I have just updated a previous post for Darynda Jones with a review of the third novel in her CHARLEY DAVIDSON/GRAVES SERIES: Third Grave Dead Ahead.
Click on the author's name or the book title above to go directly to the updated review.
Friday, February 24, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Tes Hilaire's PALADIN WARRIORS SERIES
Series: PALADIN WARRIORS
Plot Type: Soul Mate Romance (SMR)
Ratings: Violence--4; Sensuality--4; Humor--2
Publisher and Titles: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Deliver Me from Darkness (2012)
Deliver Me from Temptation (12/2012)
"Deliver Me a Paladin for Christmas" (free on-line short story)
Prince of Shadows (12/2013)
This post was revised and updated on 12/31/13 to include a review of Prince of Shadows, the third novel in the series. That review appears first, followed by an overview of the series world-building and reviews of novels 1 and 2:
NOVEL 3: Prince of Shadows
This novel is not a stand-alone and should be read only after you read the first two novels. Hilaire does not provide much of a summary of past events, and she does not include a glossary or character list—not in the book and not on her web site (which, by the way, is rather glitchy and takes a long, long time to load). Because of Valin's mixed blood and his irascible attitude, he has never quite fit in with the brotherhood of Paladin warriors. His power is dark, rather than light: the ability to manipulate shadows and transform himself into a gray fog. Valin has never recovered from the murder of his wife and unborn child, even though that tragedy happened long, long ago and he still holds his wife's brother, Roland, responsible for her death because he blames Roland for failing to project Angeline.
In the previous book, Valin met the mixed breed vampire/succubus Gabriella under dangerous circumstances. He realized that she was his one true mate, but she got away from him before he could claim her. At that point, Karessa (Roland's mate) gave Gabriella some of her blood to save Gabby's life, and that has changed Gabby for the good by placing some of Karessa's light inside her. Unfortunately, Gabriella still has extremely low self esteem and is dealing with some dark personal issues. In the previous book, Gabby discovered that Roland (the vampire Paladin) is her father, but as this book begins, Roland is not yet aware of their relationship. Currently, Gabby is working with a group of the gifted (half-human/half Paladin) as they try to combat evil in the world, mostly by killing vampires and merkers. Decades ago, Gabby was unwillingly changed into her vampire form by Christo, the son of Lucifer. At the end of the previous book, Christo was (seemingly) killed, but in paranormal fiction, death for supernatural beings isn't always final. Click HERE to read the deleted Prologue for Prince of Shadows to learn more about what's going on with Christo and Lucifer. In my opinion, this deleted Prologue should have been kept, and the published Prologue should have been incorporated in chapter 1.
The story mostly follows the development of the romance as Valin pursues Gabby; Gabby runs away from Valin; Valin pursues Gabby—repeat this cycle multiple times. The action part of the story involves a person from Gabby's past who puts her in extreme danger from which Valin must rescue her. Then, the two are forced to put their lives on the line for one another. Once again, there's a twist at the end (similar to previous books) that gets them their HEA.
Other conflict in the story arises between Jacob, the leader of the gifted group, and the two Paladins, Valin and Benedict, as they decide to join the gifted group. Both have found their bonded mates among the gifted, and both are determined to follow through on the mating process before the Paladin Council gets into the act and tries to stop them.
For me, this book was tough to get into, mostly because of its lack of summation of previous events. Also, a glossary of terms would be quite helpful, even if it was just on the web site. For example, I can't remember exactly what the difference is (if there is a difference) between a vampire and a merker. I'm sure that this was explained in one of the earlier books, but it was not explained in this one—and since I read the previous book a full year ago (and read a whole lot of other paranormal novels in between), I just don't remember some of the details of this mythology.
The character development continues to be relatively strong, but the action plot drags. It doesn't even really kick in until almost the end of the book. For me, this is the weakest book so far. I'm guessing that the next book will feature the Paladin, Benedict, and Annie, the null, whose talent is to block magic from being used in her general vicinity. Since Annie is Jacob's beloved daughter, there should be some interesting fireworks as their love story progresses. I just hope that Hilaire does a better job of integrating critical details of past events into the story and that she defines some of the terms that she uses to build her mythology. Click HERE to go to the Prince of Shadows page on amazon.com where you can read an excerpt by clicking on the cover art at top left.
In this world, the immortal Paladin warriors were chosen by God from volunteers among the ranks of the angels. "They were given various gifts and sent to earth to protect His children from the evils seeping into the world." (Deliver Me from Darkness, p. 53). Their lives went smoothly until the eighth century, when jealousies arose over the leadership of the Paladins, and one of them (Ganelon) betrayed his brother warriors, causing many Paladin deaths. Since then, Ganelon has waged war on the Paladins, enlisting aid from Lucifer and his minions and from the vampires, who, in this world, are the dregs of supernatural society.
An important part of the Paladin mythology is the mating process. Paladins believe that God promised each one of them a female soul that would perfectly match their own. Unfortunately, female offspring have become extremely rare, so most Paladins mate with humans, and there can be no true mate-bond between a Paladin and a human. The most common bonding in those cases is a marking followed by a ceremony that tests for compatibility. A true mate-bond is the dream of every Paladin warrior, and as you can imagine, we'll see a few in this series, beginning with book 1.
An important part of the Paladin mythology is the mating process. Paladins believe that God promised each one of them a female soul that would perfectly match their own. Unfortunately, female offspring have become extremely rare, so most Paladins mate with humans, and there can be no true mate-bond between a Paladin and a human. The most common bonding in those cases is a marking followed by a ceremony that tests for compatibility. A true mate-bond is the dream of every Paladin warrior, and as you can imagine, we'll see a few in this series, beginning with book 1.
NOVEL 1: Deliver Me from Darkness
The plot focuses mostly on the ups and downs of the romance, with a secondary plot that involves the efforts of various bad guys to kidnap Karissa in order to take her blood. A brief story thread deals with the attraction that all of the Paladins have to Karissa. They all want to mark her and make her their own—perhaps to achieve a true mate-bond. These scenes are pretty creepy, with Karissa surrounded by big, beefy alpha men who are determined to mate with her. But...they're out of luck, because Karissa and Roland are definitely true mates. In the climactic final scene, Karissa's life is in jeopardy, and Roland must save her in the nick of time. By the end of the story, both Roland and Karissa have life-altering experiences that change the Paladins' minds about Roland's vampire self.
In many ways, this is a typical paranormal romance, with its damaged hero and clueless heroine thrown into an angst-filled soul-mate situation that they both fight until the heroine's life is threatened. We've seen this story line hundreds—thousands—of times. What puts this series a step above the average SMR series, however, is the well-developed cast of supporting characters, both good and bad. Even Lucifer is interesting. Among the Paladins, Logan seems to be the most fair minded and open to change, while Valin (aka Dark Knight) is just as tortured as Roland. He was married to Roland's sister, who was expecting their first child when the vampires murdered her, and he has lived in darkness ever since. In Deliver Me from Darkness we see him finally take an interest in life when he rescues Gabriella, a young vampire, from captivity. Future books will no doubt feature situations that force the stodgy Paladin Elders to wake up and face the 21st century. Click HERE to go to the Deliver Me from Darkness page on amazon.com where you can read an excerpt by clicking on the cover art at top left.
NOVEL 2: Deliver Me from Temptation
The hero of the second book is 295-year-old Logan Calhoun, the last pure-blooded Paladin and the future leader of the council, which is now headed by his narrow-minded, by-the-books father. Logan and his father do not get along, mostly because of his father's kill-them-now attitude toward all vampires, including Logan's fellow Paladin-turned-vampire, Roland, and Roland's mate, Karissa, who is Logan's half-sister and whose human mother was impregnated and then abandoned by Logan's bigoted and cold-hearted father.
One night when Logan, Alexander, and Valin are out chasing down a succubus, they are halted by a female police detective who believes that they are thugs chasing down a helpless female. That detective is Jessica Waters, a human whose life is guided by the hatred deep inside her for all killers, and particularly for men who attack women. Jessica's twin sister was murdered by gang bangers, and she has never gotten over that tragedy.
The main story line follows Jessica as she works on a cold case that, coincidentally, involves Roland. Jessica is so driven by her hate-filled emotions that she takes all kinds of risks, most of which involve going out alone on late-night stake-outs in extremely rough neighborhoods. Almost as soon as Logan meets Jessica, he realizes that she is his mate, and he is devastated that God has chosen a human for him because he knows that he will have to watch her die after a few decades. As Jessica keeps putting herself in dangerous situations, vampires and demons begin attacking her, and Logan has to rescue her time and time again. He can't let her know of the existence of the supernatural creatures, so he keeps erasing parts of her memory, but Jessica eventually realizes that there's something strange going on.
Naturally, there is a big climactic showdown scene with the hero and heroine in danger from the primary villains, but we all know from the beginning that Logan and Jessica will get their HEA. What is surprising is the twist at the end about how they achieve their happiness. The free e-story, "Deliver Me a Paladin for Christmas," is a follow-up to the Logan-Jessica story, so don't read it until after you read Deliver Me from Temptation.
A possible new character for the series is introduced in this book: Jessica's partner, Mike, who has a few Paladin genes somewhere in his ancestry. As part of Valin's continuing story, we see him trying to track down the vampire, Gabriel ("Gabby") after a group of human hybrid Paladins breaks into the Haven with a message from her about demon action in New York City. I'm sure that both Mike and the human hybrids will turn up in future books.
This is another formulaic paranormal romance, but it's a step above the usual SMR novel because the characters are more fully developed and the plot has more depth. This novel can be read as a stand-alone because the author provides plenty of background information on the Paladin world and its primary characters. Click HERE to go to the Deliver Me from Temptation page on amazon.com where you can read an excerpt by clicking on the cover art at top left.
NOVEL 2: Deliver Me from Temptation
The hero of the second book is 295-year-old Logan Calhoun, the last pure-blooded Paladin and the future leader of the council, which is now headed by his narrow-minded, by-the-books father. Logan and his father do not get along, mostly because of his father's kill-them-now attitude toward all vampires, including Logan's fellow Paladin-turned-vampire, Roland, and Roland's mate, Karissa, who is Logan's half-sister and whose human mother was impregnated and then abandoned by Logan's bigoted and cold-hearted father. One night when Logan, Alexander, and Valin are out chasing down a succubus, they are halted by a female police detective who believes that they are thugs chasing down a helpless female. That detective is Jessica Waters, a human whose life is guided by the hatred deep inside her for all killers, and particularly for men who attack women. Jessica's twin sister was murdered by gang bangers, and she has never gotten over that tragedy.
The main story line follows Jessica as she works on a cold case that, coincidentally, involves Roland. Jessica is so driven by her hate-filled emotions that she takes all kinds of risks, most of which involve going out alone on late-night stake-outs in extremely rough neighborhoods. Almost as soon as Logan meets Jessica, he realizes that she is his mate, and he is devastated that God has chosen a human for him because he knows that he will have to watch her die after a few decades. As Jessica keeps putting herself in dangerous situations, vampires and demons begin attacking her, and Logan has to rescue her time and time again. He can't let her know of the existence of the supernatural creatures, so he keeps erasing parts of her memory, but Jessica eventually realizes that there's something strange going on.
Naturally, there is a big climactic showdown scene with the hero and heroine in danger from the primary villains, but we all know from the beginning that Logan and Jessica will get their HEA. What is surprising is the twist at the end about how they achieve their happiness. The free e-story, "Deliver Me a Paladin for Christmas," is a follow-up to the Logan-Jessica story, so don't read it until after you read Deliver Me from Temptation.
A possible new character for the series is introduced in this book: Jessica's partner, Mike, who has a few Paladin genes somewhere in his ancestry. As part of Valin's continuing story, we see him trying to track down the vampire, Gabriel ("Gabby") after a group of human hybrid Paladins breaks into the Haven with a message from her about demon action in New York City. I'm sure that both Mike and the human hybrids will turn up in future books.
This is another formulaic paranormal romance, but it's a step above the usual SMR novel because the characters are more fully developed and the plot has more depth. This novel can be read as a stand-alone because the author provides plenty of background information on the Paladin world and its primary characters. Click HERE to go to the Deliver Me from Temptation page on amazon.com where you can read an excerpt by clicking on the cover art at top left.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Lynn Viehl: THE KYNDRED SERIES
Series: THE KYNDRED
Plot Type: Soul Mate Romance (SMR)
Ratings: Violence--4; Sensuality--4; Humor--2
Publisher and Titles: Onyx
Shadowlight (2009)
Dreamveil (2010)
Frostfire (2011)
Nightshine (2011) (FINAL BOOK)
I don't know how this series got past me, because I loved the DARKYN series. Included below are reviews for all four novels. But first, here's an overview of the series.
This is a classic paranormal romance series with a direct connection to Viehl's DARKYN series. Just to review: The Dark Kyn, or Darkyn, were originally members of the Knights Templar who fought in the Crusades. After returning home, they were struck down by the plague and died, but then rose from the dead as vampires. Along with super-strength and spontaneous healing, each one also had a unique psychic talent and a special scent that allowed them to enthrall humans. They organized themselves into communities called jar dins and began to coexist with mortals. Eventually, religious zealots called the Brethren learned of their existence and began to hunt them down. When the Brethren discovered that the Darkyn were immortal, they began breeding, raising, and training their own replacements. The secret war between them has lasted for six centuries, right up until the present day.
This is a classic paranormal romance series with a direct connection to Viehl's DARKYN series. Just to review: The Dark Kyn, or Darkyn, were originally members of the Knights Templar who fought in the Crusades. After returning home, they were struck down by the plague and died, but then rose from the dead as vampires. Along with super-strength and spontaneous healing, each one also had a unique psychic talent and a special scent that allowed them to enthrall humans. They organized themselves into communities called jar dins and began to coexist with mortals. Eventually, religious zealots called the Brethren learned of their existence and began to hunt them down. When the Brethren discovered that the Darkyn were immortal, they began breeding, raising, and training their own replacements. The secret war between them has lasted for six centuries, right up until the present day.
In this series, we have a related group called the Takyn (aka Kyndred). Several decades ago, mysterious scientists kidnapped infants meeting certain criteria from their families and subjected them to medical experimentation that enhanced their innate psychic talents. Each infant was tattooed with the image of an animal that was somehow related to the child's talent (e.g., a dolphin for a person who could call the dolphins to her). See the series cover art for examples of the tattoos. When the experiment was terminated, most of the children were sent out into the Catholic social services system to be adopted by well-to-do Catholic families, but others slipped through the cracks and were left to foster care. The enhanced talents did not manifest until the child went through a life-death situation, actually dying from accident or illness and then coming back to life. Needless to say, the adoptive families found it hard to accept that their child could create fire, bend metal, read minds. Many of the children hid their abilities. Others caused so much family upset that they were abandoned or given to someone else. As the series begins, a small group of Takyn have found each other in an Internet chat room, where they compare notes and give each other advice. Each one uses a fictional name because they don't trust anyone—not even their fellow Takyn. As the series advances, members of this group will meet and help one another as they battle against humans and supernaturals who want them for a variety of nefarious reasons.
The villains of this series are the owner (Jonah Genaro) and the head geneticist (Dr. Elliot Kirchner) of GenHance, a bio-tech research company that is secretly hunting down the Takyn/Kyndred and harvesting their DNA in order to create a serum that will turn an ordinary human into an unstoppable superhuman—stronger even than a Darkyn. Jonah Genaro traces his heritage back to a traitorous Roman soldier who betrayed his fellow warriors to the cc, causing them all to be slaughtered. Genaro is a typical power-hungry villain who expects the serum to "bestow increased strength and enhanced senses, and make inviolate the immune system of the test subject...Then nothing else would stop him from acquiring enough wealth and power to do whatever he pleased anywhere in the world." (Shadowlight, p. 37) Kirchner is the typical mad scientist that shows up frequently in paranormal fiction. He's extremely goal oriented and doesn't worry about collateral damage like the deaths of innocents.
*** *** ***** *** ***
Shadowlight
Because this is the first book in the series, it is crammed with world-building mythology, so, at times, it moves very slowly. Soon, though, the pace picks up and then the action never stops. The heroine is Minerva Jessamine Starret, who is shot and killed by a crazed woman and then, impossibly, wakes up in the morgue, totally healed and with an all-new psychic talent. She can go into what she calls her shadowlilght and then touch a person and know their deepest, darkest, guilty secrets. Minerva sneaks away and starts a new life as Jessa Bellamy, the owner of a security firm in Savannah, Georgia. The hero is Gaven Matthias, who has been working underground (literally, at times) for many years tracking down the Kyndred, rescuing them from GenHance, and putting them into his own private witness protection program. Matt has been aware of Jessa and her magical abilities for months, and when he realizes that GenHance is going to make their move on her, he sweeps in, grabs her up, and takes her to his underground fortress. Although Matt (and the reader) know immediately that they are soul mates, Jessa, in typical paranormal romance behavior, refuses to accept her lustful feelings. She views Matt as her kidnapper and does everything she can to escape. The plot follows the couple as they get to know one another and as Matt slowly lets Jessa in on the whole Kyndred story. Supporting characters include Matt's two assistants: the feisty Rowan and the devious Drew, both of whom will have their own stories. Also joining the action is a couple from the DARKYN series, the assassin, Lucan, and his lady-love police officer, Samantha. Samantha is still having trouble accepting her new vampire nature, but both she and Lucan jump into the action when a psychotic GenHance employee, Bradford Lawson, has himself injected with the serum and turns into a horrifying, murdering monster who is out to get Jessa.
Because this is the first book in the series, it is crammed with world-building mythology, so, at times, it moves very slowly. Soon, though, the pace picks up and then the action never stops. The heroine is Minerva Jessamine Starret, who is shot and killed by a crazed woman and then, impossibly, wakes up in the morgue, totally healed and with an all-new psychic talent. She can go into what she calls her shadowlilght and then touch a person and know their deepest, darkest, guilty secrets. Minerva sneaks away and starts a new life as Jessa Bellamy, the owner of a security firm in Savannah, Georgia. The hero is Gaven Matthias, who has been working underground (literally, at times) for many years tracking down the Kyndred, rescuing them from GenHance, and putting them into his own private witness protection program. Matt has been aware of Jessa and her magical abilities for months, and when he realizes that GenHance is going to make their move on her, he sweeps in, grabs her up, and takes her to his underground fortress. Although Matt (and the reader) know immediately that they are soul mates, Jessa, in typical paranormal romance behavior, refuses to accept her lustful feelings. She views Matt as her kidnapper and does everything she can to escape. The plot follows the couple as they get to know one another and as Matt slowly lets Jessa in on the whole Kyndred story. Supporting characters include Matt's two assistants: the feisty Rowan and the devious Drew, both of whom will have their own stories. Also joining the action is a couple from the DARKYN series, the assassin, Lucan, and his lady-love police officer, Samantha. Samantha is still having trouble accepting her new vampire nature, but both she and Lucan jump into the action when a psychotic GenHance employee, Bradford Lawson, has himself injected with the serum and turns into a horrifying, murdering monster who is out to get Jessa.
One part of the world-building that is slightly confusing is the sporadic inclusion of sections relating to ancient Roman history and culture, specifically several references to a statue of the goddess Minerva and several pages describing a crucial battle between the Romans and the Germanic tribes. Don't worry, everything will become clear. Just keep reading. Both Jessa and Matt are fully developed, with well-defined personalities, histories, and emotional lives. The best of the supporting characters is Rowan, a surly twenty-something who grew up on the streets and has a major crush on Matt. Her personality jumps right off the page and smacks you in the face.
*** *** ***** *** ***
This book has a plethora of story threads that are interwoven in a dense and complex pattern. In the main plot line, Rowan Dietrich has left Matt and Jessa behind and has taken off on her motorcycle for a long road trip. Rowan is one of the Takyn, and her psychic ability allows her to go into what she calls her dreamveil and take on the physical appearance of the true love of the person she touches. Before heading for a promised job in Boston, she makes a stop in Manhattan to revisit the scenes of her unhappy childhood. When her cycle is damaged in an accident near a French restaurant, the owner, world-class chef Jean-Marc Dansant, takes her in and offers her a job in his kitchen. Rowan lives above the restaurant across the hall from Sean Meriden, a gruff mechanic and part-time bounty hunter who agrees to fix her bike. Both men serve as Rowan's love interests. Meanwhile, Gerald King, a wealthy, arrogant man is searching for his run-away daughter, Alana, who has been sighted in Manhattan. He forces Meriden to search for her by threatening to kill his friends and associates, including Rowan. As Meriden begins his search, a young homeless girl, Taire, sets her sights on Rowan, believing that Rowan can help her. In the background, Jonah Genaro and his GenHance crew are dealing with an infiltrator. At GenHance, every employee is a possible traitor, but you can never be sure if those traitors are working for the good guys or for other bad guys. The main thing to remember is that in this world, no one is what he or she seems, so keep that in mind as you read this book. Both the plot and the character representations are filled with nonstop twists and hairpin turns. I have to admit that I never saw most of them coming, so kudos to the author on her story construction. The ending is really wild and was, for me, totally unpredictable. As in the first book, the early parts may seem confusing, but just keep reading and it all comes together.
*** *** ***** *** ***
As in the previous books, a plethora of story lines coexist individually through most of the book until they are drawn together to resolve themselves at the climax. The heroine is Lilah Devereaux, who can speak psychically to animals (aka an animal whisperer). She has other supernatural characteristics, but those don't surface until the end of the book, and I don't want to include any spoilers here. Her hero is Walker Kimball, whose supernatural tendencies and real name must also wait to be revealed at the end of the book. One after another, they are drugged and captured by two men hired by an unknown villain, and as the story begins, they are lying naked and hand-cuffed to one another in the back of a refrigerated truck on their way to Denver. As the drugs wear off, they manage to escape and find refuge in a small Colorado mountain town in the middle of a blizzard, only to discover that the townsfolk aren't as human as they appear. Meanwhile, a pair of Darkyn (Gabriel and Nicola) are on Walker's trail because he is supposed to be a rogue Darkyn. Also, a traitorous GenHance employee is after Walker for her own nefarious reasons. Lastly, Samuel Taske (a seemingly nice man when we met him in the previous book) wants to capture Lilah—and his reasons are just as self-centered as everyone else's. By the climactic ending, Walker and Lilah are deeply in love, and the cast of characters includes everything from Drakyn to shape shifters to the Takyn/Kyndred, and hybrids of all of the above. If you're a fan of Viehl's DARKYN series, you'll be amazed when you learn Walker's true identity. Even if you're not a DARKYN reader, it's still a nice payoff. This is definitely a book in which you must trust the author to lead you through the labyrinthine plot. Just keep reading, and everything will tie itself up in a neat, HEA package by the final page.
