House of Night by PC Cast and Kristin Cast with Kent Dalian

I almost prefer to be introduced to a series through graphic novel.  It gives me a quick insight as to whether or not I will like the books.  House of Night is one of those series that I was curious about but unable to fit into my reading schedule.  This graphic novel was a great introduction.

Designed to accompany the books, this story gives a quick introduction to the characters for those who are unfamiliar with them and a deeper exploration into the mythology that runs through the series for those already reading the books.

The story line wasn’t great but it was interesting enough.  Zoey Redbird has been made the leader of the Dark Daughters but she doesn’t feel fit to rule.  Through five lessons and historical stories, she learns how to be a leader. 

I, actually, liked Zoey.  I found her to be quite real and interesting.  She had so many layers to her personality and wasn’t perfect like so many characters in vampire books come out.  I loved the mythology and the changing of the stories to fit into vampire lore.

The art was quite cartoony which worked well for this story.  The colors were vibrant and engaging.  It would appeal to younger audiences as well as more mature ones.

Vampire Knight (1-3) by Matsuri Hino

I love Manga – it’s special and different when compared to American comics/stories.  Manga borders on the silly while having serious moments.  This one is no exception.  I loved it.

Yuki is the adopted daughter of the headmaster of a special boarding school.  The day classes are fairly normal but at night a different set of students come to learn and they are vampires.

Yuki works as the special guardian with Zero.  Their job is to keep the vampires a secret and prevent them from harming the human students.   Both Yuki and Zero have been victims of vampires in the past which led them to the academy.  Yuki has no memory of her life before vampire Kaname saved her from another vampire. 

As is common in Manga there is a love triangle between Yuki, Zero and Kaname.  I get the feeling that she loves Zero more but we’ll see.

If you love silly romance or anything vampire – I recommend this series. I’ve read through volume 3 and I hate having to wait to get my hands on future volumes.

Matsuri Hino also wrote Captive Hearts – a super silly comedy about a man who is cursed to fall in love with a particular girl.

She has a great style and I love her inserts about her life as she writes these stories.

Vampire Taxonomy by Meredith Woerner

Written like a science book, Vampire Taxonomy defines the various vampires from pop culture.  Meredith Woerner takes examples from the more popular vampire stories/movies and some lesser known to create a how-to sort of book.

She breaks down the vampires into five categories – Romantic Vampire, Villainous Vampire, Tragic Vampire, Halfsies, and Child Vampire.  Each category offers information on how the vampire looks, their preferred habitat and a variety of other factors.

Written tongue in cheek, this book is just fun.  It really gets one thinking about the differences and similarities of vampires in pop culture and in history.  This may not get a scientific award but Meredith did her research.

Dungeons and Dragons: The Legend of Drizzt by Geno Salvatore

This comic book/graphic novel is part of the Neverwinter Tales, between Gauntlgrym and Neverwinter. I have never read either one, in fact I picked this up to review because I was familiar with Dungeons and Dragons in one form or another but I had no idea I missed an entire series out there. This was interesting. I wouldn’t mind picking up the Neverwinter Tales. There’s not a lot of story in this first issues, which is common in comics. A dwarf wakes up after a great battle to find he is the only one alive. He remembers dying and can’t quite understand why he’s alive. That’s is, until he remembers what killed him. That dwarf is now vampire-like (there is similarities but then a mention of something called a battlerager). The idea of a vampire dwarf is really great. I love it and can’t wait to find more of this story – what fun.

Seeing Red by Tanya Lloyd Kyi

I really enjoyed this book. As nonfiction juvenile literature goes, this has got to be in my top ten. Seeing Red is an explanation of blood. Not the typical scientific approach but a cultural one. Dotted with a graphic novel type story, Seeing Red explains how blood has shaped various cultures and continues to presently.
The book is written for a juvenile audience but the information is entertaining for all ages. There are five main topics pertaining to blood – blood rituals, rites of passage, blood in food, blood and genetics, and blood forensics.
The topics touch on cultural beliefs all around the world as well as historically. Tanya Lloyd Kyi even delves into the religious aspects of blood. All in all, the book was fascinating.
I will caution those who are devout Christians. There may be parts in the book that can be perceived as offensive. I appreciated the author’s anthropological approach to all the religions and cultures but I do know that some people will find it cold. I liked it because it opened up the topic and kept all religions and cultures on an equal level.
I would recommend this for any juvenile library and could even see this as a favorite at home.

