Horror Books

Great Book I enjoyed the way it was written and the way she sticks with the storyline and not bouncing around.

"Dark Desire" is the 2nd book is a series of stories about the Carpathians. Not evil, but immortal and blooding drinkers, these compelling beings are under attack by true vampires and humans that hunt vampires. Jacques, a Carpathian who is younger brother to the Prince, has been taken captive and torchured by evil men and left in a basement in an abandoned building to suffer for years. He is able to overcome his pain and communicate with a woman who will become his lifemate. This story is interesting and unusually different than the others in the series. I have tried to read the series in order since characters are innerwoven throughout others' storylines. Dark Desire explains a lot about the history of Carpathians, and the physical and metaphysical differences between humans and immortals. Author, Christine Feehan, has a great immagination and writes well.

Even after everything he'd been through, I had a hard time liking Jacques and I wanted to like him. He'd been so sweet and giving in Dark Prince, you just knew his story was going to be an easy one.

Boy was I wrong, but pleasantly surprised. Christine (funny, that I feel like I know her!) really made me WORK at getting to a place where I could even feel sorry for Jacques. That kept me turning pages.

You'll be rooting for him by the end!

What jacques goes through really gets to you. This story is about a love that stands through thick and thin. Jacques needs Shea just as much as she needs him. This novel is well written and filled with enough drama for an emotional roller coaster ride.

Write on, read on
N.M. Phillips

Dark Desire happens aproximatelly 25 years after Dark Prince, the first book of the series, and is the story of Jacques Dubrinski and Shea O'Halloran. He is your standard tormented anti-heroe, uber-dangerous and sexy, and she is the flawless woman (beautiful, compassionate, intelectually perfect) who will fall for his flaws and heal him. Not that there is any other chance: she is his lifemate, whether she wants to be or not, so it's a done deal and the reader knows that just by reading the intro.

So much perfection, clichés and predictability take a heavy toll on any book.

The romance happens in unbeliavable situations at times, which takes quite a toll on the story. The concepts of sharing of blood and sex, when being described as so intimate by the author, should be more carefully placed on the story instead of being used so repeatedly and many times without another reason than: "That's just how Carpathian males are" or "It's that kind of book, so people want to read about romance."

Dark Desire is still a lot better than its predecessor though, because the characters are better writen, the story is there and there is actually a plot. The writer took much better care of building a story and a background to the characters. Unfortunately, the dialogues remain repetitive, and it's fairly easy to tell where it is heading. Read the first book, and you've read them all in terms of how the relatioship develops between the two main characters. Thus, the chances of buying a third book are remote.

All in all though, it's still enjoyable, but do not expect any sort of intelectual stimulation from this book.

After reading her other works, this one has the least sex scenes and is the best book in the series.

I really liked this entry in the series. Edward has always been my favorite character (besides Anita of course), and I'd missed him in the recent books, so I was glad to see he had such a huge role in this one. In this book, Edward calls in his favor from Anita and she travels to Arizona to assist him in investigating a series of mutilation murders. We get some insight into Edward's character and a glimpse at his long-buried human side! Jean-Claude only makes one brief appearance in this book, and Richard doesn't appear at all other than in conversation. And quite frankly, I did not miss either one of them! Terrible, I know, since Jean-Claude especially is such a central character, but I've never much cared for him or their relationship. In Arizona, Anita meets another of Edward's occasional back-ups, Olaf, who is a cold-blooded serial murderer who starts out hating Anita but comes to respect her in a creepy way, and I suspect that he will show up later in the series as well. An interesting character.

So, the title says it. I'm done with Laurell Hamilton. Honestly, I did not even finish this book. I stopped with about 100 pages left. I'm sick of the author's fixation on sexual assault. In most of the books she's either had someone get raped, or attempted to be, or put in a porn film against their will. I was well aware that there was some sexually explicit content in these books, but there has been to this point, so little actual consensual sex. So I'm finished.

Other gripes about the book: the werewolf politics yet again. "You came in to my territory without paying me tribute" *snoooooze*

As a medical professional: When Anita was injured in the hospital and hurt, they said her blood pressure was 60/80. Not possible. The numbers can potentially be equal, but the second number cannot be higher than the first. Maybe I'm just nitpicking here, but that's how it goes.

