Destined by PC and Kristen Cast - Book Announcement

Destined: House of Night
by PC and Kristen Cast
St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition edition (October 25, 2011)
Book 9 in the series

Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet – which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx's gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together – if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father's shadow…

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more – or possibly less – than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him… 

Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him – and everyone – from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

Dark Companion - Vampire Book Review

Dark Companion 
by Marta Acosta
Tor, June 2012
[Young Adult Gothic]

A terrible trauma marks Jane Williams' early childhood. A horrific event at her home causes her death when she is six years old, but just as emergency personnel appear she revives. All her memories of her life have vanished.

Jane has no family and must enter  the difficult world of the state foster system. Her tough spirit and the friendship of another foster child, Hosea, combine to show her a way out. With great determination Jane pours all her energy into her school work and shows herself and others that she has a brain. She sees herself progress and get the excellent grades she never thought possible.  Eventually she comes to the attention of the headmistress of Birch Grove Academy for Girls and is offered a full scholarship at this elite school. A terrific opportunity, or so it seems, but is it too good to be true? Not at first anyway. She makes friends with a fun group of girls and Mrs Radcliffe, who runs the school, invites her to become like a member of  her family.  Jane, who believes herself to be as plain as her name, finds younger son Lucky Radcliffe very attractive. In return he is attentive to her at times, and at others practically ignores her. Older son Jack has a wild side but knows how to be a true friend.

On most levels things look good for Jane, but there is something menacing about the atmosphere at Birch Grove, and Jane becomes the target of someone or something that wants her gone.

What is so appealing about Jane is her strength in the midst of terrible hardship. She learns that persistence pays off and despite the sinister undercurrent Jane finds a place where she can belong and feels the courage to overcome whatever life throws her way. 

Although it isn't initially apparent the vampire theme does play a part in this story. Fans of Marta's Casa Dracula series will recognize the enigmatic Ian Ducharme who plays a small but important role.. 

Dark Companion is a powerful, mesmerizing coming of age novel with dark mystery, romance, and magic. Teens of all ages will find this story inspiring!

Melissa de la Cruz' New Blue Blood Book - Announcement and Contest

On Tuesday, September 27, Lost In Time book six in the young adult Blue Bloods vampire series by Melissa de la Cruz will be available. To celebrate this occasion Melissa is offering a signed copy of the novel to one lucky PVN reader. [See contest details near end of post]

The young Blue Bloods of Manhattan descend upon Egypt in Lost In Time

Having been forced to separate, Schuyler travels to Alexandria to search for Catherine of Siena and the Gate of Promise. But Schuyler quickly discovers that everything she believed about the Gate to be wrong.

Meanwhile, Jack makes the difficult decision to return to New York to face his twin and former bondmate, Mimi. But instead of a bitter reunion, he is faced with a choice for which there is no good option. Mimi, with a most unexpected travel companion in Oliver Hazard-Perry, jets off to Egypt, too, to search for Kingsley Martin, her long lost love. With all roads leading to Hell, Mimi learns that not all love stories have happy endings. But she'll have to put her own feelings aside if she's going to save her crumbling Coven.

Read an EXCERPT of  Lost In Time

Read a REVIEW of Bloody Valentine - three tales which center on characters of Melissa's young adult Blue Bloods series and highlight the romance and perils these immortals face.

See the Trailer for Lost In Time

CONTEST

* Melissa is offering a signed copy of Lost In Time to one lucky reader.

* Leave a comment about this post for a chance to win.
 
* Be sure contact information is included with your comment.

* Contest ends October 5, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

* Contest is open to US and Canadian residents.

Mel Is Coming to a
Town Near You!

 

 

September 27, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Denver!

The Tattered Cover Highlands Ranch
9315 Dorchester Street
Highlands Ranch, CO 80129
303-470-7050
Reading and Signing Lost in Time!

September 28, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Utah!

Provo City Library
550 North University Avenue
Provo, UT 84601
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

September 30, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Sebastopol!

Copperfield’s Books
138 N. Main St.
Sebastopol, CA 95472
707-823-2618
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 01, 2011 (2:00 PM)

Signing in Burien!