Pinocchio Vampire Slayer and the Great Puppet Theater by Dusty Higgins and Van Jensen

These are great books. As graphic novels often are, they are far too short but I still love them. There’s a ton of action and the length is quite nice. They are a little violent but it’s quick and hidden in the black and white frames.
I love the creative allowance the authors have taken. The concept of Pinocchio as a vampire slayer is perfect, his growing nose makes for a ready stake. However, things change when Pinocchio is made into a real boy. Now he’s having to learn how to fight all over again and can’t rely on having his nose at the ready. This, also, opens up the opportunity for romance.
Teens and adults will love this retelling of the fairy tale. I understand that vampire slaying tales are popping up all over the place as well as re-imagined tales that bring so many more stories into the horror genre. I think this is the best I have read. I would love to see these as movies but they’d have to be done as cartoons which would alter the feeling.
Oh well, guess I will have to settle for waiting for book number three.

Enter, Night by Michael Rowe

This is a hard review to write. I loved the story. I do have an ARC which means there were some technical errors that I hope are resolved before publishing. With that in mind, I want to focus on the story.
The story was amazing. The language a little tough for me because the author is Canadian and I am not. Michael Rowe is a native English speaker but there was some language that left me puzzled but may not be difficult for a Canadian. However, I loved the story.
This is an ensemble cast making it difficult to give a clear synopsis. In 1952, an archeological dig in Parr’s Landing goes wrong when student, Richard Weal, goes mad and attacks another student. Years later, he returns to Parr’s Landing to finish what he started and that is to wake the being hidden deep in the caves. At the same time, widow Christina is forced to return to Parr’s Landing with her daughter and brother-in-law. Her departure from the small town was not a pleasant one. The town knows the gossip but they don’t understand the truth. Her late husband Jack Parr was the prince to Adeline Parr’s kingdom. Christina will always be known as the slut who drove him from home.
Jeremy Parr escape happened later after his mother tried to have him cured of his homosexuality. His first love remains in Parr’s Landing but has been convinced that it is better to be a heterosexual asshole than a happy homosexual.
Richard Weal is successful in his mission and unleashes an ancient vampire on the small town, destroying everything in its path and yet freeing those held captive by Parr’s Landing.
Take away the vampires and Enter, Night is still a wonderful and touching story. There are so many elements in this book from various prejudices (sexuality, race, class) to family relations to a touching tale of a love and the sacrifices that brings (human and animal).
The story sucked me in but I was left unfulfilled when it was over. The last chapter goes back to 1650 to explain how the creature came to Parr’s Landing and was confined in the caves. It was still interesting but I wanted to stay in the more present day (of the story) to find out what happened. There was some wrap up but not enough for my taste. I only hope this means Michael Rowe is writing a sequel because I would like that.
Visit the author at www.michaelrowefiction.com

Bite Club by Rachel Caine

I love this series and each book gets better and better. However, I was a little shocked to find the format of this story was different. Normally, her books are all third person but this one had a few chapters told in first person by Shane. It was jarring in the beginning but soon I found his perspective to be rather refreshing. It was nice actually getting into the head of his character.
This is an emotional roller coaster. Shane is off his rocker and breaking Claire's heart. I love that she is so strong. She has so much faith in people that, even though her heart is breaking, she still fights for Shane. She still believes he loves her.
I forget how young her character is. She mentioned not turning 18 yet and I was stunned for a moment - wait isn't she 40 yet (not really) but I expected her to be older by now because she has grown so much over the series. When the books started she was a little mousy and now she's standing up to people she knows will probably kill her. She's not crazy and she is scared but she doesn't back down when she is right.
Tough decisions come up in this book and Claire treats them with reverance. I just cannot believe how wonderful these books are. I can't wait for the library to get the next one.

