Horror Books

Reliquary, the sequel to Relic, is basically the same story introduced in Relic. We have the monster in the sub level(s), we have the incompetent chief of police making poor decisions, we have the "fool proof plan" that doesn't work and we have the reporter being lead around by a powerful woman who coerces him to tell the story she wants to hear. I did find the parts about the sub levels of Manhattan interesting and I think the ending of Reliquary is better than that of Relic. The authors would have been better served if they made Relic and Reliquary one book. It seems like once they had a hit with Relic they decided to do Reliquary as an afterthought.

While I really enjoyed RELIC, I didn't find myself feeling quite the same about Reliquary. I liked the way the book started out, I liked the premise of the book and thought it was interesting, and as always, I enjoyed Pendergast and D'Agosta. Unfortunately, I felt that there were way too many subplots. There were too many different people doing too many different things. It got distracting at times. If you liked Relic, you will probably like this book, but don't expect it to thrill you quite as much.

While I agree this book wasn't as good as Relic, it certainly was an admirable follow-up to it. Storylines left hanging in Relic were resolved albeit perhaps not in the most exciting of ways. What I read in this book enticed me to purchase The Mole People to find out more about the underground world brought out in the book.

The authors have written another thriller. I had to read the next chapter but neglected my tasks to do so. The authors gave substantiating data on the underground of Manhattan. However the ending was not in the characters' former behavior. Although it was a true page turner it lacked a believable ending. This book was not as good as The Relic nor the Book of the Dead the I have read by the authors.

Recently, I read an interview with Douglas Preston where he commented that RELIQUARY was probably the least successful of the "Agent Pendergast" books that he co-writes with Lincoln Child. After reading this book, I'm inclined to agree with him.

RELIQUARY is the second Pendergast novel and a direct sequel to the first book RELIC. It pretty much re-introduces all the major characters of THE RELIC and many additional ones. And this is the major flaw with RELIQUARY: there are simply too many characters and plot threads in this book, which don't really tie together in a satisfaying manner.

There's also a "been there, done that" quality to RELIQUARY that makes it a rather tiresome read. Preston and Child reuse many of the plot devices from THE RELIC, and there is little in this novel that is particularly original or inspired.

And most importantly, Pendergast only plays a supporting role in RELIQUARY, and the novel suffers in every scene where he is absent. Characters like Margot, Smithback and D'Agosta are simply not interesting enough to carry scenes on their own, and all of the other supporting characters are either too bland or cartoonish. I think the smartest move that Preston and Child ever made was to elevate Pendergast as the central character in this series, starting with the next entry, CABINET OF THE CURIOUSITIES.

That being said, I didn't hate RELIQUARY. It's a decent adventure story, and there's no denying that Preston and Child are very intelligent writers. Still, this is far from their best effort, and I wouldn't recommend this to anybody as their first Pendergast book.

I am officially addicted to this series! If all Young Adult fiction was this well done, there would be no need for an adult section! In "Midnight Alley", Claire has pledged herself to Amalie in exchange for her Protection, and that of her friends. Amalie forces Claire into advanced placement college courses (not a bad thing) and private tutoring sessions with a crazy vampire (this could soooo be a bad thing!). Claire discovers some of Morganville's secrets during these tutoring sessions but what role she has to play is bigger than she could have imagined. On there personal front, things are still tense between Michael and Shane, and Eve's evil brother is claiming to be the killer of an alarming number of corpse's turning up around town. And Monica and the Monic-ettes aer up to something as well... There is literally danger around every corner, and the only kids in the Glass House can truly on count on each other. My biggest complaint in the first book "Glass Houses" was its unbelievably dramatic cliff hanger. Caine seems to have taken notice because she finds a great balance between finishing up the pressing issues in this story and allowing a few continuing threads, as well as a new twist and turn to entice us into the next volume. Great job done here and I again encourage anyone considering this series to grab up the first volume.