Burien Public Library
400 SW 152nd St.
Burien, WA 98166
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 02, 2011

Signing in Seattle!

Northwest Bookfest
Kirkland Teen Center
348 Kirkland Ave.
Kirkland, WA 98033
425-822-3088
Smart Chicks Tour! Author panels and signing!

October 03, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Ottawa!

Nepean Centrepointe Branch/Ottawa Public Library
101 Centrepointe
Ottawa, Ontario, K2G 5K7
Canada
Smart Chicks Tour! Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 04, 2011 (6:00 PM)

Signing in Lansing!

Schuler Books & Music
2820 Towne Center Blvd.
Lansing, MI 48912
517-316-7495
Smart Chicks Tour! Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 11, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Bethesda!

Bethesda Library
7400 Arlington Road
Bethesda, MD 20814
240-777-0970
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 12, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Philly!

Barnes and Noble
210 Commerce Blvd
Fairless Hills, PA 19030
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 13, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Dallas!

Barnes and Noble
Stonebriar Center Mall
Frisco, TX 75034
Reading and signing Lost in Time!

October 14, 2011 (7:00 PM)

Signing in Houston

Blue Willow Shop
14532 Memorial Drive
Houston, TX 77079

APPLEWOOD by Brendan P. Myers - Book Announcement

Applewood 
by Brendan P. Myers
By Light Unseen Media, May 15, 2011

It's starting again...

Scott Dugan returns to the long-abandoned neighborhood of Applewood in the small Massachusetts town of Grantham where he grew up, after an old friend calls him about a mutilated body with very familiar characteristics.

In the early 1980s, Dugan and his friends were junior high school students struggling with family problems, school bullies and growing pains. They slowly realize that an ancient evil has reawakened in the heart of their community--an evil brought home by returning Civil War veterans a century earlier. As their neighbors start to disappear, the boys come to grips with the fact that vampires are real, and only they know what's actually going on. Stopping the destruction of their home, if it's even possible, will only come at a terrible price.

Although not exclusively a YA novel, Applewood will appeal to young male readers because of the age of the central protagonists. The author is a Massachusetts native and the story is filled with local and historical detail.

More information, and a sample chapter, are available at http://bylightunseenmedia.com/apple.htm.


PVN:  By Light Unseen Media  is a small press which publishes "Vampire stories for every taste". It is owned and operated by Inanna Arthen [aka vyrdolak] who is a recognized expert in vampire folklore, media and culture.


*Read a review of Gideon Redoak by Anne Fraser (By Light Unseen Media, Aug. 15, 2009).


*Read a review of Mortal Touch by Inanna Arthen (By Light Unseen Media, 2007).

R. A. Nelson Blog Tour and Contest

Please welcome R. A. Nelson author of the recently published and well received Young Adult novel Throat. [two lucky readers will win a copy of the book. see contest details at the end of the post.]

I asked Russ if he would explain the mythology of his vampire world, and here what he had to say.

Wonderful topic, Patricia. Thanks for having me!

Okay, vampires. Not the most original of subjects, I admit. So first off, I wanted to make my vampires as realistic as possible – I looked at the whole vampire mythos from a fresh perspective and took the idea almost down to ground zero. I tried to envision what it would be like to live in such a way in the real world. Because of the need to avoid daylight and the lack of any kind of legal documentation whatsoever, it would be virtually impossible for a vampire to own property or have very many material possessions at all. They wouldn’t have social security numbers, wouldn’t be able to transact any kind of business, hold a bank account, etc. Unless they wanted to take a huge risk (because of daylight or discovery), like hiding somewhere on a plane, they would be limited in travel to the distance they would be able to run in one night, and with each move they’d have to find a new safe haven. Even with all their physical advantages, it would be hard to find any glamour in the condition – a vampire would basically be a super-powered homeless person who happens to need blood.

Another twist in my book is the connection of my vampires to the sun. Each vampire is surrounded by a kind of electromagnetic field which gives them their powers and provides them a means of communicating over great distances, as well as other abilities. The downside to this is that their “disease” is actually a kind of mutation or alteration of this field, and they survive by tapping into the “feld” (German word, not a typo) of human beings when they drink their blood.