Infestation: Outbreak by Chris Ryall

One thing I want to get out right away – I prefer graphic novels to single issues. This was a single issue but a complete one. The galley description had this as a first issue, in a way it is. This is the first issue of a new plot line for an existing series.
The story and the characters were not difficult to connect with but I kept feeling like I was missing something. It does make me want to go back and find the start of this series and hope I can find it in novel form.
The story is interesting – CVO is an organization that defends the world against supernatural enemies such as vampires and zombies. The story contained demons and ended with an alien invasion. I couldn’t help but feel like there was a little BPRD rip-off especially since their demon advisor was bright red with horns that came out of his forehead.
Infestation is well drawn and easy to follow which makes the story so much better when starting in the middle. I had no difficulty determining which character was which.
I was impressed that this series is done by the same publisher that does Joe Hill’s Locke and Key. I love that series and it made me feel connected to this series. Who knows where it’s going to go but if they make an Infestation movie – I’ll be there.

Vampires vs Werewolves

I'm nearing the end of the Capstone picture books/graphic novels. They have been a blast to read but I have a couple of novels by them that promise to be just as fun. Vampires vs. Werewolves is part of their Edge Books Monster Wars line.
I loved this book. It started when I discovered that one of our own WSU professors acted as a consultant. How can you not love something homegrown? Okay so maybe that wasn't a real reason but it started my excitement.
I don't recommend this for young readers but those who love scary stories will love this book. It breaks down the vampire and werewolf legends and compares their strengths and weaknesses. The very last chapter is an imagined fight between the two. It was well done and clever. It was a bit violent but it came with a warning for those interested in learning more but not getting scared.
All in all, I recommend this book. I'm throughly impressed with Capstone and will keep an eye out for their books.
This one came with a facthound link to more books and a couple of websites. Any book that gets a kid looking for more to read is awesome in my book. This is not a graphic novel (thought I should point that out) and includes amazing shots from a variety of werewolf and vampire movies throughout the ages. The final chapter has illustrations of the story.

Vampires and Cells by Agnieszka Biskup

Another great creation from Capstone Press (publisher of Honestly, Red Riding Hood Was Rotten). This particular work is from the Graphic Library - a series of educational graphic novels.
The topic, as you can see from the title, is about cells but told from the perspective of vampires. It's a cute mesh-up that does get a little distracting for my old lady brain. For a kid, however, this is a great introduction into the science of cells. The book does get a little technical at times but a quick look at the glossery in the back will help. The technical parts are kept interesting with little captions from the vampires learning about the cells.
This is a great book for anyone but would be easily loved by a child and, perhaps, even a teen. The descriptions combine technical words with plain english explanations making it more universal than many other similar works. I appreciated the plain language which allowed my aging brain to actually learn something new.
There's no real story line with the vampires but they are humorous and entertaining. The pictures are colorful and captivating.

Love Bites by Ellen Schreiber

This seventh installment of Ellen Schreiber's Vampire Kisses was great. Some series' have a tendency to go off on weird tangents or lose their steam but Schreiber continues to craft a great story.
Alexander's best friend Sebastian arrives to stay a few days with Alexander. Raven didn't even know he had a best friend since Alexander talks so little about himself. She sees this as an opportunity to learn more about her boyfriend but things go array when Sebastian falls in love with Raven's best friend Becky. Becky has a boyfriend and doesn't know that Raven is dating a vampire. Things can go horribly wrong if Raven doesn't do something cleaver.
The thing I love about Raven is she is so true to herself. She refuses to compromise her values and she is loyal to a fault. She is honestly torn between wanting to protect Becky and to protect Alexander. She really likes Sebastian and he can't help who he is.
Another beautiful part of this story is Raven's desire to become a vampire and Alexander's reluctance to change her. Raven learns more about why he doesn't want to make her a vampire and begins to understand the consequences of that choice (for her).
There is some backstory that comes into play with this book but not enough that if one picked this volume up first that they wouldn't be able to follow the story. There's still a ton of character growth between Raven and Alexander.
I love this series and really think it's the best of it's kind. The stories are not so filled with drama that they become bogged down and Schreiber's writing is light and enjoyable. This is a real teen with an unusual situation but there's so much more.
I like the lack of love triangles, even though Schreiber has toyed with them Raven has remained completely faithful to Alexander. They have real world problems (some with supernatural twists but pretty believable).
This series is more geared towards girls but I think there's enough action and "manliness" that a young man would enjoy them. The characters are in high school and approaching 18 fast but the writing is simple enough for a younger reader. The books are short, especially compared to similar series. (There's even a manga series based on these books that my son is devouring).