Rachel Caine continues the Morganville Vampire series with this awesome third book! The gang is still struggling to keep out of trouble and Morganville continues to be threatened. This series is fun, wild, action packed, and full of other little goodies! Vampire junkies will love it!!

I've really enjoyed this series, even though it's target audience is a bit younger than I am. The storyline is great, the characters are filled out well. There could stand to be a little more action, but this is a very entertaining afternoon read.

Great series with interesting characters and a fun to read premise. Just think about it. An entire town controlled by vampires. The people little more than sheep having to maneuver around the whims and temperaments of their volatile leaders. Unable to walk or go anywhere at night without risking being attacked. Even the daylight is no true relief since they can stay awake then also as long as they stick to the shadows. I just can't get enough of this series. I especially like the main character. She makes mistakes and can be a bit naive, but she is only 16 and Caine does a great job of making her sound and act like a typical, abit intelligent, 16 year old. I'm sooo looking forward to the next one.

I have read all three books in this series. This book picks up where book two left off. I couldn't put it down until I'd finished it. Rachel Caine is a new author for me and I like her writing. I started reading this after I finished the Twilight series and have not been disappointed. I can't wait until book four comes out. This is not just for teenagers, but for adults also. I should know I'm 53 years old.

I've fallen in love with the Rachel Morgan series. I'm not going to recap the book (that's been done many times over). I like the dynamics between Rachel and Trent. This book got into more of Rachel's past and where she came from. I was really hoping that the mystery of Kisten's death would have been solved but it was not. I enjoyed learning more about the underworld. Overall, this book was a great addition to the series and I can't wait to learn more about the Hallows!!

The newest instalment in the hollows series, Rachele is kicking Demon As* again, quick paced and very enjoyable.

This is a fast-paced, action-packed book, full of demons, witches, vampires, weres and pixies, oh my! Al, a demon Rachel Morgan sent to demon jail, is back and he's pissed. Nothing like an angry demon coming after you to keep life interesting. With the help of her vampire roommate, Ivy and her pixie partner Jenks, she struggles to find a way to trap Al once and for all before he not only kills her, but everyone she cares about. Oh, and there are several other shocking surprises along the way.

This story is very well written and Ms. Harrison creates not only characters, but a world that is so fleshed out and vivid it seems almost plausible. It was an absolute joy to read and I devoured the entire book in just a couple of sittings. I highly recommend this book to one and all.

Harrison always keeps the story moving along with tons of action. This book lets us see a bit father into the hearts of the characters. I didn't really see those parts of the book as "slow moving", but rather a necessary part of the plot. I'm looking forward to the next book in the series. Here's hoping that Rachel, Ivy and Jenks do some serious damage to the undead vampire responsible for killing Kisten.

This book culminates in the many threads running through the Hollows series. The characters are darker, the events harsher, and the risks higher than they've been to date.

And without spoiling it, the plot takes a turn that was not expected.

There's action, romance, adventure, characters worth reading about...and the sex stops just where it needs to, without describing post-A and slot-B mechanics. The touch of erotica, and I mean touch, lends depth to the vampire characters.

This was a really good book! There was a lot to keep me interested the entire way through and I really honestly did not put it down. Great action and great story!

I bought this after reading the excellent World War Z. Unfortunately, this book is a pale shadow of World War Z.

While I feel that the author was earnestly interested in writing a good, interesting book about a zombie apocalypse, the plot was very derivative of other zombie works without bringing anything innovative to the table. Additionally, the characters, though complex, were not believable- and the same can be said of the plot (even with normal horror-book-suspension-of-disbelief).

I read the book while on vacation- and then abandoned it once finished in a hotel in Rome.

One of THE BEST zombie books I've read! This really takes it to a whole new place. I love the original ideas mixed in here without breaking from canon. There were scenes that made me cringe, and I don't do that often, so brilliant for that! I really loved this and found myself wanting more at the end. It came too soon. Highly recommended to any zombie or horror lover!

reviewed by Cellblock

07.10.07



Once again the age of apocalypse is upon us and the fate of humanity's last hope rests in the hands of a few. In this book Kim Paffenroth takes us to a new level of Zombie mythos and human survival instincts.

