance of escape, not that I wanted to get away. If I could have crawled right into the pages I most likely would have. Kagawa created the perfect vampire. They were crazy scary, but still just a smidgen alluring. They were real, raw, dangerous, without the glamour and softness and friendliness you will find a lot in vampire stories. These are vampires to be feared.

Despite the vampires in this story being real monsters, Allison is determined to be just the opposite. She is a brand new vampire and is dead set on keeping her humanity. The internal struggle, power, determination, and strength she displays is incredible. Fighting the constant urge to feed, when it is so easy for you to take whatever you want, is no simple task indeed. I fell completely in love with Allison. My heart ached, and broke and swelled for her, following her every emotion. She was in pain, and my insides clenched, her heart broke and I cried right along with her. Closing the last page on this book gave me physical pain. I laid there and held it and tears streamed down my face.

Waiting for the next installment will be borderline tortuous. I hope to find more awesome stories to tide me over until it comes, but I feel like the bar is being set pretty high by this one. You have to read this, you just have to. YA fans, vampire fans, dystopia fans, paranormal fans, heck, if you like books at all then you gotta put this on your TBR! I wish now that there was a higher ranking than 5/5.

St. Vladimir's Summer School

Last week, Jen at Jen Ryland/YA Romantics, Steph at The Fake Steph Dot Com and Ashelynn at Gypsy Book Reviews started the St. Vladimir's Summer School. So I figured I would tag along and read some Vampire Academy since I still hadn't read it!! So in playing catch up, I read both Vampire Academy and Frosbite this week (I should really say in the last two days, but yeah). But the important thing is that I finished them! Not only did I finish them, but now I'm sitting here wondering why I didn't read them sooner (Although, I'm not entirely sure that this was my first time reading Vampire Academy because I was experiencing some major deja vu while reading it). Anyhow, this week I'm going to give you two mini reviews (maybe mini), one for each book. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the books now!

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Vampire Academy
(Vampire Academy #1)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publication Date: August 16th 2007

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

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Synopsis:

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

My Thoughts: Ok, so like I mentioned above, I had some MAJOR deja vu going on while reading this book and I have no idea why. I'm pretty sure that I haven't read it before (darn mommy brain) but I'm not 100% sure. Regardless, I really enjoyed reading this book and I'm not sure why I didn't read it earlier. It might possibly have been because it had vampires in it. After the huge vampire craze a few years ago, I'm still hesitant to try a vampire book in the fear that it might not be on par with the ones I've read. That someone might have taken advantage of the craze and pushed out some sub par  book. But now that I've started this series, I can see why everyone is obsessed. 

So basically, we have pretty much what I like in a book like this. There is a strong, kick butt female lead, even if she makes a few bad choices once in awhile, she's not perfect. She's got so much of a snarky attitude, and I love it! There is a steamy guy, Dimitri, who also happens to be "forbidden" in a way. He IS Rose's instructor after all. I like Lissa, she is a gentle and caring best friend. Then of course there's the bad guy who causes tons of trouble for the girls. 

The plot moves fairly quickly, although it did  take a little while to get the Moroi, Dhampir and Strigoi straight. Basically, the Moroi are "good" vampires who are still alive and need blood and food to survive, they can also use magic and are sensitive to the sun but can still go out. The Dhampir are their bodyguards, raised to protect the Moroi. And the Strigoi are "bad" vampires. They are the walking dead from our horror stories. The kill to survive and can't handle the sunlight, they are essentially evil. 

Once I caught on to the terms, it was easy to follow along and I got sucked into the story. It was extremely hard to put down and I needed to know what happened next. I love the relationship between Rose and Lissa, and hated it when they fought. I think I might be a sucker for boarding school books and the drama that comes with them. Regardless, this is an addictive series that you should read if you haven't. I'm only sad that I waited so long! 

Frostbite
(Vampire Academy #2)

Author: Richelle Mead

Publication Date: April 10th 2008

Publisher: Razorbill

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Paranormal

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Synopsis:

Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose...

It’s winter break at St. Vladimir’s, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy’s crawling with Guardians—including Rose’s hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn’t bad enough, Rose’s tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason’s got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa’s head while she’s making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy’s not taking any risks... This year, St. Vlad’s annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

My Thoughts: Alright, so I ended up liking this one even MORE than the first book. Seriously, why didn't I read these sooner?? I can't believe I have seen them around for so long and never read them. This one moved even faster than the first for me and I could barely put it down. I started it immediately after finishing Vampire Academy. Just opened it right up and started it.

There is a lot more bad stuff going on in Frostbite. The Strigoi have joined forces with humans, so while the daytime used to be safe, it's not any longer. The humans can break through the safety wards that are placed around buildings, so Dhampir and Moroi are being caught off guard and slaughtered. So to keep everyone safe, the school takes everyone on the annual trip to keep them all together. Safety in numbers right? So everyone is shipped off and all is happy. The biggest stress in Rose's life is her love life. She wants Dimitri so badly, yet can't have him. So she tries to distact herself with Mason, a fellow dhampir novice who is crazy about her. It works, sort of. The in walks Adrian, he's always there at the worst moment and has a way of making Rose and even Lissa look bad. There is just something about him that they can't stay away from. 

So there are a couple of new characters, and all of the old ones. Some bad descisions are made by all. There is a bit of tragedy and lots of drama. All in all, it makes for an addicting and fast paced read that was nearly impossible to put down. Another one that you have to read! Richelle Mead just has a way with words that catches the readers attention and refuses to let go!

I just want to thank Jen, Steph and Ashelynn for allowing me to read along with them. I'm glad I'm finally getting around to reading this amazing series!

Review: Blood Sinister by Celia Rees

Blood Sinister

Author: Celia Rees

Publication Date: September 20, 1996

Publisher: Scholastic

Genre: Paranormal/Vampires

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Synopsis:

Ellen Forrest is sick, she feels as if the life is being sucked out of her. The doctors think that she is suffering from a disease of the blood, and she has been sent to her grandmother's house to rest, but she seems to be getting worse, not better. Can it have anything to do with the diaries she has found in the attic? Diaries written in Victorian times by her great great grandmother. Diaries that describe an encounter with a handsome young Count who comes from the Land Beyond the Forest.

Ellen likes a vampire story, who doesn't? The difference is that this one just happens to be true…

My Thoughts:This was a fairly interesting read, it's different from the vampire books that have been coming out lately. There is no girl falling in love with a vampire, or wanting to be a vampire. There is very little in terms of romance in this novel, which is ok. Overall it is a good read, I didn't love it, but I liked it.

The story revolves around Ellen, who is dying of a blood disease that no doctor can figure out. She is living with her grandmother because it's closer to the hospital and her doctors. She finds her great-great grandmother's diaries and decides to read them, doing so causes her to realize that maybe some of the horror stories are true after all, or at least they were in 1878.

Throughout  the novel you get to read the excerpts from the diaries, which is pretty interesting, they are read as diary entries, sometimes with Ellen pausing to put in her thoughts.

 I thought the books was well written, it was a bit hard to put down, but I just wasn't in love with the story. Still a good read that I would recommend to vampire lovers.

Review: A Bite's Tale by Veronica Blade

A Bite's Tale

Author: Veronica Blade

Publication Date: January 4th, 2102

Genre: Paranormal / Fairy Tale Retelling

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Synopsis:

A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood. Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control. Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper.