Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy is about a Vampire princess and her guardian, both who are teens and have not finished with high school. They are both special in their own ways. Lissa Dragomir, our Vampire, is a mortal Moroi who has special powers of earth magic. Rose Hathaway is Lissa’s guardian and best friend. She is also a Dhamphir, which is a blend of human and vampire blood. Lissa and Rose also have a special mental bond with each other, which makes them even more special. Both are rebellious and are in St. Vladimir’s Academy to hone their survival and magic skills. They both also have runaway because of some things that scared them and they think it is safer for them in the outside world. Lissa and Rose make it running on the outside world for two years, surviving on their own until they are caught and returned to the academy and punished. Once settled back in the school they get into the social scene again and weird things start happening.Dead animals start showing up along with notes to Lissa, which has her scared out of her wits. Rose has been punished worst of all because she is Lissa’s Guardian. She has to train night and day and before and after classes to make sure she is up for the task. Rose finds it hard to comfort Lissa and keep her safe. She wants to take Lissa and run away from the Academy, but Lissa talks her into staying because she has so many new people around her now. Rose knows there is a big problem, but Lissa doesn’t see it yet. Rose’s instructor is also Lissa’s assigned guardian until Rose has graduated fully and is assigned to her full-time. Each time that she needs to see what is going on with Lissa she concentrates really hard and is slipped into Lissa’s mind. Once there she can see out of Lissa’s mind. She sees that Lissa is using part of her magic for things she shouldn’t and confronts her about it. Lissa says it is only for the good of the two of them and she can stop at any time. But upon checking and watching she notices that Lissa is doing it more and more. She must stop her before it gets worse. Richelle Mead holds readers in suspense and keeps their attention through this whole novel. I could not put it down, as with any of her books she really knows how to put depth and character into each and everyone one of her characters. They really jump out at you as if they were in the same room as you. This one is definitely for the keeper shelves.

Bled Dry

Bled Dry is a charming little story about Brittany Baldizzi who goes to her Doctor because she thinks she has the flu. When she talks to her dr. it is not the flu but she is eight weeks pregnant which is very much a shock. She can only think of one person she has had intercourse with in the past six months and she didn’t think his boys could swim in that sense, that person was vampire Corbin Atelier. When she lets her sister and her brother in law, who are also vampires, know about it her sister guesses on who it is. Her brother-in-law Ethan is outraged and wants to know if he used protection or not. She hasn’t seen Corbin since that night although she thinks she may have the night she was very sick. He seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, although her sister Alexis seems to know where he is which, happens to be right there in Vegas in the casino that her brother-in-law owns. Alexis tells her what room he is in and she goes to Corbin and tells him the news. When she tells Corbin the news he wants to do the right thing by her and marry her but that is not what she wants to do at this time. Because they barely know each other, he also explains to her the child will be a three-quarter vampire baby. This scares her because of the way he explains it, even though he leaves out a lot of the information, that he doesn’t want her to know at this time. Brittany explains to him that it doesn’t matter that they wouldn’t be married because she didn’t know who her father was, her mother was a stripper. Corbin is a scientist and has been collecting DNA from each vampire for his research and he will be able to know who Brittany’s father is. They agree to raise the child together to protect it from uncertainties etc. Corbin however does tell Alexis and Ethan about his concerns and the full information disclosure to them so that he can hopefully get their help in protecting the child and to get their help with Brittany. They are also going to keep the identity of who the child’s father is a secret until after the child is born and Ethan’s election since he is a major political power in the vampire community. When a rehabbing vampire drug addict overhears Brittany’s claim to Corbin about the baby the cat is let out of the bag and Brittany and the baby are in danger. Corbin goes through everything he can to make Brittany the happiest momma without letting on about any problems that could arise. Erin McCarthy takes our mothering and vampirism to a whole new level. While reading this it made me think how interesting that would be to have to deal with that ordeal. Erin helps put you right in the midst of what you are reading and gives it to you hot and steamy, with just the right touch of humor. This is one that will stay on my keeper shelf for a long time to come and I will definitely read more of her books.