*** *** ***** *** ***
Meanwhile, Drew Riordan tracks Sam to Mexico, where he meets up with a local environmental protection agent named Agriciana Flores, whom he nicknames Gracie. Drew is a Takyn who can manipulate metals, particularly copper; Gracie can speak to and control dolphins. As the two of them try to find Sam and Charlie, they run into problems of their own. Unfortunately for everyone, Jonah Genaro has also traced Sam to Mexico, and he brings in his mercenaries so that he can control the situation. Those are the main story lines, but, in addition, we have the stories of two of the couples of the island. Once again, the story threads are at first divergent but then come together at the end. Additionally, the ending provides some clues as to the relationship between the Takyn/Kyndred and the Darkyn. The fact that all three names contain "kyn" gives you a clue as to the closeness of that relationship.
This is a great series, with highly developed characters and layered, fast-paced story lines. Viehl has always been a terrific story teller, and she carries on that tradition here. Viehl has started a new Darkyn series entitled LORDS OF THE DARKYN, which debuts with Nightborn (3/2012). Click HERE to read Viehl's "The History of Kyn," which gives a timeline for the development of her three Kyn series.
Here are the romantic couples for each book in this series. The names highlighted in blue are the pseudonyms of the small group that participated in the Takyn chatroom:
> Shadowlight: Gaven Matthias & Jessa Bellamy (aka Jezebel)
> Dreamveil: Rowan Dietrich (aka Aphrodite), Sean Meriden, & Jean-Marc Dansant
> Frostfire: A threesome: Walker Kimball & Lilah Devereaux (aka Delilah)
> Nightshine: Two couples: Samuel Taske (aka Paracelsus) & Charlotte (Charlie) Marena (aka Magdalene) and Andrew (Drew) Riordan (aka Vulcan) & Agraciana (Gracie) Flores
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Vampire Novel of the Century
The Horror Writers Association (HWA) is an international association of writers, publishing professionals, and supporters of horror literature. The HWA recently announced the nominees for the Bram Stoker Vampire Novel of the Century Award, which will be presented on March 31, 2012, upon the centenary of the death of Abraham (Bram) Stoker, the author of Dracula. From a field of more than 35 preliminary nominees, a jury of writers and scholars chose the six vampire novels that they believe have had the greatest impact on the horror genre since the publication of Dracula in 1897. Eligible works must have been first published between 1912 and 2011 and published in or translated into English.
I'll be reading and reviewing some of the books on the list in upcoming blogs. Here are the nominees:
The Soft Whisper of the Dead, by Charles L. Grant (1983). Grant (1946-2006) was a prolific American writer of what he called "dark fantasy" and "quiet horror," writing under six pseudonyms as well as his own name. Grant also edited numerous horror and fantasy anthologies. The novel is part of Grant's 12-part series, set in the fictional small town Oxrun Station, Connecticut. Grant was a former president of HWA and received its Lifetime Achievement Award in 1999.
Salem’s Lot, by Stephen King. First published in 1975, this was only the second work by the now-legendary American author of dozens of fantasy, science fiction, mystery, and horror stories, comics, and novels. Set in the town of Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, it tells of a man's return to his hometown, where he finds a plague of vampirism. The book has twice been made into television mini-series and has been recorded by the BBC. King's work has won countless Bram stoker Awards from HWA, and King (1947-), a lifelong New England resident, was recognized with HWA's Lilfetime Achievement Award in 2002. (This is the very first horror novel I ever read. I just re-read it, and it still gives me chills. The old 1979 TV movie—not the awful 2004 film—is also bloodcurdlingly good. You can still purchase it online.)
Interview with the Vampire, by American author Anne Rice, first appeared in 1976 and achieved enormous popularity, selling more than 8 million copies. The book introduces the vampires Louis and Lestat, who, along with a dozen other unique individual vampires, appear in a long series by Rice known as The Vampire Chronicles. The novel was filmed in 1994 starring Tom Cruise as Lestat and Brad Pit as Louis, and was produced as a Broadway musical in 2006. Another work in the series, Queen of the Damned, was filmed in 2002. Rice (1941-) has written numerous other Gothic fantasy novels, selling more than 100 million copies worldwide, and has won many awards, including HWA's Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003.
Monday, February 20, 2012
Cynthia Garner: WARRIORS OF THE RIFT SERIES
Series: WARRIORS OF THE RIFT
Plot Type: Soul Mate Romance (SMR)
Ratings: Violence—4; Sensuality—4; Humor—2-3
Publisher and Titles: Grand Central
"Into the Rift" (prequel e-book story, 5/2012)
Kiss of the Vampire (2/2012)
Secret of the Wolf (7/2012)
Heart of the Demon (2/2013)
This ongoing post was revised and updated on 4/20/13 to include a review of the third novel in the series, Heart of the Demon. That review appears last, preceded by an overview of the world-building and reviews of novels 1 and 2.