Also irked by one of her lines when Anita was referencing women's weight: "Anything under size 5 isn't a woman, it's a boy with breasts"
Wow. Pretty insulting to your female readers who happen to be petite. Just like,oh your own main character endlessly is described as being so. That's a very catty line and I found it very insulting.

So enough Hamilton for me.I'd rather read an author with either less sex or more HEALTHY sex than this endless victimization of her characters. I'm just glad that this book was borrowed and I've never paid a dime for one of Hamilton's novels.

In this book, Anita goes to help out her old fried-Edward. The book takes you to New Mexico where an Aztec god/monster is skinning people alive or ripping them from limb to limb. Throw in a rapist who gets his kicks by hacking his victims into pieces note:he's on the good side; A nursery ward where the babies get eatten and instant mumification and you have a thriller that keeps you on end! Yes, this book is dark and gory, but it showed a side of Anita and Edward that they thought they had long forgotten. If you hunt and hack monsters all the time, do you become one yourself or is there still some humanity left that is capable of love?

For a few of her previous books, Hamilton has started taking Anita on more philosophical paths, and the story line tends to be overtly sexual. This novel, however, puts Anita right back up there, fighting with the bad guys! We get to learn a lot more about Edward's life, as well as visit some different aspects of the paranormal realm. Some of the descriptions of the victims are horrifyingly amazing! It was nice to see Anita in action again, rather than mooning over one of the many men in her life.

I was so surprised to hear William Hope! I fell in love with him as Henry Detamble in The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. I was impressed with his professionalism with the subject matter, and loved his characterization of the stable master. I wish Anne Rice wouldn't allow her books to be abridged for audio! I would have loved to enjoy the entire book with these readers. Good Job!

When I first began the Beauty books, I have to say I was a bit disappointed. The first book included entirely too much spanking and not much of anything else. The second book was much better and really entertained with some classic character development and a very moving relationship. The third book in the Beauty series was the best yet! Although Rice does a great job of summarizing the adventures from the previous books, it really would be most beneficial to read through all books in the series in order to appreciate the massive character development throughout the series. (Yes, even the first one which could be considered a bit of a bore to some.)

Rice included a variety of spice and some very interesting BDSM aspects in this third installment. The characters remained consistent with the original story line, but showed massive and realistic development through their struggles.

As always, Rice masters writing the environment and characters while keeping the reader guessing as to what might happen next. And although these books don't exactly follow the traditional fairytale mold, Rice did manage to include a 'happily-ever-after' ending...but with a twist!

*WARNING: These books include extreme examples of bondage-submission scenarios as well as explicit material. If you are easily offended, DON'T READ THESE BOOKS! If you like a little spice and something on the devilish side, these books might just fit the bill!

This is such an erotic read. The writing is so visual that you real can see yourself in the situations. The plot is a little lacking but what do you expect. However, for an erotic book definitely worth the read.

The ending was just as hot and wonderful as the beginning. This series is worth keeping as a collection item. I have not read anything this good since the Happy Hooker series. Anne Rice rocks!

I read the series to the end in hope of a night in shinning armour saving Beauty from a wicked world. But not. I skipped most of all 3 books to get to the end. In fact I probably didn't read half of either book.

I hope Rice never writes another book of this sort.

This book was a little different from the other anita books before it. I liked it alot. very detailed, and gory.

Looking for a good vampire book after reading Stephanie Meyer's Breaking Dawn, I dove headlong and joyously back into Anita Blake. This one was excellent, again, though it moves more into the long-term action of a series, rather than a one-shot stand-alone as the first books were. Being an epic fantasy fan, I prefer this kind of thing, because it helps keep the characters moving and growing and changing, but doesn't have to have them do it at too frenetic a pace, as happened in, say, Rachel Caine's Weather Wardens series.

