Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6)

Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6) Review

These book just keep getting better and better. With book six, the series ventures into the world of steampunk with a special Morganville twist. With the very little I have actually read in the genre of Steampunk, I had a hard time visualizing what Ada looks like, but I am hoping these eventually become movies and someone creates this fascinating machine for the movies! Ada's quirkiness and creepiness fit right in with the rest of the Morganville residents, though, so I know that she/it will grow on me, too.
With this book, it is also a relief that Claire has finally turned seventeen. The build-up between her and Shane was driving me crazy. I also like how the author was much more realistic about her first time with Shane than many romance novelists, with much awkwardness and naivety. Her parents' response to the knowledge of this was quite humorous and charming and lent some much-needed humor to the extent of fear with which Morganville is saturated.
Even though these books have much fantasy, they still move along with a certain believability. The one major exception that I found in this book - that I simply had a hard time believing possible - was when Claire almost dies at the end. With the amount of blood loss she suffered from, there is simply no way she could stay conscious for the amount of that she did or stay alive as she did. When books are as entertaining as these are though, I don't mind a little "writer's license" to keep the main character alive and resolve the loose thread of who is responsible for the random murders of girls in the previous books. I am surprised, though, that Claire never made the connection to who Dean is, since I saw it coming quite easily.
Mynin gets more and more entertaining and fascinating from book to book - he is probably one of my favorite characters for his unpredictability. I am thrilled that the disease can no longer get the best of him - it means he could play a more central role in future books. Many of the characters are easy to like, even if their morals often verge into gray area, such as Amelie.
Even though the "book" has suffered its final demise, the bookworm in me still wonders what else was in that book, so I hope future books can tell me more about it.

Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780451227195
• Condition: New
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Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6) Overview

In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace-until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants-the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?

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Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 1)

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 1) Review

The Plot:
In the first Chicagoland Vampires book, we meet Merit, a doctoral student at the University of Chicago and the daughter of an influential Chicago real estate magnate. Despite Merit's priveleged upbringing, she has lived her life an outcast of her family and Chicago's elite social sphere. When she is attacked on campus by a vampire and unwittingly saved from certain death and turned by the leader of one of Chicago's ruling vampire Houses, Merit is sucked into Chicago's supernatural underworld -- of magic, vampires, shifters and nymphs -- to find her way through a whole new kind of political society.

In addition to having to come to terms with her new genetic identity and drinking blood, Merit must also adjust to her new magical friends, the advances of one oh-so-dreamy Second in a rival vampire house, and her inexplicable and ill-advised attraction to her egotistical and calculating maker.

Zelda's Take:
Merit could be my best friend. She is strong, resilient, open-minded, and much more comfortable with a book in hand than at a social gathering.

I love that Merit is thrown into vampire life without a choice. I love that, unlike other books that draw out the actual point of being turned ad infinitum, this book is about vampires from the perspective of a vampire. Forget the allegorical sexual tension of an unchanged, virginal female. Chloe Neill pops that cherry right away. And with aplomb.

I love the strained relationship that Merit has with her maker, Ethan. She hates him for turning her without her consent. Yet she can't deny the reaction her vampire has to him. He looks down on her as a naive new vampire and nothing special. Yet he is inexplicably attracted to her.

But Merit is special. She is stronger than most vampires, both physically and psychically. She can resist the glamour of centuries-old vampires and hold her own when battling said ancient vampires. She is confident, despite the foreign supernatural world into which she's thrown, and is not going to just sit around and let anyone -- vampire leader or otherwise -- rule her life.

Ethan quickly realizes he has his hands full with Merit and desperately tries to control her and keep her under his thumb -- even going so far as trying to make her his consort! -- all the while denying and fighting the attraction he feels for her. Who needs the sexual tension of an unchanged vampire when you've got this kind of romantic interplay!

But Merit fights back with "bite." Forced into vampirehood, Merit recognizes that she must leave her old life behind and embrace her new strength and position in the Cadogan House. And be damned if will she embrace her new life and strength as the leader's whore. Despite her distaste for Ethan, she is fiercely loyal to the oath she takes to serve and protect her "Liege" and House, and jumps headfirst into her role as protector and guardian.

Also great in this book is Merit's best friend, Mallory. After Merit is turned and becomes part of the supernatural world, it becomes quickly evident that Mallory is more than human herself. And who better to introduce Mallory to her magical skills than Merit's hot new trainer, Catcher, a former sorcerer. Mallory and Catcher's relationship can be likened to that of magical bunnies on speed. They fall for each other fast and hard -- adjectives that could also accurately describe their exuberant love life.

While I loved this book and the characters dearly and would pick it up again in a heartbeat -- hence the rating -- I found I had to suspend disbelief over one great big, looming inconsistency. Merit is turned and initiated into Cadogan House, the "House that drinks." Meaning, they drink real blood... from the source. Cadogan House is frowned upon by some of the other Houses -- especially Navarre -- for its heathen-ish ways and willingness to subject humans to this cruel practice. If there was such an organization in Merit's world, Cadogan would be the supreme target of VETH, Vampires for the Ethical Treatment of Humans. But, in the whole book, not once do we see Cadogan vampires drinking from humans!!! We see them drink bagged blood and boxed blood... but, really, where is the requisite vein piercing?!?