Set in modern time suburbia, readers are immediately attacked by moaning nightmares and vivid fight scenes. The human population is near extinct and the zombie plague is overwhelming. That is where the usual stops- and the fun begins. Resisting the urge to cash in on the commercial vision of what a zombie is, the author introduces vivid imagery and ideas into the story that create depth in depravity. You know there is a zombie in that room, hell, you want one to be there, but why is it a bloody baby? There are certain things in horror that for some reason appear to be sacrosanct, they are not, as this novella will exemplify.

Mr. Paffenroth really did his homework on military tactics and weapons creating a believable "what-if?" environment. Moral and social issues that would hinder a fledgling community shadow each and every character throughout their trials. How to survive isn't just fighting zombies anymore. Uncomfortable truths are exposed about humanity and it's predisposition to do evil to others.

This story reads well from front to back and the reader can readily associate with the characters and their flaws. The plot is relatively centralized; the rest of the world is an unknown. Insular settings like this are perfect for the scope and size of this incredible novella. This book is a great read.

I LOVED this Novel. It's the first Kim Paffenroth novel I have encountered and I got to say I am coming back for more!
The characters in this book are so real and you really get a sense of their inner turmoils, especially for the main character, Jonah. I also fell in love with Frank's character, even though he was introduced mid way through the novel, you get to build compassion for what the poor guy whent through. For those of you who love Gore, it had it's shocking gory moments to. Especially in the scene where Frank had to do something horriffic in order to save te life of his baby girl. I use the word "scene" because It was like watching a movie.

This is my 2nd Koontz book and although the first one that I read (The Husband) wasn't my favorite book of all time it definitely had some gripping moments and good twists. This book was boring, horribly paced and the detail was so overwrought it was painful at times where I'm to the point of me mentally screaming "JUST GET ON WITH THE STORY!!" I don't mind details and painting a picture, but this was just unnecessarily descriptive to say the least. Did he really have to plot a way to get away from the coyotes for 2 or 3 chapters?

I can easily say that this was one of the worst books that I've read and I continued to read it in some hope that the 4 and 5 star reviewers knew of some revelation toward the end of the book that would represent a payoff. My payoff is to write this review and possibly warn someone to not read this book unless you have time to kill and nothing better to read.

This felt like a 75 page short story stretched out to an excruciatingly boring novel. I definitely will read more Koontz, but certainly not another Odd book. Odd Thomas a dull mix of Forrest Gump and Rain Man with the Sixth Sense thrown in for kicks. What a bore...

I don't believe I've ever given Koontz a five star rating before. I loved 'Lightning' and 'Phantoms', even newer books like 'The Husband'. This is above and beyond all of his previous works. I've been wanting to read John Saul's 'Nathaniel' for a while and have it right here but I also have 'Forever Odd' and I tell you as soon as I finished 'Odd Thomas' I put 'Nathaniel' back on the shelf and started 'Forever Odd'. I don't want to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read it yet but one thing separates this from other Koontz books, the heroes don't come out in a barrage of bullets into glory. Just amazing, can't wait to read the other 3 books

I have read a few of Koontz's books here and there. In truth, I'm not much into horror stories. I read Odd Thomas because of reviews that I saw. When I started it I was ready to jump out of my skin with every page. Funny thing, it never happened. Instead I found a book that was well written, with feeling and two people that I really got to like. Odd and Stormy are people who you get to know and like. Sure there is plenty of the creepy, stand your hair on end, but I was most impressed with the relationship that Koontz has for them. It may sound corny but it was sweet and special. It adds to the plot and story line and makes you root for them at all the right places.
The ending made me fall out of my seat. I never saw it coming. In closing, I enjoyed the story and will be picking up the second in the series. I hope Koontz can keep the level of writing as good and interesting as it was in Odd Thomas.