This book focuses on three long-term plot threads, one past, one present, one future. For the past thread, it closes the circle started in the third book, Circus of the Damned, because Anita and Jean-Claude have to answer for killing the Earthmover, Mr. Oliver. The rule is that whoever kills a member of the vampire ruling council takes that council member's seat; since the only way to get on the council is to kill one of the current members, only Jean-Claude can take Oliver's place. However, he doesn't want to, and even though he declares it is because he knows he isn't strong enough and would only become the main target for anyone itching to get a seat (which is certainly true), I think his main reason for not wanting it becomes clear almost immediately after we meet two of the council members, the Traveler and the Master of Beasts. Jean-Claude doesn't want to be on the council because these people suck. They are horrid. They are cruel, they are obnoxious, they are arrogant beyond all measure, and worst of all, as Anita points out, they are petty: they worry overmuch about small issues of precedence, they take umbrage at any word that is not purely sycophantic, they attempt to dominate and control and degrade anyone and anything around them. They are the ultimate bullies, but sadly, they have the power to back it up -- power they waste almost completely, because all they do with it is run their petty little games and try to get a leg up in their eternal squabbles. This is the perfect example of the corrupting influence of power.

It was fun to read because Anita has a very salutary effect on the council members: she intimidates one, and manages to find and bring out a shred of decency and honor in the other, and she keeps them from doing too much harm to the supernaturals in Jean-Claude's domain -- which might as well be called her domain, as she continues to take on the role of protector for more and more of the supernaturals, which is the second major long-term plot thread this book follows. She becomes the official leader of the wereleopards, and takes on more of the role of lupa for Richard's pack, a role that gives her the power to fight off the council and be of some use to the werewolves when they need her. And they need her, because Richard has finally turned completely into a petty, vindictive shrew. Okay, okay, she dumped you. She wouldn't sleep with you, and she slept with another guy, a guy you don't like. It hurts, I understand. But come on, already! Richard is so bitter that he is enraged by everything that has to do with Anita; he keeps trying to flaunt himself in front of her -- one of those, "See what you're missing, baby?" posturing things -- and yet the slightest hint of Jean-Claude in her life throws him into a complete hissy-fit. He can't stand the idea of anyone trying to help or control his pack other than himself, and yet he is not capable of handling his pack, because he can't face his own beast and he's turned into such an angry, screaming rhymes-with-witch that he is a terrible leader. One who uses cruelty to get his way, despite all of his high morals, because he is taking out his own pissiness on everyone around him -- I feel bad for the students in his class. The future plot thread sets up the theme of Richard trying to deal with his role in the triumvirate, although all he really tries to do is make them hate him so much that they'll throw him out of the triumvirate and he can go wallow in his self-pity forever and ever and ever. It's pathetic. Anita actually helps him deal with his beast at one point, and she tries again and again to deal with his immaturity, but he won't let her, and he won't let go of any of his rage. Frankly, I can't wait until he is put in his place. They seem to be leaning towards replacing him, which would probably make everyone happy -- except Richard, of course, who will never be happy, never ever ever because Anita didn't sleep with him and that ruined his whole life -- but for that to happen, Richard would have to leave St. Louis or die, since I can't see the triumvirate including any were other than the leader of the pack (vroom vroom) and that has to be Richard, who can't handle either his responsibilities as pack leader or as Jean-Claude's wolf. Unless Richard abdicates -- which he won't, the arrogant putz -- or gets killed. Which would certainly make things easier.

But then, that is one of the most attractive things about this series. Things are not easy. It's kinda like real life, that way. So, here's to Anita, and I hope she muddles through. And personally? I hope Richard gets put down, hard. But I want him to live, shamed and humbled and broken. I want his outside to be as weak and childish as his inside. But maybe I'm just being petty. Oddly, I don't feel bad about that.

Anita Blake books are so good I updated my collection to the hardcovers because I wore my paperbacks out. This is a great series but it is for adult readers.

I love the Anita Blake series, so far each one is better than the last

Laurell K Hamilton certainly has a way with words - her books draw you in and the reader never knows quite where the story is going next. These books are all very unpredictable with unexpected events unfolding and an ever-widening cast of characters.