WORLD-BUILDING
In this world, all supernaturals have arrived on Earth in non-corporeal form from distant planets or realms, traveling through a dimensional rift caused by the Moore-Creasy-Devon comet, which cycles past Earth every 73 years. Here, a character describes the process: "The comet goes by and temporarily opens a rift, a hole, between the two dimensions. Picture it like sliding down a zipper...The opening at the top gets wider the farther down you unzip. Entities spill into this dimension all along the opening, more of them toward the top and middle as it widens....Then as the comet gets farther away from Earth,...it's like the release of the effects of gravity snaps the zipper tab back the other way, closing it." (Secret of the Wolf, pp. 212-213)
Many of these preternatural immigrants are criminals seeking escape from punishment in their home realms. When they arrive on Earth, they take possession of the bodies and identities of humans. Here's how an anti-preternatural newspaper editor puts it: "These interdimensional marauders...stream through the rift like Vikings of old riding the rough waves of the sea to take possession of human bodies without any regard for those they displace. Or, more accurately, suppress." (Kiss of the Vampire, p. 2)
In this world, all supernaturals have arrived on Earth in non-corporeal form from distant planets or realms, traveling through a dimensional rift caused by the Moore-Creasy-Devon comet, which cycles past Earth every 73 years. Here, a character describes the process: "The comet goes by and temporarily opens a rift, a hole, between the two dimensions. Picture it like sliding down a zipper...The opening at the top gets wider the farther down you unzip. Entities spill into this dimension all along the opening, more of them toward the top and middle as it widens....Then as the comet gets farther away from Earth,...it's like the release of the effects of gravity snaps the zipper tab back the other way, closing it." (Secret of the Wolf, pp. 212-213)
Humans call these alien beings Extra-Dimensionals (EDs), but they prefer to call themselves prets (short for preternaturals). When the otherworldly essence of an ED, or pret, combines with the human host, that host becomes either a vampire, werewolf, pixie, demon, or some other type of preternatural being. No one knows exactly why they turn into different types of beings. Although the migration of the EDs has been going on for centuries, the human world has known about the rift for only three years.
The general reaction among mortals has been one of caution and fear, with many humans seeing the EDs as predators who must be contained. "It was a bit unsettling to think you could be going about your business and then—wham!—you're no longer in control of your own body, rather, you had to share it with someone else, someone whose personality is melded with yours." (Secret of the Wolf, p. 40) When a pret drops into a human host, family members often turn against that sibling (or offspring or parent), causing disruption and heartbreak. Some of that fear is justified, because some prets (vampires, for example) require human blood to sustain themselves. Many prets prefer their blood to be from live humans, and they don't always ask permission before imbibing. Remember, many of them are outlaws. Some humans are clamoring for restrictions on the prets. On the horizon is the Preternatural Registration Act, now in the early stages of discussion by the U.S. Senate. That act would require all prets to register with their local government and be fitted with microchips that will probably have GPS capabilities.
The prets are governed by the Council of Preternaturals, which (of course) is deeply corrupt. Click HERE to go to a Council organization chart on the author's web site. By the end of book 1, Tobias (the book 1 hero) is a member of the Council, so we know that there's at least one good guy on the governing board.
NOVEL 1: Kiss of the Vampire
In the series opener, the heroine is Nix de la Fuente, a human-demon hybrid whose incubus mother drained and killed her human father when she was a child. Nix was raised in a cruel and hostile environment by her demon-hating human grandmother, who left Nix with a lot of emotional scars. Now, Nix works as the human liaison between the Council of Preternaturals and the Scottsdale, Arizona, police department, and she religiously practices Tai Chi so that she can keep her demon nature under control. As the story opens, Nix and her partner, Dante MacMillan, are investigating their second vampire murder in two days. This time, the victim is Nix's friend, Amarinda, who has been mauled and eviscerated. As Nix and Dante are discussing the case, they are unexpectedly joined by Nix's former flame, Tobias Caine, a vampire who moved away to another city after the couple broke up five years ago.
Tobias came through the rift 219 years ago in pursuit of the assassin who murdered his leader. In Tobias' former dimension, he was an Enforcer of the High Law, and the killer (Natchook) had pretended to be his friend, so the murder was very personal for Tobias. Unfortunately, Natchook is ensconced in a human host, so Tobias doesn't know what he looks like now, but he does remember Natchook's scent. As more mutilated vampire corpses accumulate, the trio finds evidence that Amarinda was involved with an underground group of prets who are developing technology to enable radio transmissions through the rift, which could cause huge problems for both prets and humans alike (although there is no real explanation as to what exactly those problems might be). When Tobias picks up Natchook's scent at one of the murder scenes, he takes off in hot pursuit. By the end of the book, both Tobias and Nix are forced to lay their lives on the line for one another (in the tradition of most paranormal soul mates). Not to worry though, this is a paranormal romance, so there's definitely an HEA. The ending leaves the radio transmission part of the story unresolved.
Now for the romance: At the beginning of the story, Nix and Tobias still love one another, but neither will admit it to the other. Tobias left Nix because he was afraid that he was the cause of her difficulties in keeping her demon side under control, but he didn't tell her that. He just left. Nix has always believed that Tobias left her because she is a lowly demon. Demons are considered to be the dregs of pret society and are particularly denigrated by the socially superior vampires. Pretty soon, the mutual attraction between Nix and Tobias takes over, though, and old hurts are (way too quickly) forgotten. Dante, the human in this crime-fighting trio, has been attracted to Nix, but when he sees the sparks flying between Nix and Tobias, he backs off. As Dante accompanies the star-crossed lovers on their various interviews and crime scene visits, he provides welcome comic relief, with his wisecracks and sarcastic gibes.
This book has the awkwardness frequently found in first novels and in series introductions. The mythology needs a bit of polishing because the whole rift/preternatural/human host process is just sketched in, without sufficient detail to provide a clear picture of how it all works. For example, if an ED is a non-corporeal essence residing in a human body, why is Nix part demon. Although her mother's human body is hosting a demon, it's still a human body, so why isn't Nix all human? Does the spiritual essence somehow alter the host's DNA? The narrative provides no clues. Nix's situation at the end of the story also raises questions. I can't really go into the details without a spoiler, but I will say that the process by which humans acquire the traits of various preternaturals definitely needs more clarification. The best part of the book is the dialogue that includes Dante, whose character is the most entertaining and realistic in the book. Nix and Tobias are relatively one-dimensional, particularly Tobias. Although he has been chasing after Natchook for more than two centuries, he doesn't show much passion. The relationship between Tobias and Nix is stereotypical, with angst-filled monologues followed by simmering but unfulfilled lust—until they break down the barriers between them. Then, it's lust all the way, all the time. Unfortunately, their relationship doesn't seem to go any deeper than the physical attraction, and they never really have a conversation about anything beyond their murder case, their bad break up, or their lustful feelings—but no real emotional connection.