A terrific read at so many different levels; Koontz has a fabulous talent for reaching the reader no matter what the reader's mood at the moment. His ability to develop characters who seem real but at the same time imaginary is really unique. Knowing Odd is a series is a comfort to those continually on the hunt for a solid read.

I've read around ten Dean Koontz books and, despite some of my problems with his writing style, I've obviously been entertained enough to come back for more, time and time again. Well, no more. This book compounded all of his lazy, unprofessional, and imbecilic writing "techniques" and slopped them into one short, but far too long, book -- probably the worst I've ever read in my entire life.

What shocks me, of course, is that so many people not only like this book -- they love it! I cannot for the life of me figure out what there is to love. Here's a "spoiler" for you: Nothing happens in this book! It is basically 302 pages of long lists of the contents of people's drawers, refrigerators, glove compartments, etc. It is written in the first person by Odd Thomas -- an immensely annoying and unrealistic character who only seems less so by the annoyance and unrealism of all of the other characters in the book.

Here's a shocker: Odd -- that's his name, by the way -- comes from a dysfunctional family. So does his girlfriend, "Stormy." Oh, and here's what makes Odd so odd: He can see dead people. Yes, only a few years after the Sixth Sense (a phrase that is used time and time again in this book), Koontz wrote a book where the character literally says "I see dead people." But don't worry, the dead people never do anything interesting.

My theory on why people like this book: They're stupid and the book is short. It's one of the few books they ever read, so they grow an emotional attachment to it. If your IQ is above that of Forest Gump's please pass on this book and move on with your life. There's nothing here for you to see.

Quick delivery,excellent shape for the book. Good description in reference to what the story in the book is about

I read this books way back when they first came out in the early 90's and was overjoyed to find they had been reissued, although I wish they would have been reissued separately instead of in an omnibus edition. The original Vampire Diaries trilogy is brilliant: fast-paced, clever, and well-written, culminating in a climax that will leave the reader with pulse racing.

The epilogue, Dark Reunion, was, unfortunately, a let down. I would recommend reading the original trilogy and skipping on the entirety of the fourth volume - it's muddy and lacks the spark and clarity of the first three. Trust me, you're not missing out on anything.

Definitely worth reading, however, if you are looking for something to page through while waiting for Meyer's next Twilight book to be released.

I loved this book. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes fantasy and vampire novels. It's the second volume in a series so make sure you read the first one beforehand. I couldn't put it down.

I read the first three books after finding them at my old school library years ago. And I must admit, I ALMOST didn't read them and that is mainly because I thought the covers looked old and boring. Of course, there is the old rule: "Never judge a book by its cover!" I'm so glad I did decide to read them! I fell in love with "The Vampire Diaries" series after reading them the first time. I reread them again and again, checking them out more than once just to read them over and over!

Later I found the fourth one, and it's just as great as the others! The fact that Bonnie was the main character made it even better, as she is one of my favorite characters.

If I hadn't read "The Vampire Diaries," I would have never known about this great writer and her wonderful books!

I really really liked the Fury but really didn't get into the Dark Reunion. I think The Dark Reunion left more open doors then if it would have ended at The Fury. Was there more to Meredith...didn't it seem like something was always going to be revealed about her but wasn't? And Damon's character was elvolving since book 1 and in the last he just flatlined. Then the tension between Bonnie & Damon and the human guy(lol can't remember his name)...it got started then never developed. The human story in the beginning of the Dark Reunion was soooo drawn out I couldn't wait till the vampire came into play. Eh, just not a satisifying end all around.

This book picks right up where the previous installment ("Wizard and Glass") left off, with Roland and his ka-tet still following the Path of the Beam towards the Dark Tower. However, the group is quickly given a proposition by the townspeople of Calla Bryn Sturgis (a town on the brink of entering the mysterious Thunderclap world where the Dark Tower itself lays), who have seen their babies taken by "Wolves" each generation and finally want to put a stop to it. Being a man of honor, Roland of Gilead accepts the offer and he and his crew are sidetracked for a bit longer in their quest for the Tower.

