Review: Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst

Drink, Slay, Love

Sarah Beth Durst
September 13th, 2011
386 pages (hardcover)
Margaret K. McElderry
Source:  Author + Purchased (gave away review copy)

"Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire...fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil...until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops.

Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast -- as the entrees.

The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends—especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache—to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?"

Being stabbed by a mythical unicorn is just the beginning of Pearl's problems. After the unpleasant stabbing incident, she gains the ability to venture out into the sunlight unharmed. So, when it's up to Pearl to please her vampire Family by figuring out a way to serve up the local high school students as entrees at the Fealty Ceremony, things quickly go from easy to catastrophe as Pearl starts having a change of heart. But when it comes to the Family, you don't say "no" and get away without any consequences.

Within the first two chapters, Durst made me a fan of her tough, zero-mercy vampires. Durst's vampires are fierce and only loyal to one another to a certain extent. No matter any kindness they show, they still wear a sharp edge of cruelty wrapped firmly around their shoulders, which made for a very fascinating story as Pearl began to change and veer away from her Family's ways. For Pearl, betrayal is imminent: betraying her family or the humans she starting to relate with. All in all, Drink, Slay, Love is humorous, exciting, and full of surprises. It is so much more than your typical vampire story. 

Highlights: The lore is nicely explained. Pearl's slow transformation from a courageous, cruel vampire to a little more caring was believable and engaging. The characters¹ made this book spectacular, especially Pearl. Whether it was Pearl's first day of school or her intense interactions with her scary Family, I enjoyed it all. Sharp and witty humor, great fight scenes, fabulous description, a budding romance, excellent characters, unicorns and plenty of bloodthirsty vampires -- what's not to love? Drink, Slay, Love is simply extraordinary.

Lowlights: Jadrien (both him and his name). Evan was almost too nice and too perfect. There were a couple predictable moments, and while the ending wrapped up everything important, it did leave me with one lingering question.

Rating:  

1 Zeke and Matt - love those two! I wish they'd had more page-time

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

The Immortal Rules
Julie Kagawa
485 pages (hardcover)
Harlequin Teen
Source - Publicist/Netgalley

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten. Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad. Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike. But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

In a world where vampires rule, Allison Sekemoto tries scrape by without drawing any attention to herself. So, when she's faced with an unthinkable choice, she chooses to become a vampire. Suddenly, Allison finds herself trying to learn the rules of immortality while attempting to keep what little humanity she has left. Her stubborn yet dedicated and caring personality becomes more endearing with each page, and Allison eventually becomes a vampire heroine readers will root for.

The Immortal Rules is what a vampire novel should be - exciting, dangerous, and yet surprisingly relatable. Allison's actions in her human life proved she was brave, but Allison's actions in her vampire life brought out more facets to her personality. The more Allison struggled with her emotions and her Hunger for human blood, the more intriguing the story and her character became. Kagawa paints a bleak picture for the world Allison lives in and for the vampires who inhabit this society, and yet Allison's character makes readers question a human's negative view of vampires. Entertaining, frightening, thoughtful, and even amusing,  The Immortal Rules  is a definite hit.

Highlights: Kagawa's view on vampires and rabids was interesting, as was the history this vampire-ruled world. Everything in this novel was fully realized, from world building to character development. The dilemma between good and evil was fascinating. The surprises and twists kept this book exciting and difficult to set aside. Plus, Allison's katana sword was very, very cool.

Lowlights: While the beginning had some exciting moments, it did not grab me the way the latter half of the novel did. It was a struggle to get past those beginning 100 or so pages.

Rating: 



Image + Summary from Goodreads

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Damned Blog Tour Interview with authors Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Today, I have the two lovely ladies behind the Crusade series, Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie, here to answer some questions for The Damned Book Tour! 