Click HERE to read a deleted scene from Kiss of the Vampire. Click HERE to read character interviews with Nix and Tobias.
NOVEL 2: Secret of the Wolf
The hero of this book is Dante MacMillan, a human police detective and the former partner of Nix, the heroine of book 1. Dante's soul mate is Victoria (Tori) Joseph, werewolf liaison to the Council of Preternaturals. As the story opens, a rogue werewolf is attacking humans and either turning them or killing them. In the meantime, both Dante and Tori are dealing with family problems. Dante lives with and cares for his sister, Lily, who is recovering from cancer. Tori is getting to know her long-lost brother, Randall (Rand), who showed up on her doorstep a few days ago. They haven't seen each other since they first came through the rift in 1866, and Tori is eager to build a family unit.
Tobias came through the rift 219 years ago in pursuit of the assassin who murdered his leader. In Tobias' former dimension, he was an Enforcer of the High Law, and the killer (Natchook) had pretended to be his friend, so the murder was very personal for Tobias. Unfortunately, Natchook is ensconced in a human host, so Tobias doesn't know what he looks like now, but he does remember Natchook's scent. As more mutilated vampire corpses accumulate, the trio finds evidence that Amarinda was involved with an underground group of prets who are developing technology to enable radio transmissions through the rift, which could cause huge problems for both prets and humans alike (although there is no real explanation as to what exactly those problems might be). When Tobias picks up Natchook's scent at one of the murder scenes, he takes off in hot pursuit. By the end of the book, both Tobias and Nix are forced to lay their lives on the line for one another (in the tradition of most paranormal soul mates). Not to worry though, this is a paranormal romance, so there's definitely an HEA. The ending leaves the radio transmission part of the story unresolved.
Now for the romance: At the beginning of the story, Nix and Tobias still love one another, but neither will admit it to the other. Tobias left Nix because he was afraid that he was the cause of her difficulties in keeping her demon side under control, but he didn't tell her that. He just left. Nix has always believed that Tobias left her because she is a lowly demon. Demons are considered to be the dregs of pret society and are particularly denigrated by the socially superior vampires. Pretty soon, the mutual attraction between Nix and Tobias takes over, though, and old hurts are (way too quickly) forgotten. Dante, the human in this crime-fighting trio, has been attracted to Nix, but when he sees the sparks flying between Nix and Tobias, he backs off. As Dante accompanies the star-crossed lovers on their various interviews and crime scene visits, he provides welcome comic relief, with his wisecracks and sarcastic gibes.
This book has the awkwardness frequently found in first novels and in series introductions. The mythology needs a bit of polishing because the whole rift/preternatural/human host process is just sketched in, without sufficient detail to provide a clear picture of how it all works. For example, if an ED is a non-corporeal essence residing in a human body, why is Nix part demon. Although her mother's human body is hosting a demon, it's still a human body, so why isn't Nix all human? Does the spiritual essence somehow alter the host's DNA? The narrative provides no clues. Nix's situation at the end of the story also raises questions. I can't really go into the details without a spoiler, but I will say that the process by which humans acquire the traits of various preternaturals definitely needs more clarification. The best part of the book is the dialogue that includes Dante, whose character is the most entertaining and realistic in the book. Nix and Tobias are relatively one-dimensional, particularly Tobias. Although he has been chasing after Natchook for more than two centuries, he doesn't show much passion. The relationship between Tobias and Nix is stereotypical, with angst-filled monologues followed by simmering but unfulfilled lust—until they break down the barriers between them. Then, it's lust all the way, all the time. Unfortunately, their relationship doesn't seem to go any deeper than the physical attraction, and they never really have a conversation about anything beyond their murder case, their bad break up, or their lustful feelings—but no real emotional connection.
Click HERE to read a deleted scene from Kiss of the Vampire. Click HERE to read character interviews with Nix and Tobias.
NOVEL 2: Secret of the Wolf
The plot follows Dante and Tori as they investigate the werewolf case and try to track down the rogue. Of course, they fall in love along the way. The identity of the rogue werewolf is clear almost from page one, so there's not much suspense involved in the plot. There is, however, a character problem. Tori, who is supposed to be such a clear-headed, smart, centered person, makes some really dumb decisions as she eventually suspects that the rogue is someone she knows well but then fails to tell anyone her suspicions, resulting in more attacks. Coincidentally, I just finished reading (and reviewing) another book in which the heroine has the same problem: Tainted Night, Tainted Blood (book 2 in E.S. Moore's KAT REDDING series). In both cases, the heroines make stereotypically stupid moves, withholding information and getting innocent people hurt and/or killed—all in the name of (dysfunctional) family devotion.
Other than the lack of suspense and Tori's character flaw, the story is solid enough, with compelling action that moves the plot along at a fast clip. Even though I knew who the villain was, I still was interested in seeing how the couple solved the case and just how far Tori would go before she spilled the beans about the identity of the rogue. I was disappointed that Dante wasn't nearly as humorous a character in this book as he was in book 1. Falling in love seems to have sucked all of the sarcastic wisecracks out of him.
Natchook, the villain from book 1, makes a brief appearance, but he's still on the loose at the end, and plotting more rift-connected mayhem. The rogue werewolf plot line in this book is related to the series story arc involving mysterious plotters who are planning to use electronic means either to open a new rift or widen/lengthen the original rift. In book 1, Tobias captured one of their electronic devices, and in this book, Dante and Tori spend a lot of time taking the thing apart and analyzing how it works.
More details are added to the world-building in this book. In this passage, we learn more about the process by which vampires and werewolves can turn humans. "It's just like in the legends. werewolves can make another werewolf with just their bites. Vampires have to seal the deal with blood because they're....the weakest of all prets when they first come through the rift. They can only take over bodies that are close to death or have just died. Once they've acclimated to their host, though, physically they're the strongest." (p. 141)
Click HERE to go to a page on the author's web site with photographs of key landmarks in Old Town Scottsdale that are important to the plot of Secret of the Wolf.