Also, while I wholly appreciate the Chicago locale, as a Chicago resident myself, I couldn't help but feel that most of the Chicago references were pretty generic and straight out of the "TimeOut Guide to Chicago" -- Lincoln Park, Wicker Park, Hyde Park, Oak Park, the Cubs and Bears, deep-dish pizza, etc. etc. Kind of a bummer for a long-time Chicago resident who prefers thin-crust pizza, avoids Wrigley Field and Michigan Avenue like the plague (along with other similar tourist traps). Fortunately, after setting the scene, a lot of these references fall off, but I would love to see some more "real" Chicago references!

All in all, this book completely stole my heart and I am so excited to have found another series to devour!

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 1) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780451226259
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, Book 1) Overview

First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student’s introduction into a society of vampires.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.

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Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4)

Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4) Review

This book picks up right where the previous one left off, right in the middle of the action. I love when books do that. I flew through this book as quickly as the previous three, barely taking time to eat or sleep. I would compare the infamous Mr. Bishop to Dracula - minus the romantic leanings. Nothing about him is remotely appealing, and he has no interest in making himself appealing, unlike the other two power players in town, Oliver and Amelie. Lots of subplots are developed, but this one felt like more time could have been devoted to these other elements and lengthened the novel a bit without sacrificing the quality of the text, such as exploring how Claire could wield the power of Glass House, the effect that Michael had on others when he performed, Claire's problem with her professor, or even Claire's parents reaction to the truth about Morganville. It feels as if there are too many characters in the script and not enough pages to give them all adequate time in the spotlight. I find the character of Myrnin even more fascinating in this book - he seems sort of like the dark town jester. I was also disappointed in Claire's lack of interest in her classes, given that she was so happy about her schedule change in the last book. The funeral of Eve's father seemed forced, like it was inserted in the plot as an afterthought, especially since we did not see her mother at the ball at the end of the book, even though it seems logical that Mrs. Rosser would try to use the occasion to make a specticle of herself, not unlike Monica Morrell. Wow, so I had alot of nit-picky things to say about this book, but I still really enjoyed it and I really like this series, especially the character of Claire, who has more courage and daring than anyone in the book. I look forward to the next one, Lord of Misrule.

Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4) Overview

The wait is over. dig into the feast...

In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace. Student Claire Danvers has never been convinced, though—especially with the arrival of Mr. Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town’s living and its dead is unthinkably sinister. It’s only at a formal ball, attended by vampires and their human dates, that Claire realizes the elaborately evil trap he’s set for Morganville.

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Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, Book 7)

Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, Book 7) Review

I enjoyed this series, but it was getting a little too much lately, but finally, this book snapped it out of the over-the-top drama that made me tired mentally. This book was a good stand alone book (better than the others at least), and it did not end with a cliff hanger, which was a relief.

Spoilers coming up, so read on with caution!!!!!

In this book, Eve becomes friends with another goth named Kim, who is called the historian by the vampires because she is chronicling their history on video. However, she is actually using this as a way to shoot a reality show about Morganville. It becomes clear that she had help from a vampire or two when Claire and her friends discover that there are multiple cameras (almost 75) hidden throughout town and even in houses (Glass house included) and in restricted vampire only places. When Kim comes up missing from the play rehearsal that she is starring with Eve in the local theater, the group goes to Kim's house to find her. Instead, they find hidden cameras and discover the truth about Kim. They remove and destroy the cameras and the hard drives backing up the footage eventually. Later, they find Kim has been brain damaged by Ada. Ada was the secret one helping Kim, along with a few rogue vampires (Morley). Ada did this because she wants to take control of Morganville in her warped mind now that she has become defective through Myrnin's virus.

Ada has spent the entire book trying to kill Claire with spiders and vampires and sabotaging the portal travel. She has to be reset, and when she realizes that she is beyond repair, she commits suicide. It also turns out that Myrnin and Ada were deeply in love, and this is very sad character development since Ada dies in the end. Amelie is of little help herself, as she mourns for Sam, and even tries to commit suicide.

You get to see softer sides of the vampires, but ironically, Michael is slipping away from his softness and is slowly becoming less human. Also, Myrnin, even though healed, is still crazy and unpredictable. He is more of a murderer than he let on, virus or not. Oliver seems to have the hots for Amelie, who may or may not return the favor. He pushes her back in her normal mode of business by challenging her and keeping their cat and mouse game continuing.

The book ends with Morley making a pact with the group that if Claire cannot get them and other rogue vamps a pass out of town, they will kill them--in a month. Also, Monica is back to her mean self, and she is no longer meek. Michael gets a big break in his music career, and things begin to calm down in the human vampire equality pact.

The crazy thing--two sex tapes came out of the Glass House in this book. Funny, right?

Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, Book 7) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780451228666
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, Book 7) Overview

Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again...

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve's castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger-and way more dangerous-than anyone suspected.

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