The ever-widening epithet also describes Anita Blake's powers and responsibilities. Not content with 'merely' being a necromancer, as the books in this series have unfolded she has gained position as a lupa (female alpha wolf), leopard pack leader, vampire human servant and more. However this reader has found that the more this series continues, the more abstract and distant Anita Blake seems. In the first few books it was possible to identify with her as a woman trying to hunt monsters and not to become one. However at this point in the story I have found that Anita has become someone fairly unlikeable with her idiosyncratic set of rules that just don't work for this reader.

This story contains all the complexity of the previous stories, if more. The love-triangle is settled for the moment so more time is spent on the difficulties of Anita's life as she juggles her varied tasks. She is asked to investigate a possible supernatural firestarter, she finds herself getting involved with were-leopard and werewolf politics and her lover, Jean-Claude, needs her help with the European Vampire Council. The level of violence in this book seems rather over-the-top at times and some aspects of the plot seem rehashed from previous books, plus I have serious doubts about Anita's sanity and her self-awareness as to her limits. The author's skill in telling the tale lift this book above many in this genre but I didn't feel it was a patch on the first four in the series.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book © Helen Hancox 2008

New Orleans style vampire and mystic shenanigans, and perhaps a tad less brutality here. There is some sort of Anne Rice parody thrown in as well, at a certain level, I think. Still, it is not for the squeamish, as monsters abound, and are dealt with in the usual way, with weapons that slice and dice.

The first three volumnes of this trade paperback collection of the "Preacher" comic series are absolutely fantastic. Full of humor, life, bizarre insights, and wild characters. The fourth volumne collects odds and ends, and then this collection starts the story line limping along again. Limping along is almost generous... while the characters are still bizarre and interesting, and the humor evident, the flame of life that resounded earlier in the series is but a simmering coal. I strongly recommend reading the first three issues of the "Preacher" series, they are absolutely fantastic. Now I hope that this is just a pause or something and the story starts into its intense run again in the sixth book.

The Preacher Series is by far the coolest group of graphic novels I have ever read. This book isn't the best of the series, but it is awesome all on it's own. The story of Cassidy finding another like himself makes the book alone. The tale of him schooling another vampire makes the book, and of course, sets up later action. Still though, who would believe Arseface could make it as a singer? Another Sanjaya..... And what ever happened to the cool forewords by the cool people? I know there are some interesting semi-celebs out there who read Preacher. The whole series is awesome - Check it out

The Preacher series is a "must have" for any collector of stories who likes a little extreme in their fantasy. Some of the greatest lines and characters are put forth by the incredible team of Ennis and Dillon. If one suspends disbelief on one's own feelings about God and the devil, one can enjoy lightheartedly this tale of servitude...or something.

Ah, at last, back on track and back to the high quality we missed in vol 3.

I just finished reading I Am Legend and must say it was a disappointing read. Although it is a very short novel, I had to put it down a couple of times and come back to it later because it did not grab and keep my attention. I must say the treatment of loneliness and depression is quite well done but the rest of the plot and frankly the quality of writing is not what I expected. At least three or so times I noticed repetition of phrasing that seemed more like flawed writing than something done on purpose. Nagging questions come to mind while reading the book on the line of; why don't the vampires do this or why don't Neville do that? The ending evokes a lot of unsatisfied questions of "why" itself.

I decided to buy the novel after I heard the new movie was based on the book. I researched the book superficially by searching on the open Internet for reviews and many of those mentioned how influential the story has been to some modern well know writers. I guess I expected a better written story and a more gripping plot. I suppose however the book just was not my taste and others might find it a wonderful read.

I originally bought this book well in advance of the movie version (staring Will Smith) release, but never got around to reading it (it got buried in my ever growing mountain of books to read). Needless to say, I saw the movie and heard the opinion of many, many, many people with regards to its flaws (mainly dealing with deviation from the source material). I admit I enjoyed the movie and I've also seen the 1971 version with Charleton Heston, so I have always been rather puzzled about the avid dislike some people seem to hold for the movie versions of this book. Having finally sat down yesterday and read through it, I can now honestly say I see why. I'm not about to jump on the bandwagon, but I can see why. For me, the movie version(s) are radically different stories, they diverge from the book on many points and frankly, I don't consider them the same story. The movie versions are built on the same bones...but they do NOT tell the same story and so (speaking for myself here), I judge each on its own merits (or lack thereof).