NOVEL 3: Heart of the Demon
Finn Evnissyen, hero of this book, was actually an anti-hero in the previous book. Finn is a demon, and he is Lucifer's son and chief enforcer. As the events of book 2 played out, we discovered eventually that Finn is actually one of the good guys. As this book begins, Lucifer and Tobias ask Finn to infiltrate a group of rogue preternaturals (aka prets) who are planning to sabotage the Council's efforts to keep human-pret relations friendly and who also plan to use the mysterious machine introduced in book 1 to open the rift and allow unlimited numbers of prets to take over human bodies here on Earth. Finn is an unhappy demon; he hates being under his father's thumb and wants his freedom more than anything. He agrees to do the spy job if his father will free him from his enforcer commitment.
In the meantime, Finn's kinda/sorta girlfriend, Keira O'Brien, is also being asked to spy on the rogues, having been blackmailed into the job by Caladh, a council member who has learned some damaging information about Keira's past. Keira is a fey who was a grifter with a long criminal record before she came to earth. She still loves the rush she gets during a con job, but she is determined to go straight. Keira and Finn are wildly attracted to one another and have had one passionate night together, but they are both wary of long-term relationships.
The plot mostly follows the love story as Finn and Keira are each startled to find the other at the rogue's meetings, both pretending to be true followers of the rogue leader, Stefan Liuz (who is actually the villainous Natchook, whom we met in book 1). Both Finn and Keira believe that the other is a traitor, but that doesn't temper the lustful attraction between them.
In the action part of the plot, Stefan puts Finn and Keira through a series of tests to determine their loyalty. Eventually, of course, there is a climactic show-down scene where everything gets sorted out, one way or another.
This book is thinner on plot and heavier on soul-mate romance than the previous two novels in this series. The lead lovers are relatively shallow in character, motivated primarily by their sex drives, not by their moral sense. For example, even though Keira totally believes that Finn killed a prominent Council member on Stefan's orders, she still can't stay out of his bed. And even though Keira claims to be on the straight and narrow, Finn watches her gleefully steal jewels and rob a bank on Stefan's orders, but that doesn't stop him from from jumping her bones every chance he gets. This all seems quite improbable because, in the end, these are two good people, so how could they not be repulsed by the other's seemingly immoral and traitorous behavior?
The lack of plot complexity makes this a slow-moving story. We just watch Stefan put the couple through one similar test after another, and then there's the big showdown at the end—interspersed with graphic love scenes. So...not really enough going on to hold my interest. After you've read one of the love scenes, you'll find that the rest are pretty much just duplicates.
The epilogue introduces an all-new character—Bartholomew Maxwell ("Ash") Asher, a Council liaison, so I assume that he will be the hero of the next book. Click HERE to read an excerpt from Heart of the Demon.
Click HERE to go to a page on the author's web site with photographs of key landmarks in Old Town Scottsdale that are important to the plot of Secret of the Wolf.
NOVEL 3: Heart of the Demon
Finn Evnissyen, hero of this book, was actually an anti-hero in the previous book. Finn is a demon, and he is Lucifer's son and chief enforcer. As the events of book 2 played out, we discovered eventually that Finn is actually one of the good guys. As this book begins, Lucifer and Tobias ask Finn to infiltrate a group of rogue preternaturals (aka prets) who are planning to sabotage the Council's efforts to keep human-pret relations friendly and who also plan to use the mysterious machine introduced in book 1 to open the rift and allow unlimited numbers of prets to take over human bodies here on Earth. Finn is an unhappy demon; he hates being under his father's thumb and wants his freedom more than anything. He agrees to do the spy job if his father will free him from his enforcer commitment.In the meantime, Finn's kinda/sorta girlfriend, Keira O'Brien, is also being asked to spy on the rogues, having been blackmailed into the job by Caladh, a council member who has learned some damaging information about Keira's past. Keira is a fey who was a grifter with a long criminal record before she came to earth. She still loves the rush she gets during a con job, but she is determined to go straight. Keira and Finn are wildly attracted to one another and have had one passionate night together, but they are both wary of long-term relationships.
The plot mostly follows the love story as Finn and Keira are each startled to find the other at the rogue's meetings, both pretending to be true followers of the rogue leader, Stefan Liuz (who is actually the villainous Natchook, whom we met in book 1). Both Finn and Keira believe that the other is a traitor, but that doesn't temper the lustful attraction between them.
In the action part of the plot, Stefan puts Finn and Keira through a series of tests to determine their loyalty. Eventually, of course, there is a climactic show-down scene where everything gets sorted out, one way or another.
This book is thinner on plot and heavier on soul-mate romance than the previous two novels in this series. The lead lovers are relatively shallow in character, motivated primarily by their sex drives, not by their moral sense. For example, even though Keira totally believes that Finn killed a prominent Council member on Stefan's orders, she still can't stay out of his bed. And even though Keira claims to be on the straight and narrow, Finn watches her gleefully steal jewels and rob a bank on Stefan's orders, but that doesn't stop him from from jumping her bones every chance he gets. This all seems quite improbable because, in the end, these are two good people, so how could they not be repulsed by the other's seemingly immoral and traitorous behavior?
The lack of plot complexity makes this a slow-moving story. We just watch Stefan put the couple through one similar test after another, and then there's the big showdown at the end—interspersed with graphic love scenes. So...not really enough going on to hold my interest. After you've read one of the love scenes, you'll find that the rest are pretty much just duplicates.
The epilogue introduces an all-new character—Bartholomew Maxwell ("Ash") Asher, a Council liaison, so I assume that he will be the hero of the next book. Click HERE to read an excerpt from Heart of the Demon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)