Quick! Describe Damned in 7 words or less!
DEBBIE: World War Three with vampires
NANCY:  love, sacrifice, desire, honor, explosions!
What was the experience like writing Damned in comparison to writing Crusade?
DEBBIE: Wow, that’s a really great question!  In some ways writing Damned was easier because we had already established the universe and were very comfortable writing all the characters.  There’s a lot to be said for momentum when writing a series.  Emotionally, though, Damned was a little more difficult to write in some ways because of some of the painful scenes we had to write.
NANCY:  I was so happy to return to our world, but then when we got into the very tense, high emotion of the story, it took so much out of me.  We had to raise the stakes to high pitch--we’ve taken this story to the top of the highest hill on the rollercoaster.  In Vanquished, the survivors will careen all the way to the station.
What do you enjoy most about writing together?
DEBBIE: Calling and bouncing ideas off each other and creating something new or adding a new dimension or plot detail lightning fast and then congratulating each other on being geniuses.  :)
NANCY:  I just read a chapter I thought I had written and realized Debbie wrote it.  It’s so wonderful.  And we’re such good friends--I just flew to Florida to spend time with her, and she stayed a few days over after Comic-con here in San Diego.  Of course, we partied at Disney, because that’s what we do!
Any favorite teaser quotes for Damned that you can share?
DEBBIE: I know who I am now.
NANCY:  Let me die for her, if need be.
Who was your favorite character to write, and why?
DEBBIE: I love writing for Jamie.  He isn’t my favorite character, but writing him is just fun.
NANCY: Antonio, because he is a true hero.  He’s passionate, sincere, and courageous.
Scenario time: A hungry vampire lurking in the shadows notices you both out walking one night. He moves quickly towards you two, about to make his attack…what do you do next?
DEBBIE: I tell Nancy to run and jab my cross necklace (I often wear one) into his eye.  Nancy then finds a funky piece of wood lying on the ground and stabs him in the back through his heart while I keep burning his eye and distracting him.
NANCY:  Exactly what Debbie said!
Love the teamwork! What are you two working on now?
DEBBIE and NANCY: Book 3 of Crusade: Vanquished; and Book 2 of Wolf Springs Chronicles: Hotblooded  (Book 1: Unleashed comes out in November).
We’re both doing solo work as well, and getting ready to go on tour together.
Thanks so much for the interview! 
DEBBIE: Thank you!NANCY:  ¡Muchas gracias!

Curious about Damned?  Read the first chapter here. 
Be sure to check out the rest of The Damned Book Tour stops by clicking on the banner below! 

Damned by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguié

Damned (Crusade #2)
Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguié
August 30th, 2011
544 pages (hardcover/paperback)
Publisher - Simon Pulse
Source - Publicist

There is a fine line between love and sacrifice...

Antonio would do anything for his beloved fighting partner Jenn. He protects her, even suppresses his vampire cravings to be with her. Together, they defend humanity against the Cursed Ones. But tensions threaten to fracture their hunting team and his loyalty—his love—is called into question. 

With an even more sinister power on the rise, Jenn must overcome her personal vendettas. Antonio and Jenn need each other to survive, but evil lurks at every turn. With humanity’s fate hanging in the balance, they must face down the darkness…or die trying.

With an action-packed storyline and a few heartbreaking twists, Damned is simply thrilling.

Jenn¹ is officially the leader of the Salamanca team of hunters, but everyone in the resistance may be in over their heads as the risks grow higher. Vampiric control over the world is strengthening, the resistance is growing difficult to continue, allies are running low, and one of vampires has even begun manufacturing a surprise that could bring the downfall to humans everywhere. But even as Jenn and her team attempt to save humankind, they have to face their own personal demons. The more they try to fight and defend humanity, the closer they come to winning – or losing – everything.

Damned grows more intense and gripping by the page. Even though it's the second novel, Holder and Viguié recapped the events of the previous story while simultaneously moving forward with the sequel. Many characters are faced with new and old struggles to overcome. The 3rd person narrative gives great insight into each character, and some of the things you'll learn about them will surprise you. Damned is fast-paced, shocking, and filled with vicious vampires – can you ask for anything better?

Highlights: Damned surprised me, with both character growth, and even with who became a casualty of war. Internal/personal struggles with each character became more important to the story. Insight given to certain characters – like Aurora², Eriko, Heather, Holger – was interesting, and it gave many of them more depth to their personalities. And as always, Holder and Viguié deliver when it comes to epic battle scenes, as well as touching (maybe even heartbreaking) moments between characters.

Lowlights: Two new characters needed a bit more development, because by the end, I felt like they just blended into the background. I'm also not a fan of whenever Jenn and the gang split up, because it's more difficult to keep track of what's going on when they're separated.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

My other reviews in this series:
Crusade

1 Jenn really surprised me with her growth, she's stronger and assertive for most of the book...go Jenn!
2 I loved all the parts focusing on Aurora - she's one badass vampire.

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter (A Shadow Falls Novel #1)

Release: March 29th, 2011

Pages: 416 (paperback)

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Source: Publicist

Summary: 

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Review: Born at Midnight is fresh, addictive, and completely spectacular. If you're a fan of YA paranormal fiction, you'll thoroughly enjoy this novel. 

When it comes to a third person narrative, it can be a hit or a miss for me, and C.C. Hunter nailed it perfectly. I cared about Kylie, found myself agreeing with her most of the time, and relating with her utter "newness" to the supernatural aspects of her life. The supernatural characters truly surprised me, and I loved learning about all the different sorts of gifts they have - I especially adored Kylie's roomies as the story went on. 

The romance aspect was intriguing. For a few chapters, I was genuinely curious who Kylie was going to set her sights on. There's even a bit of a mystery mixed into the plot, along with the tribunals of friendship, family, and the complications that go on with being a teen trying to find yourself. For being such a supernatural story, it was shockingly easy to relate with. From vampire roommates and pesky shape-shifting boys, all of the characters were unique and fun to read about.  