That said...I absolutely LOVED this story (and yes, I say story, not novel). I Am Legend comes housed in a book that should be titles I Am Legend and Other Stores by Richard Matheson. I Am Legend takes up only the first 170 of the 317 pages in this "novel," the rest consists of nine short stories of varying genre and which vary greatly in how enjoyable I found them. I was surprised to note I recognize several of them as also having been made into movies in their own right (Masters of Horror, Trilogy of Terror, Creep Show, Etc.)...if you read them you're likely to recognize them (if you are also a fan of these programs/movies).

Of the title story alone, I was quite thrilled to read it at long last and am rather angry with myself that I kept putting it off as it's one of the best in this genre I've read in a good, long time! I love that Robert Neville is a "real" person...he is something of an everyman, he could be anybody (though I do admit that I have trouble picturing him as anyone but Will Smith since I saw the movie recently, much less as a blond haired Californian). He's an average working man with an average life prior to the "plague" that wipes out nearly the entire human race as we know it. Matheson quite deftly weaves a believable premise of contagion based on chemical (or other) warfare in some vague reference to "conflict" and "war" that eerily mirrors recent conflicts around the globe (9/11 included).

Faced with utter loneliness (being, he believes, the last man on earth), nightly taunting by the vampires, and unquenched sexual drives, Neville skirts madness (and sometimes succumbs to it utterly), drinking and smoking too much while trying to live as normal a life as he can. As the book progresses, Neville begins putting his time to good use, going to the library and begins researching the how and why behind the vampire "infection," and he struggles through it (as any normal man or woman would)...he's not a genius, he holds no special degrees or knowledge...he must come to his understanding as we all might, with a lot of hard work, a few thrown books and a lot of frustration. Neville also takes time to ferret out the truth to his theories and unflinchingly applies the knowledge he acquires slowly learning more and more and becoming quite an accomplished vampire killer. It is fascinating to "watch" as the story progresses his struggles with core issues; humanity, loneliness, human nature, sexuality (or the absence of it), and more.

I love that the details are given slowly, that we learn the scientific (or other) basis for the vampire mythos, that we discover Neville's past in bits and pieces (flash-backs) and are just as haunted by the nightly taunting of the vampires as he is. There is a quiet desperation to Neville's story and one can come to fully understand the burden he bears and how he tries to deal with what has happened...and just when you think you understand...when you side with him and believe that any one of us might do the same things given this circumstances...Matheson turns the story on it's ear and quite successfully pulls the rug right out from under us, turning Neville from a rugged, survivor into something else altogether! What a wonderful ending, so much starker and real than either of the movie versions I've seen gave. I was utterly shocked when I read the last few paragraphs...and completely satisfied. I Am Legend is a classic for a reason, it's a great story AND it really leaves you thinking about the entire set of circumstances when it's all said and done. Wonderful, I give it 5 stars and two thumbs up!

Here is the story of Mr. Robert Neville, the sole witness and only survivor of the end of the world. One good day, people started to rise from the grave and turn into vampires. Our main character isolates himself in his house with everything he needs to survive.

By night he stays in, tormented by the screams and memories of his past life, by day he hunts the devils. Kill them in their sleep.

Richard Matheson left his mark in the vampire genre with "I Am Legend", its one of the best vampires novels ever.

It leaves you with a hollow feeling in the chest (the same feeling I got when I saw almost 25 years ago the original Planet of the Apes).

The way he describes the solitude of Robert Neville, his desperation it's just incredible. The fact that a new species (vampires) had organized and now rules the earth it's just the final touch of desperation to the trama. Robert Neville is the last man on earth, the outcast, the intruder. He is the new and last monster to be destroyed.

I Am Legend it's a must in your book collection.

Excellent story, even better ending. Definitely leaves you wanting more but in a good way. The author knew right where to leave things.