The condition of vampirism in my book is reversible, however. Every few hundred years there is a titanic solar flare on the sun which blasts the earth with a flood of electromagnetic particles that act to “cleanse” a vampire’s feld, making them human again. There is one faction of vampires who kind of worship the sun (from a safe distance, of course!), believing someday they will be relieved of their curse (unless they happen to be deep within the earth when the solar storm occurs).

Emma is a different kind of vampire altogether. When she is attacked by the monster Wirtz, she suffers a massive grand mal seizure, a kind of electrical storm of the brain, which scrambles her personal feld with that of the vampire. So when she is transformed, her epilepsy has turned her into a kind of half-vampire, half-human. She is left with all the powers of a vampire (super strength, speed, senses), without the need to drink blood or avoid the sunlight. So she’s basically super human. There’s just one catch – the bad vampires want to kill her for it.

Wirtz is a Germanic vampire from the old school. Truly horrific and menacing, Wirtz is hundreds of years old and monstrously bitter after losing his son and being passed over during the last healing sonnenruption (he was hiding in a coal mine at the time). This merciless creature is in relentless pursuit of Emma for most of the book and will stop at nothing to destroy her – after learning her secrets first, of course. Emma’s only hope of surviving a second encounter with the vampire and keeping her family alive lies in…well, you’ll have to read the book to find that out!

Thanks again!

Blog Tour stops for THROAT

Monday, April 25th    Books with Bite   

Tuesday, April 26th    Patricia’s Vampire Notes   

Wednesday, April 27th    Bite Club   

Thursday, April 28th    Suvudu   

Friday, April 29th    Random Acts of Reading   

Saturday, April 30th    Dangers Untold and Hardships Unnumbered

The publisher will be tweeting about Russ’s blog tour on @RandomHouseKids!
(Follow the author: @RANelsonYA)

Contest

* The publisher is offering a copy of  THROAT to two lucky readers.

* Leave a comment for Russ about this post for a chance to win.
 
* Be sure contact information is included with your comment.

* This contest is open to US residents only

* Contest ends May 10, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

Awakened - Vampire Book Review

Awakened (House of Night)
by P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast
St. Martin's Griffin; First Edition (January 4, 2011)

Book 8 in the House of Night series.

Although I have been aware of this series for some time Awakened is the first I have read. Even with the many characters and significant plot twists I could follow the story well enough to have a basic understanding of what was happening, and I was intrigued by other threads only hinted at. Since this is book eight I will keep in mind those who follow the series and try not to give away any spoilers.

Main character Zoe Redbird has returned from the Otherworld with her warrior guardian Zach. Both were badly hurt in a fracas that almost cost Zoey her life. Now both of them are recovering on the Eden-like Isle of Skye, home to the powerful Queen Sgiach who hopes that Zoey will want to remain. Sgiach promises to teach her the powerful uses of old magic and protect her from the Darkness that stalks the outside world most notably in the form of the ruthless, power hungry Neferet. Eventually Zoey decides to return to her vampyre friends at the House of Night in Tulsa. Only there can she, as High Priestess, lead the fight against Neferet and her unwilling ally the immortal warrior Kalona.

Please note the hunk on the cover. That is Kalona's son Rephaim. He is part human and considers himself a monster no doubt due to the fact that he has a conscience something lacking in his father. Rephaim also has a strong love for Zoey's close friend Stevie Ray who returns the feeling.

Awakened is a highly entertaining Young Adult story with believable characters and plenty of action. It's probably best to begin with book one Marked and read each in turn as if they were one grand romantic adventure.

[This book was sent to me by the publisher. Thank you]

Daniele Lanzarotta - Guest Blog and Contest

Please welcome Daniele Lanzarotta author of the YA vampire series Imprinted Souls (also the title of the first book). Daniele writes of a young girl's loss and love. Here is a brief description:

"Entrapped in her grief and sorrow, Lexi roams through life with no purpose. She has not been the same ever since an accident took away her high school boyfriend and soul mate. For a while, Lexi could still feel Matt with her and the dreams reassured her that they were still connected, but with time, the dreams started to fade and the pain of his absence deepened. She was convinced that he was gone, and with him, so was part of her soul, the part of her soul that had been imprinted by Matt.