Now, despite the notion that the goings-on in Calla Bryn Sturgis could be considered "filler", it is very interesting, exciting "filler" that makes for an entertaining read. The main plotline consists of Roland, Eddie, Susannah, and Jake scoping out the city in order to plan the best defense (much akin to Roland, Cuthbert, and Alain in Roland's tale from "Wizard and Glass"), and finally taking on the "Wolves" in the end (though not before uncovering a sinister plot they never expected).

Besides that main story, however, is the character development that takes place. Roland begins showing the first signs (arthritis) of his long trek for the Tower, Susannah's multiply-personalities return in a way you will not expect, Eddie's love for Susannah is only strengthened, and Jake fights an internal battle between having a normal childhood and being with Roland. So, while the characters are not actually continuing their quest for the Tower in this book, it still is entertaining to see the characters being further developed.

Also, the book takes a bizarre twist when Father Callahan (of "Salem's Lot" fame!) shows up, throwing the reader into a bit of confusion once again regarding how "our" world aligns with "Roland's world" and prompting a return trip to New York(s) via another magical door.

Overall, this is another thrilling installment in Stephen King's Dark Tower series. It contains an inspired main plot, crucial character development, and throws at the reader a few more mysteries that will likely be solved in the remaining two editions of the series.

Stephen King is a genious. This series is fantastic. This series will blow your mind and keep your imagination running! If you like the idea of an alternate reality this series is really for you!

I won't rehash everyone's opinions on what's wrong with this book and the way the series has turned with book 5. I'll just say books 1-4 are definitely worth reading, but 5 dragged like nobody's business and I don't like where King is dragging me. From the way the plot is going now, and King's "old man trapped in the '70s-'80s" and repeated writing style/themes, I will NOT be finishing the series. I read enough spoiler reviews to get a gist of it, and don't like what's going on. What a waste of a good beginning (books 1-4) of the series. Especially dissapointing after the awesome book 4 (my favorite in the series).

I will preface my review by saying SPOILERS!

I took a long break after reading book 4 "wizard and glass". For some reason, I had an especially hard time with Susan Delgado dying - not that it happened, because I knew it was coming, but dang it! I liked her. I found Roland's story in that book awesome, and was disapointed when the narrative came back to the 'ka-tet'.
After taking a year, I picked up book 5, which was not even close to the length of time between those two books' publications.

When the katet came to the Calla, I enjoyed every minute of the story. I really feel like King explored what it would being a gunslinger actually involved. What feels like a detour to some (and even characters mentioned this) Roland describes as their duty. The answering of the three questions, the investigation and the plan to ambush the Wolves was great. I enjoyed the dialogue and vernacular of the Calla people.

I didn't mind all of the back story with Father Callahan. I have gotten used to the fact that storytelling is a large part of the Dark Tower series, going back to book #1.

The parts of the book where the group goes back to New York were a little out of place. I didn't mind them because it felt as if King is now moving his readers toward the end of the series, as the last three books I believed were published right after each other almost in a trilogy format. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as the story in the Calla.

The biggest gripe I have with the story, is that after hundreds of pages of buildup to the Wolves attacking, the fight is anti-climactic. The Wolves are almost too easily disposed of. Yeah, I realize that's a spoiler, but I did warn you :).

I don't think it will be a year before I read the sixth book. I enjoyed the fifth, may it do ya fine.

Honestly, I feel like Wolves of the Calla was by far the weakest in the series so far. I know a lot of people who really loved this book, but I just can't understand why. It felt like a 700 page sidetrack of plot. Only once or twice in this entire book is the Dark Tower itself even mentioned. Flagg is left completely out of it, and they get absolutely no closer to the tower itself.