Angel - Auld Lang Syne by Scott Tipton

I really struggle with books based on television series. There is always something altered to serve the books purpose and it goes against my brain's ability to cope. This graphic novel started up some warning bells in my head but in the end the good story line quelled all that. I enjoyed this little story and the banter between Angel and Spike. I can't remember enough detail from the story line of the tv show (means it's time to get the dvds out for a refresher course) so I was able to relax and enjoy this book.
The story starts with Angel and Spike hallucinating about people from their past. When they meet up in an alley, they believe that the other person is just another hallucination. They fight only to realize that someone is altering their perception through marks on their necks.
The two pair up to fight their mutual enemy who turns out to be some sort of demon/god in another dimension.
The story is entertaining and the graphics are well done. I, especially, liked the dialogue which sounded authentic in my head. I could actually hear Spike saying the words which tells me someone worked hard to portray him.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer Omnibus Vol 1

I have a hard time with stories based on popular tv shows because there is a tendency to alter facts (see Serenity - better days). I was truly impressed with this book. It's starts with the story from the movie Buffy the Vampire Slayer. There are some slight changes but all in all it stayed true to the storyline. Then follows Buffy as she runs away with Pike to Las Vegas. This is the explanation of what happened between the movie and the TV show.
There is even back story about how Giles came to be Buffy's watcher.
The interesting part is that Buffy morphs from Kristy Swanson to Sarah Michelle Gellar. I didn't notice until nearly half way through the book.
All in all it was really well done and I look forward to picking up more.

The Laughing Corpse - Executioner by Laurell K Hamilton

This volume wraps up the Laughing Corpse series of the Anita Blake graphic novels. I rather liked this series (now that I understand how the books go). The story starts with a horrible murder caused by a rogue zombie. In this volume, Anita finds and destroys the zombie. The story behind the zombie's creation causes Anita to question her ability as a necromancer. More importantly, it asks the question what would we do for money and/or power.
I was a little disappointed that the vampire didn't come to her rescue but I suppose it's better for her to kick butt on her own.

Courtney Crumrin's Monstrous Holiday by Ted Naifeh

I love the Courtney Crumrin graphic novels. These are very reader friendly. This is the fourth book of the series (in double checking I noticed that there are several versions of this book with different names and I don't know why but this one is the official vol 4 of the series).
Courtney Crumrin is a great character that should be loved by all. She's a young girl who is sent to live with her uncle who is a great "wizard" and she discovers she has magic as well. More importantly she has curiousity and a sense of justice that pulls her into the most amazing adventures.
In this volume, Courtney goes with her uncle to Romania and encounters werewolves and vampires. It's an interesting group of stories.
The werewolves are gypsies and are being hunted by the local men of the area. Courtney risks everything to save the werewolves in the name of love and what's right.
Her uncle takes her on the second part of their journey where Courtney meets a lonely young man. It doesn't take the reader long to understand what this young man is but Courtney is so lonely and sad that she doesn't care that the boy may kill her so long as she has just one person who understands how she feels.
It was a touching story about life and risk. What are we willing to risk for love and/or affection.
The book is not a fairy tale with a moral but I can see how one can easily turn it into a discussion of humanity. You get a real sense of Courtney's pain in this book that you didn't see in the others but you also see a slightly different side to her uncle.
The great thing is that this book can stand alone. But I highly recommend reading them all.