Ashes To Ashes : Blood Ties Book Three

Ashes to Ashes is a compelling book about a Vampire named Carrie and her friends who set out to keep their world from crashing down around their ears. It is hard enough for her to keep her own survival but worry about the whole of the human race is going to prove a bit difficult. The Oracle has broken out of her jail at the Voluntary Vampire Extinction Movement headquarters and is moving to set her plan into motion to make the world into a vampire paradise. Carrie has other ideas, along with her friends Max, Nathan and Bella an Assassin werewolf they will work together to try to take the Oracle out. What they don’t know is that Dahlia a vampire witch and The Soul Eater, Nathan’s Sire are working together along with the Oracle to make this vampire paradise a reality. This vampire paradise can prove fatal for all of mankind, vampirekind and lupinekind as well. What they don’t know is that Dahlia has been practicing her witchcraft all over on everyone she can get her hands on from Max, to the Soul Eater’s son Cyrus. She is trying to create a borne vampire that will help to carry out the Oracles plan. Nathan Carrie and Cyrus form a plan with Max and Bella to take down the Oracle and the Soul Eater. But while on the way to take care of their part of the plan Bella gets a bad case of carsickness which turns out to morning sickness instead. When they get to their first destination they are captured, and are taken to a safe haven with the movement. They are removed from the Movement safe haven by Anne a former movement receptionist, and assassin that they know. Meanwhile Carrie, Nathan, and Cyrus have stormed Cyrus’s father’s mansion and a fight ensues and Cyrus stands up to his father for one last time after finding out the truth thanks to Carrie. Max and Bella are being held in another part of the mansion unbeknownst to the daring trio and are battling their own demons with the Oracle at this point. Max with his love for Bella and the child that she is carrying. Max battles wits with the Oracle about the Soul Eater stringing her along etc. He also makes comments to just keep her away from Bella and the baby. The Oracle finally gets tired and has one of her pet vampires call for the new vampire killer that the Soul eater has waiting. Jennifer Armintrout knows how to keep you turning pages with this captivating page-turner. I will be seeking out any other books she cares to write in this series. Please bring them on. Book after book Ms. Armintrout never ceases to amaze. The characters are well rounded and bring life and depth to each and every page. I will definitely be putting this on my keeper shelf.

Queen of the Orcs Book II : Clan Daughter

Morgan Howell continues Dar’s journey with the Orc’s in Clan daughter and holds your attention, as you would expect him too. Continuing where King’s Property left off Dar has survived by befriending the Orc’s and they have now escaped. She is now leading the Orcs to their homeland and is still battling with her visions that are coming to her more frequently now. She still doesn’t know what all the visions mean. Dar still looks to Kovok-mah to help her sort them out. But he as an Orc son still looks to her for guidance because in the orc relationship the Orcs are guided by the women or mothers as they call them. One thing she does know is that there are feelings she has that she should not be feeling, and they are shared by someone else. Once they are to the Orcs homeland some of the orc leaders refuse to accept her and her visions until she can procure their queen from the Kings Fortress. Zna-yat and a few of the others that she escaped from the original conscript with head to the fortress she hides in Zna-yat’s backpack and he keeps her in his tent with his brothers she at this time has been made his sister and a reborn orc so to speak. She does recognize a few of the women around and some of the soldiers and gets captured and gets one of the soldiers to have her taken to the main castle so she can cook for the Orc Queen herself. In doing this she can get close to the Queen and stop the poison from being put in the Queen’s food. When she does this she starts talking to the Queen and the she listens to Dar and they hatch a plan between the two of them to get her out of there and to her home not far away. Little does Dar know that Murdant Kol has heard that she is around in the castle and he is looking for her to get rid of her for good. When he attacks her she screams for her soldier Severn as she crawled in the darkness quickly to his quarters. After that is was no longer safe to have the Queen in the castle she and Sevren quickly got the queen out of the castle and to start her on her way home. The Kol and some of his men give chase but Severn and Dar quickly dispatch them. When the Orcs ask the Great Mother what she would like them to do she tells them to listen to Dargu’s wisdom. Morgan Howell continues to give us characters that are molded with depth and appeal. Morgan continues to show us how to people that are so different can still co-exist together and even possibly fall in love. This is definitely one for the keeper shelves.

Emma Petersen Contest

Emma Petersen a wonderful author has a blog party going on at her blog where is that at you may ask well your wonderful hostess Mistress Zollyanna has a nice little Link here ! She is offering prizes each daily and a Ultimate Prize that will be announced on October 20th,2007 on her website. So if you like to win things go have fun with Emma Petersen and check out her cool books too.

Aluve' my friends

Zollyanna