I'm a huge King fan, but sometimes there are little ticks about his writing that bug me here and there. This book was chalk full of them. I felt like if King would have removed all the character's dialogue of "aye, do ya well" "do ya ken" " "see this very well" "hear him very well" over and over again the book would have been several hundred pages shorter. Also the writing is packed with rhetorical questions. How did Jake feel about this? What about that? What did Roland think of this? Again and again. It just felt forced for the sake of King finishing the book.

The idea of the wolves was cool, but after 700 pages of build up I just didn't care anymore. I wanted them to get back on the track of the tower, not mingle on some farm in the middle of nowhere.

There were elements of the book I really liked. Callahan's story, black thirteen, sussanah's situation...they all kept the story flowing at least...but I feel like if this book was cut in half it would be a lot better. This book really frustrated me.

Sometimes you reread titles and are disappointed. Other times, they've not faded at all. As much as I enjoy all..er... most of Ennis and Dillon's collaborations, they've never topped Preacher.

Any single volume of Preacher makes for a self-contained read, but this, the first in the series, is still the best. Jesse and his band of merry pals are all introduced and the overall plot ('find God') is thrown up on the table within the first few pages. The rest is joyous wackytime, cluttered with some of the most memorable characters in all comics history - from the truly scary (The Saint of Killers) to the real monsters (Sheriff Root).

Offensive, disturbing and a thoroughly satisfying story.

As stated in the title, this comic will offend many people that read it, but if you look past all the blasphemys you will find one of the greatest comic book stories ever written. A must have for any comic book collector.

Preacher was my first foray into graphic novels. It was like waking up in technicolor after living in black and white all my life. When I'd finished reading the series, a process that took less than a week and involved many sleepless nights, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a new series to sink my teeth into. Imagine my surprize and disappointment when I learned that Preacher is in a class of it's own.
It's completely unique, intelligent, hilarious, disturbing, gory, violent, epic, and did I mention violent? How about gory, did I mention that? Because it bears repeating. Carnage is practically a starring character in this series. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll want to tear your eyes out... but you'll be nothing if not entertained.

"The Preacher " is a fantastic piece of work from the master of shock himself (Garth Ennis). Like all his books I have read so far this one has captivating and thought provoking story lines and witty well written dialogue. There is plenty to offend a lot of people but nothing too over the top in the bad language and gore departments. The artwork is well done and fits the story well. For once this is a book that lives up to all the hype. I can't wait to read the next installment. I reckon if you enjoyed the TV series Carnivale you will enjoy this book. The Preacher Volume 1 is a highly recommended read for adults only so don't buy it for little Timmy or he may have nightmares :-)

Blood and Rain
Blood for the Masses

Originally Published in SavageNight Ezine

The Preacher: Gone To Texas
Book 1
By
Garth Ennis & Steve Dillon

Reviewed by
B.L.Morgan

3 Stars

I read graphic novels because it's a quick painless way to absorb some books that I otherwise would not get around to reading. The day I bought Preacher Book 1 I'd just finished reading two large novels and with my work schedule my head needed a rest. When I told the guy at the store I wanted something wild that wouldn't tax my brain he told me that Preacher was the best thing going.

He gave me a non-stop sales pitch for at least the next half hour that was so intense that I ended up saying to him, "Alright, alright just shut up and I'll buy the thing!"

I had to get out of there as quick as I could.

Preacher: Gone To Texas was not as good as the book sales guy said it was. It was good, just not the masterpiece he made it out to be.

The Preacher in the title gains god-like powers by merging with Genesis. After that he teams up with an ex-lover who's a healthy trash-talking woman, and an Irish Vampire. Together they wander across the country and get into trouble. That's about it.

The problem with calling this a graphic novel is that it doesn't have a structure like a novel. There is no ending at all. Preacher: Book 1 is the first of eight issues of The Preacher comic book so there's no end in sight.

That's alright if you're reading a comic book and don't really expect an ending. I however, was disappointed. That said, the dialogue in this book was frequently clever and funny. The artwork was very good. Not the very best I have seen, but very good.