I just finished reading this book and was completely blown away by Matheson's gripping story of a man living in a post-apocalyptic vampire-infested world. I'm almost afraid to see the movie now, because I generally feel that the book is better than the movie. This is probably one of the best novels I've ever read.

As an aside, a few of his short stories were published with this novel and I found one of them, "Prey," to be the basis for the 1975 television horror movie, "Trilogy of Terror" which gave me nightmares for a month.

Too bad...this was neat book series. Ended up skimming the ending. Appeared sex scenese were more important to the author than plot. Not worth the money to download.
Too much like a wierd romance novel. Anita would have been ashamed...

This book continues the evolution (or devolution, depending on your point of view) of the Anita Blake character and the series as a whole. At the beginning of this series, the sex was rated PG, the violence R. As the series has progressed, the violence has remained constant, the sex become more prevalent. In "Blue Moon", the book two before this in the series, I said that the sex had matched the violence. Now, it has surpassed it; if you truly care about such things, I have to say that the sex in this book could be rated "X". I've read unapologetic porno novels that have less graphic sex. Of course, this one's written light years better than any of them, but that doesn't make the sex any less graphic.

Me, I love it. I find the plot development of the "good little Catholic girl" who finds herself turning into a succubus in spite of herself, who finds that her sex drive has been supernaturally augmented until even with the iron-hard will power that we've seen from her in previous episodes, she can't help herself, to be a very erotic subplot. And I understand what the author is doing: she's showing us how a person slides down the slippery slope of losing every last vestige of her humanity an inch at a time, not in spite of but because of the very best of intentions. But many fans of the early novels will find this one virtually unreadable; much of what they liked about the characters and the plots is gone. And I would not advise starting with this novel, without having read the early ones, unless all you're looking for is a VERY powerful, very well-written, very graphic erotic novel and don't much care if you're coming in in the middle of the story.

This book remains one of my most favorite in the entire series. Every aspect of the main character's relationships changes and she is starting to strip away the annoying tendencies that helped flesh out the character to begin with, but had become a little annoying that Anita, despite the radical changes in her life, could not seem to grow up.

I was told by a friend to stop reading at book 8. I'm glad I didn't listen and kept reading. Read the reviews yourself and decide based on what you like/don't like. If you liked the other books, the entire book -- not just parts of the book -- then you will like this one too.

There are alot of complains about the sexual content of this book and how the author has crossed over to AO Eroticism. I read alot of historical romance and many are much worse than this! Yes, there are sex scenes in this book... so what. There is also a story there that makes it difficult to put the book down.

Years back, I stopped reading this series after the first four or so books. I was too bored to read the rest of them. Recently, I decided to give the rest another chance. I was curious to see what all the fuss was about. Several reviewers complained that Hamilton changed the storyline- too much gore, not enough ethics, too much sex, etc... I was thrilled.

I loved the changes. Enough to plow through five more books in rapid succession. Each book was better than the next...Though I will admit, Obsidian Butterfly bored me to tears-it was hard to get through... For me, this is the best book thus far! I like the changes.

I thought this story was good but could have been better. It was so underdeveloped it almost seemed unfinished. I am still wondering what happened to the poor old guy that ran the bridge.

Oh, and just an FYI for those of you who seemed confused by the title, I believe it is a reference to the kid's story "Gingerbread man" as in "run, run as fast as you can, you can't catch me I'm the gingerbread man."

Mare Winningham does an excellent job narrating this two-CD audio version of Stephen King's long story. It doesn't feel long, though. This one is a well-built thrill ride, and King proves once again that he can reach into his bag of tricks and scare the daylights out of the listener. The story is simple almost to the point of bare-bones, but it has a lot of tension and plenty of surprises in store. Any fan of King who enjoys audiobooks will like this one. It's not profound, but it's great at what it does, gripping the listener in a vice of tension and suspense and not letting go. Saying any more would only risk spoiling this delightful treat for King's fans.

It's Stephen King, it's not too long, and it's beautifully read by Mare Winningham (who also read Lisey's Story on audio cd). It wasn't my favorite story by him, but it wasn't bad. It's definately suspenseful in parts, but I felt a little cheated at the end.