"It would take a different type of imprint to bring Lexi back to life, but that imprint would come with a price. The dangers of being with a vampire who still has strong ties to his human life, and the possibility of losing what is left of her connection with her one and true soul mate, Matt; a hidden connection that still lives within the shadows of what is left of her soul."

Today Daniele discuss the allure of the handsome guy with the dark kiss.

The Year When Prince Charming Grew… Fangs?!

It wasn’t long ago when a girl’s dream guy (or at least dream fictional guy) was the average guy, funny, friendly, sometimes tanned, and who liked to take her out for dinner.  Then, that whole perception got turned around, and well… prince charming grew fangs, became pale, wouldn’t go out during the day (in most cases), and had YOU as a dinner.

Weird… right?

But let’s face it… Who wouldn’t want a hottie vamp around?

In Imprinted Souls, Tyler was the prince charming I had in mind.  Hot, understanding, and protective (not in a creepy way).  He entered Lexi’s life and was the only one able to pull her out of the state of depression from losing her soulmate. Throughout the series, Tyler goes through a lot to protect Lexi.  He endures a great deal of pain, including having to deal with his role as a minion, and the limits such role puts on his ability of making his own choices.

But even this version of a perfect guy was challenged when the not so bad, bad guy (I call him my bipolar vamp), showed up.  Nicholas is what every girl should run away from.  He is a player and has been called ‘mouthy’ by some, but there is something about his sarcastic sense of humor and his confidence that makes every girl love him or at least, love to hate him.

Whatever your version of prince charming may be… I hope you find him in the Imprinted Souls Series.

-      Daniele Lanzarotta –

 

 

 

Contest

* Daniele is offering an ebook copy of Divine Ashes (Book three) on Kindle or Nook format, along with a signed bookmark to one lucky reader. (winner can request book one or two instead)

* Leave a comment for Daniel about this post for a chance to win.
 
* Be sure contact information is included with your comment.

* Contest ends April 14, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

* Contest is international







Imprinted Souls (Book one) read a preview

Bloodlust (Book two) read a preview

Divine Ashes (Book three) read a preview

Melissa de la Cruz - Guest Blog and Contest

 

PVN is delighted to have New York Times best-selling author Melissa de la Cruz as today's guest blogger. Melissa's most recent book is Bloody Valentine, three short stories featuring characters from her young adult Blue Bloods saga.

"Might a witchy new girl help cure Oliver’s broken heart? How did Allegra fall in love with a human? Will Schuyler and Jack finally be bonded? Romantic and sensual, BLOODY VALENTINE illustrates that in matters of the heart, even vampires are prey…"
 
[Three lucky commenters will win a copy of Bloody Valentine See details at the end of the post.]


Since my favorite story in Bloody Valentine is Just Another Night in Suck City featuring a new character, the witch Freya, I asked Melissa the following question: How do Freya and the witches view the Blue Bloods?


Melissa answers:

I feel I can't answer this question without spoiling the book, since the part where the Blue Bloods characters appear in Witches is a really fun part of Witches of East End for Blue Bloods fans, and this question is answered there. Instead I'll talk about the process of writing Witches.

The idea came from the title. Blue Bloods came from the title as well, (Blue Bloods=American vampire elite) so I thought it was a good sign of things to come that I liked the title so much. Yes, it's a play on Witches of Eastwick, and I think all books are in conversation with each other, so I like the playful part of it, but I also like the whole idea of the "East End."

My husband and I used to rent a house on Shelter Island, so I am a bit familiar with the Hamptons, and in fact, set my first YA book there—The Au Pairs. So having the Witches set in that part of the world, a paranormal in the Hamptons—felt like "going back home" in a way.

So I had a title. Witches of East End. But who were these Witches? And what was so special about the Hamptons? How do I make the Hamptons paranormal? I started doing a little digging, and discovered the history of Gardiners Island, one of the oldest privately-owned islands in the country. So that became one part of it. I also find a lot of my books come from images, just cool stuff that I want to write about. I loved the images from that documentary Grey Gardens, this idea of these sort of kooky, useless women—or I should say, utterly useless in productivity and housekeeping, but totally useful for a life they don't lead anymore. These women could never hold down a job or keep house, but they were the kind of women who could throw parties, host salons and be charming and witty.