The first Preacher book was good enough so that when I spotted another, #5 in the library, I checked it out. I do expect it to entertain me some.

I would recommend The Preacher: Gone To Texas, Book 1 if you find it at a used book store for under five bucks. I paid $14.95. That salesman caught me in the right mood with some money to burn.

It won't happen again.

The Twilight Saga is one of my favorite series. I started this series reluctantly by being encouraged to read Twilight by a friend. I checked it out of my local library and knew that I had to own it. Half way through, I queued up New Moon and Eclipse to start immediately upon completion. I then waited for the arrival of Breaking Dawn, which I completed the weekend it was released.

I have all the books on this series in audio and 3 in print, but I have to say, I prefer the audio by far. Ilayana Kadushin does a fabulous job giving Bella a voice and adds so much more depth and emotion to the story than I could personally get from print. Matt Walters is introduced as Jacob in the Epilogue in Eclipse and Book 2 of Breaking Dawn. He also does a great job of giving Jacob a voice.

As for the series itself, I loved it. Twilight, Eclipse are my favorites in this series, followed by New Moon and Breaking Dawn. I won't give an overview of the plot of each of the books as I won't be able to do them justice individually with limited words. I will summarize series as a whole by saying the first 3 in this series are really about love, conflict, choices with a little bit of the supernatural and some action involved. The last look in this series takes an unexpected turn and is more of a fantasy type novel with a little romance - different than what was laid out in the previous three books.

Breaking Dawn seemed to be received with more mixed reviews than the previous three because it deviated from the format laid out in the previous books. I had some mixed feelings about the story because of this, but I still enjoyed it.

This is a fabulous series that is aimed at young adults (mostly female) but has held the interest of adults like myself, and a smaller male audience as well. While the last book in this series is quite a bit different than the previous 3, its still one of my favorite series.

It's not a literary masterpiece and certainly has flaws, but the story laid out out and the world created are absoultely fascinating and highly entertaining. This is why is I think it deserves 5 stars....as well as the readers of the audio version. Great performances.

The audio version is definetly worth the extra expense. If you loved the Twilight Saga, this is a must have in my opinion.

This was a confusing book in my opinion.

Cassandra Palmer (Cassie for short) is basically a normal human with clairvoyant abilities in a world where vampires, werewolves, fairies and ghosts coexist stealthily with humans. With her psychic abilities and the fact she can see ghosts she is very much a commodity in the vampire mafia world of Tony, a 3rd level master who killed her parents to keep her talents in his control.

Cassie escapes from Tony's clutches and three years later the book starts. A wide cast of characters is introduced including Cassie's ghost symbiot Billy Joe, several historically prominent figures (Cleopatra, Rafael, Rasputin, Jack the Ripper etc. as vampires of course), a few different ruling bodies for the magical communities (Silver Circle, European Senate, Dark Fey etc.) and some that we only really learn about in passing like Cassie's parents.

The action is quick and sometimes hard to follow especially since Cassie and Company make intuitive leaps that I might not make as a mere mortal. Still the characters and how they interact with Cassie and further the plot are interesting. I enjoyed seeing the historical characters come to life (well as vampires) and the little interesting snarky comments about how they became what they did. Cleopatra got the single line about how she wasn't bitten by an ASP. Rasputin got a full paragraph about how historians had been arguing about how long it took him to die and that it was hard to kill someone who was already dead. (Historical note: Rasputin was a "holy man" in Russia in the early 1900's who curried favor with the Empress Alexandra for his hypnosis healing of her hemophiliac son Alexei. Rasputin was assasinated by Russian royals who were displeased at the influence he had with the monarchy. They fed him tea and cakes that contained mass quantities of cyanide which didn't kill him immediately as it should have. So they tried clubbing him, shooting him several times and rolling his body up in a carpet and dumping it into the river. When his body was fished out several days later it was determined that he had died of pneumonia because his lungs had filled up with water.)

