Review - Blood Memories by Barb Hendee

TITLE:    Blood Memories
AUTHOR:    Barb Hendee
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 243 pages
PUBLISHED:   Roc, 2008
SOURCE:   Purchased myself

FROM GOODREADS:    Eleisha Clevon has the face of a teen angel, but she is no angel. Unlike most vampires, she doesn’t like to kill, but self-preservation comes first.

When an old friend destroys himself by walking into sunlight right in front of her, Eleisha is shocked. And what she finds afterwards points to how very sick of his existence her friend had become—piling drained corpses in the basement and keeping records of other vampires’ real names and addresses. That’s a problem.

Because now, there are policemen on the case: two very special humans with some gifts of their own. They know who Eleisha is, and, even more dangerous, what she is.
MY TAKE:  This book was first published in 1998 and has been reprinted.  There are two more books in print with two scheduled in the next year or so.  Barb Hendee is the author of The Noble Dead saga as well as The Vampire Memories series.

With all of the sexy, sparkly teenage vampire stories out there right now, this was a welcome change in the genre.  Eleisha and her fellow vamps were much more cerebral, darker and maybe "realistic"?  This was a very nice change of pace from the love triangles and teen angst.  This was a short book that read very quickly.  There was a lot of action and drama that kept me turning the pages. 

The characters were quite interesting.  Besides Eleisha, I really enjoyed Maggie, Wade and eventually even Phillip.  They added quite a bit to the story.  In some small ways, this reminded me a bit of Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire.  I think it was probably because of the dependant relationships the vampires shared.

Enjoyable book that I think most vampire fans will enjoy - especially if you're looking for something a little less sparkly.

Out of 5 JEWELS, I give it:

WHERE TO BUY IT:    Amazon and The Book Depository

The Vampire Memories Series

  

 
~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.

Review + Guest Post: The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer by Lucy Weston

as told by Lucy Weston, the immortal vampire from Bram Stoker's "Dracula"

TITLE:    The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer
AUTHOR/EDITOR:    Lucy Weston
INFO:    Paperback, Fiction, 303 pages
PUBLISHED:   Gallery, 2010
ISBN#:   978-1-4391-9033-3
HOW'D I GET IT:   Received from Gallery Books for Review

FROM GOODREADS:  Sovereign Power. Eternal Pleasure.  Revealed at last in this new vampire saga for the ages: the true, untold story of the “Virgin Queen” and her secret war against the Vampire King of England. . . .


On the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth Tudor is summoned to the tomb of her mother, Anne Boleyn, to learn the truth about her bloodline—and her destiny as a Slayer. Born to battle the bloodsucking fiends who ravage the night, and sworn to defend her beloved realm against all enemies, Elizabeth soon finds herself stalked by the most dangerous and seductive vampire of all.


He is Mordred, bastard son of King Arthur, who sold his soul to destroy his father. After centuries in hiding, he has arisen determined to claim the young Elizabeth as his Queen. Luring her into his world of eternal night, Mordred tempts Elizabeth with the promise of everlasting youth and beauty, and vows to protect her from all enemies. Together, they will rule over a golden age for vampires in which humans will exist only to be fed upon. Horrified by his intentions, Elizabeth embraces her powers as a Slayer even as she realizes that the greatest danger comes from her own secret desire to yield to Mordred . . . to bare her throat in ecstasy and allow the vampire king to drink deeply of her royal blood.


As told by Lucy Weston, the vampire prey immortalized in Bram Stoker’s Dracula, this spellbinding account will capture your heart and soul—forever.

I am so thrilled to have the author Ms. Lucy Weston here today to share her thoughts.  Welcome to One Book Shy!  Please tell us about yourself and your book:

Books have always been my great weakness. Since I was a girl in England so many years ago, I have collected and cherished them. Being transformed into a vampire by no less than the most powerful and seductive being the world has ever known changed my life beyond all recognition. But it in no way changed my love of books.



Imagine then my excitement when the secret journals of Queen Elizabeth I of England, that I had sought for so long, at last came into my possession. I had heard rumors about the existence of the journals for years, and had long imagined what they might contain. But I was not prepared for the Queen’s remarkable forthrightness in accounting the events of her life.


Awakened as a vampire slayer on the eve of her coronation, Elizabeth at first has great difficulty accepting her destiny. But when she meets Mordred--and realizes that the king of the vampires tempts her to betray her very soul--she embraces her new-found powers. The battle between them is one for the ages, most especially because it does not play out as either of them could ever have imagined.


As enemies close in around her and the fate of her realm hangs in the balance, the young queen faces a choice that will change both her life and the course of history forever.


My own choice to bring “The Secret History of Elizabeth Tudor, Vampire Slayer” to the public notice has also brought about great changes in my life. From the moment I was transformed into a vampire more than a century ago, I have sought vengeance for what was done to me. But now, heeding the voice of a queen wise beyond her years, I can only hope that the revelation of the true role vampires have played in human affairs will lead to a new, better accord between humans and vampires alike.

Lucy thank you so much for taking the time to come by and do a guest post.  We appreciate the insight.

MY TAKE:    I was especially interested to read this book as it combines two of my favorite genres:  historical fiction and paranormal fiction.  The author, only known to us as Lucy Weston - yes, the same Lucy from Dracula, has done a great job of meshing the two.

There are many familiar characters from actual history:  Elizabeth, her nurse Kat, Lord Dudley, Walsingham, and more.  The author then includes famous names from mythical history and legend such as King Arthur, Mordred and Morgaine among others.  She weaves them all together seamlessly into a great tale of adventure and mystery.

On the night before her coronation, Elizabeth Tudor finds out that she is THE vampire slayer the world has been waiting on for centuries.  Her destiny was foretold and kept a secret by her mother Anne Boleyn and those she trusted to keep Elizabeth safe.  Safe that is, until the time when her powers would come to her. 

This is a very engaging book that draws you into the adventure right away.  There is much intrigue and behind the scenes drama that will keep you riveted.  

Elizabeth is a strong character who has been waiting and in training for the English crown her entire life.  She is surrounded by people who are always fawning over her and she can't determine if they are with her out of loyalty or because they're trying to further their positions in life.  Her trust is only given to a very few and she still questions even their motives at times.

Mordred, King of the Vampires/bastard son and murderer of legendary King Arthur, makes his intentions known to Elizabeth early.  He wants to turn her into a vampire, marry her and then rule the world together.

This is a fun twist to the normal Tudor legacy or even vampire legend story.  A lot of the same elements are there, but they're slanted just a bit differently than we're used to.  I enjoyed this book and recommend it to those interested in historical fiction/fantasy and the paranormal.

Follow Lucy on Twitter http://twitter.com/Lucy_Weston
and at
her website http://www.lucywestonvampire.com/lucyweston/


MY RATING:    4/5

WHERE TO BUY IT:   Amazon,  The Book Depository, IndieBound. Powell's Books

 

~~~~~ Disclaimer:  All opinions expressed on this blog are 100% my own.  I do not receive monetary compensation for my reviews but do utilize affiliate links.  I may receive books in  order to facilitate a review, but this does not guarantee a good review - only a completely honest one.  Each review post denotes how I obtained the book.