This story had me on the edge of my seat, begging to hear more and gasping in fear right along with Emily. I became Emily in my imagination and suffered along with her. Her fears were mine as well as her triumphs. This is one I will listen to again and share with my friends and family.

Having read and/or listened to nearly all of King's work (okay, uncle, I didn't make it through _Insomnia_ or _Lisey's Story_), I have to say that this falls somewhere between _Gerald's Game_ and _Rose Madder_. This isn't King at his worst, but he's not at his best either. Other than _The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon_ (and that was written from the kid's POV), I'm not at all sure that King does well when it comes to writing about women or from a woman's point of view. As was the case with Lisey, this female protagonist was neither believable nor particularly interesting, and the action was drawn-out waaaayyyy too long.

Oh, and I agree with another reviewer: just WHAT did the title have to do with ANYTHING?

The narrator was credible; she's a bit like Lindsay Crouse who did _Gerald's Game_, but I found myself glancing repeatedly at my iPod, wondering just how much longer I had to listen to the perils of Pauline.

If Florida is to become King's next "Maine" -- as it seems from this and _Duma Key_ -- then I hope he figures out something more interesting to do in such claustrophobic climes. _Duma Key_ was very good, but if I have to sit through one more island narrative, I might build myself a raft.

Stuff about Cassidy the immigrant, and his bastich acts. Early on in his life, Cassidy is fairly useless. He gets asked to protect someone, and fails, he gets in trouble, and runs away. Along the way he becomes a vampire. This just makes him a long lived scumbag, and does not improve things at all.

The Preacher series is a "must have" for any collector of stories who likes a little extreme in their fantasy. Some of the greatest lines and characters are put forth by the incredible team of Ennis and Dillon. If one suspends disbelief on one's own feelings about God and the devil, one can enjoy lightheartedly this tale of servitude...or something.

I have to say, this volume is weaker than the previous two, though that might be more because it focuses on Cassidy and his origins, and as loveable as he is, what makes this series great is its meditations on God. And you need the main storyline for that. Still, loved it.

I love Preacher and have no complaints with the content of the book, but I have a complaint about the paper quality of this volume.

My complaint is that this volume is, for some reason, printed on a noticeably cheaper grade of paper than the other volumes I have, which were printed on the nice glossy paper that all comics should be printed on. A few other Vertigo trade paperbacks I've ordered online recently have use this same grade of paper, is this some kind of cost-cutting measure that they've recently introduced? If the prices of the books were lowered accordingly, I wouldn't mind so much, but it's a little irritating to pay the same price as the volumes that have nice glossy paper and instead get the cheap phonebook-like paper.

I posted a question about this on the Vertigo message boards a couple of weeks ago, but I never got a response.

Another masterpeice by the team of writer Garth Ennis(an Iraish crazed, yet genious writer)and artist Steve Dillon(Ennis's partner in crime, also a little insane, in a good way). These two have put together yet another blood filled, violent, bizzare, and funny masterpeice. The third installment to the 9 volume Preacher series, that follows Jesse Custer, a former preacher who have lost his faith, Tulip, Jesse's gun-wielding girlfriend, and Cassidy, an Irish vampire, on their journey to find God, literally.

This book begins with a flashback talking about Jesse's father John, and his navy days in the Vientam War. Then, the ending to the story arc started in Volume 2, the Grail. We follow Jesses, who have abandoned Tulip for her own safety, on his trip to France to save his buddy, Cassidy. He also meets the Allfather who is the boss of the Grail and can be described as a fat, murderous, digusting pig, another bizzare character created by Mr. Ennis, and also an appearance by the Saint of Killers. Then, the origin to the Irish vampire, Cassidy, telling us of how he became a vampire in the first place, and his early days in America. This series have material on its pages no other comic from any of the major comic companies would dare print, strap-ons, gay sex, extreme violence, profanity, and pure fun. This book is just another emample of the genious of Ennis and Dillon, a great read and a lot of fun doing it.

The art by Dillon was stunning as usual, depicting the graphic violence that not much other artists would dream of drawing. His work is beautiful and complements Ennis's superb writing very well, they make a great team.