In the end Cassie becomes the Pythia, a job she thoroughly does not want. She is a part of but outside the jurisdiction of everyone else in the magical community and has the power to settle disputes. Among other interesting things the previous Pythia lived for over 400 years. Cassie does not necessarily look forward to all of that and still has plenty of questions to settle about her parents and the vampires that once controlled her life. I recommend reading this one and have ordered the next one.

What can I say, all the men desire her, but she keeps her virginity despite her overwhelming, burning, crazed, (did I say burning? Oh, yes I did.) pulsing, lust. So, hot heroine, desired by all, had by none. But, it's readable and decent escapist literature, and I liked the historical touches.

I liked this book. The only thing was that the story is kind of disjointed to me. The abrupt switches, which I guess is supposed to be a reflection of how the main characters feels when she shifts in time, are a little confusing at first.

I will read the next books, but I'll be getting them from the library rather than buying them.

Unfortunately, I was unable to enjoy this book even though I tried to due to the good reviews. I felt that the storyline was not smooth enough to make it an easy and enjoyable read. It felt like I was reading two incomplete books that were forced together. The plot needed to be flushed out. I found myself mostly skimming the book. The details grew to be annoying and felt like nonsequitors after a while.

How did Cassie Palmer go from seeing spirits and having visions to become almost omnipotent? Yes, I know from the ending of the book what caused this but it happened without any transition.

I felt that there was entirely too much dialogue and not enough action. They stayed in one room and talked to death. Also, when there was action it was done over and over again such as the possession of another character's body and the shifting of time. These are important details but they should not be the whole plot. There was not much momentum after the action of Cassie running out of the office and running into the bar to fight the vamps.

I found it hard to relate to Cassie and therefore making it a more tedious read due to the fact that she seemed so non-human. Yes, she is a supernatural being to a certain extent but she did have feelings. I wish that she expressed her feelings more other than just her parents dying that I could relate to. She did not seem too fearful of her situation when she was captured by the Senate. Why not? Growing up surrounded by vamps could be terrifying. I did like the sexual tension between characters which did add a human touch as well as a realistic one since they are supposed to be very handsome vampires.

I wish that I did not waste my time reading this book. I felt that there should have been some progression between seer and Cassie's new found powers. This could have been a better book had it been done in two books with complete plots. I feel that I walked into the middle of the book and was suddenly thrown into a room of characters that I did not know.

I am glad that I was able to take this book out of the library rather than pay for it. There are many more books with similar themes that are more enjoyable. This book for some reason reminds me of the Anita Blake series written by Laurell K. Hamilton.

I had looked at this book several times and hesitated to buy it. But I was buying several and needed one to get one free so I ordered it. It is one of the best urban fantasy novels I have read in a while. Everyone seems to be writing them but only a few do it well. I liked this one so much I ordered the other two and pre-ordered the next one.

Cassie Palmer has lived her whole life until 14 with a vampire mobster. She is a clairvoyant and he used her predictions to make money. She also can see ghosts and talks to them. Her mother and father were killed in a car bomb. Tony has raised her and when she finds out he has not warned the people of a major fire that she predicted, she realizes he has lied to her and used her. She very quickly disappears for three yrs. Then deciding to take Tony down she returns to him and sets him up for the FBI. Now at 20 she lives on the run and takes care of herself.

Tomas is a young man she saves off the street. She allows him to live with her and she gets him a job where she works. When she is finally found by Tony she takes the time to warn him. That allows the vamps sent by Tony to catch up with her. And reveals Tomas as a master vamp who has been sent by the Vampire Senate to protect her.

Mircea is the brother of Vlad Dracul and the maker of Tony, so he knows Cass and he is the one who sent Tomas. He and the Senate have a job for Cass and both want to use her powers.

In the last few days Cass's powers have increased and she doesn't know why. But if she can help the Senate maybe they can take care of Tony.

I loved it. If you like urban fantasy this is a must read.