So I wanted to write about that, and I also wanted to write about a family of women. I have a very close relationship with my mom and my sister, and I wanted to write about what that is like, two sisters dealing with a strong mother. And I knew I wanted to write about Norse mythology, which is incredibly tragic and has all these super-sad love stories, and one of the hardest parts of writing the book ended up being how much of the mythology I would use, and how much I could change.

I wanted to write about a small town, so I decided I wanted to write about the Hamptons, but not the "Hamptons-Hamptons" per se. So I decided I would make the town a fictional one, and made up the town of "North Hampton." In New York, there is East Hampton, Westhampton and Southampton, but no North Hampton.

When we used to live on Shelter Island, we went to the Ram's Head Inn all the time, and some of our friends dated fishermen whose families had lived on the island for generations. These boys (who were always very cute) made all their money in the summer, catching big-eye tuna to sell to Japanese buyers, and then in the winter, they just sort of hung out at the bar. So I had this idea of setting it at the Ram's Head, (and I was very gratified when one of the sales reps who had lived on Shelter Island said – "is the North Inn Bar based on the Ram's Head – because that's what I thought when I read it?" Yes! Yes it is.)

So that's where the book comes from: sisters, strong mom, Hamptons, Ram's Head, Gardiners Island, Norse mythology, magic, tragic romance, hot boys.
Witches of East End comes out June 21st. Hope you all enjoy it!

CONTEST

*Melissa is offering a copy of Bloody Valentine to three lucky readers.

*Leave a comment on this post for a chance to win. 

*Contest is limited to US and Canadian residents.

*Contest ends Feb. 17, 2011 at 11:59pm EST

Read PVN's review of Bloody Valentine

Bloody Valentine - Vampire Book Review

Bloody Valentine
by Melissa de la Cruz
Hyperion Book CH (December 28, 2010)

Three tales center on characters of de la Cruz's young adult Blue Bloods series and highlight the romance and perils these immortals face.

Just Another Night in Suck City - Oliver Hazard Perry has lost the one person he loved most in the world. There seems no hope for his despair.

Always Something There To Remind Me - Allegra Van Allen yearns for the forbidden love of a Red Blood (a mortal).

Ring of Fire - Schuyler Van Allen prepares for her bonding ceremony with her beloved Jack but is unaware of the plot that could destroy them both.

Oliver's story was my favorite and the most adult in its appeal. The terrible depression felt by Oliver, when he loses the young woman he loved because she preferred another, grabs your heart. The wise words of the lovely witch Freya eventually help him come to terms with the hurt he suffers and even show him how to recall joy.

According to a footnote Freya will have her own series of books. She is such an enchanting character and I look forward to reading more about her adventures. She also has magic recipes that anyone can whip up in their kitchen. Included at the end of Just Another Night In Suck City is Freya's spell tinged recipe  - Scrambled Eggs for the Brokenhearted.

The author has developed a complex universe in which her characters live. This YA series has proven quite popular with Schuyler being chosen as a favorite kick-butt vampire heroine in a poll by Entertainment Weekly.

The young people are all quite wealthy. They attend expensive schools and have no material wants, but as vampires they have a host of problems to deal with some of them deadly even to immortals.

The author has constructed a much more complex world than at first seems apparent. Bloody Valentine allows a quick introduction to that world and some of the more prominent personalities - good and evil - that inhabit it.  Teens as well as those young at heart will enjoy this collection.

To aid those who would like to know more about these vampire elites, grab a copy of Blue Bloods: Keys to the Repository. It is chock full of information about "secret trysts, bone chilling murders, Angels, Demons, midterms" and more.

[A copy of this book was sent to me by the publisher. Thank you.]

Release of Awakened by P.C. and Kristin Cast Including Contest

To celebrate the new book trailer and  release of 'AWAKENED', P.C and Kristin Cast's latest novel in the House of Night series, St. Martin's Press is offering a fantastic once in a lifetime chance for a fan and their guest to fly to Tulsa to tour the sites from the books and have lunch with the authors!