This is a must-have if you're a mature reader who likes to disturb and shock oneself. I read this book in one sitting, all 231 pages of it. This is probably best appreciated if you read the last 2 volumes, but not totally nessesary. Don't even think about getting this book if you can be offended by graphic violence, nudity and sexual themes, and profanity. But if you're not, then do yourself a favor and get yourself a copy now, it's worth every penny.

Although Moore has written many excellent comedies, this one is at the top of my list. This is a case study in humorous imagination and spot-on dialogue. The storyline is just as crazy as those of his other novels, and yet he again delivers it with the smoothness and depth of a master bard.

Do not let the theme of Death fool you, this is still the funny and talented Moore delivering yet another lively gem.

A peculiar easy read. What I would call a typical Christopher Moore book because of his unique story lines and great humor. This book also puts life and death in a new light and provokes some thoughts on the meaning behind people's lives once they are gone and how they live on in the world they have left behind.

Fast and fun read.

Christopher Moore has written many novels, all falling within the genre of dark humor, subtlety and well, a little twisted. A Dirty Job is no exception to this comedy book collection and an excellent addition at that. As a fan of shows that follow the same line (Dead Like Me) this was right up my alley.

The novel stars Charlie Asher, very recently widowed father, who witnesses the collection of his wife's soul. Not supposed to be able to witness such an event, it comes to light that Charlie himself is also a Death Merchant. Charlie's life as a new father, pawn shop owner and Death Merchant takes him on a path of confusion, soul collection and diapers that he never imagined. Of course as if the addition of soul collection to his life wasn't enough, something dark is stirring beneath the streets, the Morrigan. Without spoiling it too much, let's just say these are the bad guys and not only does Charlie now have a multitude of new responsibilities, he's got some demons trying to take the souls he's supposed to collect for their own dark deeds.

This novel moves quick, through great one liners, poignant thoughts on death and dying and moments of out and out hilarity. While I felt the very very end was a little rough and almost tacked on, that by no means should be the basis in which to judge the entirety of the novel on.

Recommended to me by a Barnes and Noble employee as a good book to take on vacation, I am now hooked on Christopher Moore beyond the beach. Currently I am reading the tale of Biff, who recounts his life as Jesus' best friend through childhood, in the novel Lamb.

STORY:
From the Editor's Review: "Charlie Asher is a pretty normal guy with a normal life, married to a bright and pretty woman who actually loves him for his normalcy. They're even about to have their first child. Yes, Charlie's doing okay--until people start dropping dead around him, and everywhere he goes a dark presence whispers to him from under the streets. Charlie Asher, it seems, has been recruited for a new position: as Death.

It's a dirty job. But, hey! Somebody's gotta do it."


MY FEEDBACK:
It was time for one of the members of our book group to make the next book selection. When they recommended this book, we all kind of looked at her funny but went for it anyhow. The experience turned out to be a pleasant surprise!

From the colorful cast of characters gracing contemporary day San Fransisco (sewer harpies, death merchants and animated animal parts) to the very clear message on how we all deal with death and the loss of a loved one, this story was a page turner.

There were definite laugh out loud parts.
One group member said after the 15th laugh out loud his wife demanded he buy her a copy of the book so she could find out what he was laughing at.

This is a fantastically imaginative work that includes romance, humor, action fight scenes, suspense, serious topics and a threats from the Underworld.

I would have given it a five star, but at times the frequency of the vulgarity and crass descriptions of things began to grate one's nerves after a bit. WARNING: This is NOT a kids book!

OVERALL:
An easy summer read that leaves you laughing in stitches and asking questions about your own views of death without feeling depressed.

We all agreed in our book group to try another one of Moore's books, as his style is a nice change of pace from the mainstream mystery, thriller, crime, fantasy or sci-fi. Thanks Mr. Moore.

Moore his it out of the park with this one. Just the right amount of humor and adventure. While there are times you want the characters to open their eyes and see what has become obvious to the reader, Moore twists the story this way and that to remain enjoyable and fun. Great read.