American Vampire by Stephen King and Scott Snyder

This was a fun book to read. What a twist on the average vampire tale. I see this and a few other books as an indication of where the vampire tale is going. People are tiring of the romantic version of the vampire and they want vampires back where they belong - in nightmares. The story weaves two tales - one set in the old west and the other in the 20's as a gunslinging outlaw becomes a new breed of vampire - the American Vampire. He's ruthless and different from his European counterparts - he can move in the day and doesn't seem to have the same weaknesses.
This story is moving to a battle between the two types of vampires. Sadly, Skinner Sweet, the outlaw, was the only one of his type until he meets Pearl and makes her like him.
Again this book is a lot of scene setting and little plot even though we get Skinner Sweet's story of how he became a vampire and what measures were taken to prevent him from rising.
It's a really good tale but not sure it's one they'll do for the big screen - at least not yet.

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K Hamilton

Laurell K Hamilton's books are on my ever growing list of books I want to read. I was excited to find her graphic novels at my library. Our library is buying them in a funny order so I am not positive which book this was. The books are entertaining enough and perhaps the actual books offer better character development than the graphic novels. I do enjoy these books and maybe my lack of connection comes from the out of order way I read these books. I feel confused about which character is doing what. I suppose that when they break up the graphic novels things can easily get confusing. I enjoy the mystery but I forget the details between the books. I much prefer either a complete story or a graphic novel of a book I have already read. Now I did enjoy the stories and I think I like Anita Blake as a character but I can't be certain.

Kiss of Death/Ghost Town - Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine

I love the Morganville Vampire books and was really disappointed that I read books 8 and 9 so quickly. Rachel Caine weaves such an amazing story that I devoured her books and then have to wait so long for the next one (days is too long for these books, months are forever).
The series begins with Claire attending college in a small Texas town. She is super smart and quite young (barely 17 when they start). Her parents convinced her to attend a college a little closer to home before she goes onto MIT. Claire is tormented by another student, Monica and finds her way to The Glass House where she eventually moves in. Claire has a way of finding trouble and soon discovers that the sleepy little town of Morganville is really a sanctuary for vampires. This starts an adventure for her that causes her to grow up really fast.
If you haven't read the series, I highly recommend it. They are action packed stories and Claire's angst is real. She is forced several times to choose between what's right and what's convenient for everyone else. She falls in love and has to make some really tough choices. For 17 years of age, Claire is really strong and isn't afraid to stand up for herself and others.
The people and vampires she meets are complex and interesting. I find myself wanting to know more. Once I pick up her books, I can't put them down.
I have to say that Ghost Town may be amongst my favorites. Claire shows amazing resolve. The entire town is losing their memory due to a faulty device and Claire must get everyone to safety, stop the machine and make everything right all while dealing with her friends and her boyfriend not being able to remember who she is. The emotional complexity of this book made me fall in love with the characters over and over.
The next book Bite Club comes out in April (wonder if I could make an early Mother's Day request).

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles & Ben Templesmith

I didn't really like the movie 30 Days of Night and now there is a sequel coming out. I saw the book at the library and thought maybe there would be something else about the story that made is so popular (it has a huge following).
I still don't get it. While the premise has so much promise - the story fell flat. In fact I think the movie might have done it more justice. In really great horror movies you find a connection to the characters - whether it's with the hero or the villian. There is something that draws you in and makes you want to follow the story. This story I just wanted to end. There were strange sub-stories that went nowhere - perhaps they are meant to have more meaning in future issues. The real disappointment is that you don't care about any of the characters. The sheriff had the potential to be a great hero but you don't know anything about him. His role in the book is really flat and you don't care that in the end he sacrifices everything to save the town.
You don't even like the villians - well that's not true, you just don't care. Who are they? Yes they are vampires and have come up with this great idea to play for the 30 days when there is no sun in this Alaskan town. There is a build up - that V is coming. Who cares? Who is V - by the time he shows up no one cares. He hates the idea and thinks everyone is stupid - and he's right because we don't care about them either.
What's really sad is that this has a following. The pictures are confusing and I can't really tell one character from another. The plot is flat even though it could have been great. I understand that there is a need to seperate the girly vampire stories from the scary vampire stories but please - this is just ridiculous. I am looking forward to a vampire story worth my time (okay there are some out there I read but the vampire is really losing it's reputation).