CONTEST

*The lucky winner will receive a 3-day, 2-night trip to Tulsa, Oklahoma for two people which includes airfare, hotel accommodations, a tour of Tulsa and lunch on Saturday, April 30th, 2011 at the Chalkboard Restaurant with the authors. In order to enter the promo, you must answer three questions about the series.

More about the contest: http://bit.ly/fO0Jnp

Contest rules: http://houseofnightseries.com/pages/tourtulsaofficialrules.html

Also, St. Martin's is also holding a contest via the House of Night Facebook fan page. Fans can enter for a chance to win 1 of 30 complete sets of House of Night books. http://on.fb.me/i9W8cZ

Watch the trailer:

Night Star by Alyson Noel - Publicity Notice

For those following the young adult, paranormal romance series The Immortals by Alyson Noel, there is good news. Night Star (Book 5) was released November 16, 2010 by St. Martin's Griffin

From the publisher: Best friends make the worst enemies—they know all your secrets, your weaknesses, and just how to hurt you most...

After fighting for centuries to be together, Ever and Damen's future hinges on one final showdown that will leave readers gasping for breath. Don't miss this explosive new installment of the number one bestselling series that's enchanted millions across the world!





Immortals Series Website

Immortals Series Facebook Fan Page

Stoker Sisters - A Vampire Book Review

The Stoker Sisters (Book One): Daughters of Dracula
by Kailin Gow
The Edge, Oct. 12, 2010

It is 1818 and the sweet, charming Sadie Stoker is turned by the handsome Lord Ashwen in order to  save her life. Throughout the years he clings to her humanity by  taking only as much blood as needed. Her victims are never killed or seriously harmed. Her basic nature of wanting to do good in this world has never changed.

Older sister Alexis also turned by Ashwen embraces the vampire life, reveling in the power it gives her. Still she has worked hard not to cross the line by leaving only enough in her victims to allow them to live. This allows her from turning into an evil vampire, a Strigoi.

The sisters were born in the early 19th century . Adopted by the Stokers they did not realize that they could claim special status in the vampire community as the last biological descendants of Vlad Dracule.

This entertaining novel will appeal to the vast YA audience with its insatiable appetite for vampire fiction. Author Kailin Gow tells a lively story with a strong moral center. Daughters is also the basis for a TV/Web series and book 1 in the Stoker Sisters series.

A copy of this book was provided by author Kaitlin Gow. Thank you, Kaitlin.

Watch for  The Stoker Sisters (Book 2): Angels and Hunters. The EDGE (February 8, 2011)

The Season of Risks - A Vampire Book Review

The Season of Risks (Book 3 An Ethical Vampire Novel)
by Susan Hubbard
Simon & Schuster; Original edition (July 6, 2010)

The vampires in Ariella Montero's family do not drink human blood, instead they use a synthetic blood called Picardo. Ari is a rarity, even a curiosity, in the vampire world. She is a hybrid, a child born of a vampire father and human mother. Not until puberty was it clear which path her life would follow. As it turns out her vampire genes were the strongest. In book 3 of the Ethical Vampire series Ari continues her romance with presidential candidate Neil Cameron. It is essential that their feeling for one another be kept secret.Humans are ignorant of the existence of vampires, but Cameron hopes to bring the vampire and human worlds together. This cannot be accomplished unless or until he is elected to office.

Ari's life has not always been an easy one. Only recently has she found her mother and been able to establish a close relationship. She has suffered the horror of losing two friends to murder. From time to time Ari sees the ghost of one, Kathleen, beckoning to her.  More than one ghost appears to Ari. Sometimes their visits are less benevolent than at others. Too add to her problems Ari becomes the target of a vicious identity theft scheme. The complex mystery is only partly resolved.

Vivid characters and deft plotting makes this an excellent addition to the Ethical Vampire series. I read and reviewed Book 1 which I loved. To best understand the characters and their motivations the books it's best to read in order of publication.

[A version of this review appeared in Library Journal]




The Society of S Book 1
Simon & Schuster (April 8, 2008)
Read a review

The Year of Disappearances  Book 2
Simon & Schuster (June 16, 2009)