Supernaturalness + Boys + Kittens + Odd Friends + Dysfunctional Families + Humor + Mystery + Camp = Born at Midnight. Seriously, give this book a chance because it just may surprise you. It's 100% fun to read. 

Highlights: There's a few surprising moments and revelations at the end, and I loved one of the two romances Kylie starts building. I know which guy I'm rooting for in the end, so I'll be happily awaiting book two. And if I'm being completely honest, Born at Midnight rekindled my love for supernatural/paranormal stories (a genre I was contemplating setting aside for a few months in favor of something else - I'm so glad I didn't set this book aside). 

Lowlights: A bit predictable here and there, which is to be expected. The plot and amount of characters seemed a bit chaotic and too much to handle at first, but once I got into the story, I couldn't get enough of everything. 

Rating:   

Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie

Book: Crusade

Authors: Nancy Holder, Debbie Viguie

Release: September 7th, 2010

Pages: 480

Source: Bought

Summary: 

For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.

Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.

Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.

Review:  Vampires, battles, romance, secrets and so much more. 

Jenn Leitner, despite her own self-doubts, would make Buffy The Vampire Slayer proud. She's a self-described average girl, who works hard to keep up with her fellow hunters. But she's smart and a quick thinker, which helps her survive. The varying relationships between Jenn and her fellow hunters were intriguing and amusing. With a third-person narration, Crusade lets the reader delve into different characters minds and times to get a better view each person. There's a lot going on in Crusade, quite a few plot points, but it never becomes overwhelming. 

The different settings were wonderful and easy to visualize. Vampires have taken over, and it's truly a different and interesting world. By the time I reached the end, I was wishing for more pages. 

Crusade is filled with kick-butt hunters, secrets, bloodthirsty vampires, and epic battles that will leave you craving more.

Highlights: It was impossible to put Crusade down once it got going. It grabbed my curiosity, filled my need for some epic fights with vampires, and had smart, strong characters. Each character intrigued me, and I found myself wanting to know more them. The relationships were authentic, whether it be Jenn's bond with her sister Heather, or the friendship/romance with Antonio. Plus, the vampires were actually scary, so that's a definite plus. 

Lowlights: It took a few chapters to really get into the story. Jenn comes off a bit annoying at first, and she doubts herself a lot. Once Jenn makes it to California, everything gets interesting and Jenn has to start toughening up in order to save her sister. I also did dislike how some of the characters just kept their dark secrets from each other, especially when it probably will come back to bite them later -- no pun intended. 

Rating:  

Interview + Giveaway: Claudia Gabel

Today Claudia Gabel is here to answer some questions about her newest novel, Romeo & Juliet & Vampires! 

Be sure to also check out the giveaway at the end of the post for a chance win a copy of the book

Quick! Describe ROMEO & JULIET & VAMPIRES in 7 words or less!

Hmm…what about – “Classic Shakespearean drama with supernatural bite.”

Okay, how about a bit more description?

Set in Transylvania in 1462, ROMEO & JULIET & VAMPIRES is a mash-up novel based on Shakespeare's play, featuring a new version of the love story between Juliet Capulet, the daughter of two notorious vampires, and Romeo Montague, who was born into a family of vampire slayers. Most of the book stays true to the tragic romance we’ve all grown up with, but there are definitely a few surprises in store for readers.

What inspired you to re-write ROMEO & JULIET with vampires?

Honestly, I had a lot of difficulty reading Shakespeare when I was first introduced to his writing in high school. I loved to read, and not being able to understand his plays really broke my heart. I must confess: I relied on lots of SparkNotes back then. But when the mash-up trend started getting popular, I found myself thinking of how much it would have helped me to have some fun, interesting takes on the classics to read along with the originals. Hopefully teens who dip into this book at home won’t be as intimidated by Shakespeare’s work when they are reading it in the classroom.

What was the hardest/easiest part?

The hardest part was crafting the prose so that it was modern yet antiquated yet accessible enough for a young readership.  Sorry, I didn’t even bother trying iambic pentameter—Shakespeare is the master and I’d be a fool to go up against him! While I’m a fan of all-things vampire, this was my first time writing paranormal historical fiction, so the learning curve was pretty huge. I also had to invent some of my own vampire lore, which was fun, but kind of tricky, since the rules of the world all had to line up and make sense. The easiest part was writing Romeo’s character. Juliet was tougher because, as a budding vampire, she was a much more complex character. Romeo, however, is more of a lover than a fighter (at least at first) and honestly, I could relate to him a lot. He has so much love in his heart and it’s totally unconditional and knows no boundaries.

If you could spend a day as any character in any story, which character/story would you choose?

I think I’d want to spend a day as Meg from A Wrinkle in Time. She went on such wild adventures and grew so much as a character throughout the book. My second grade teacher read the novel aloud to my class, and ever since then, I have been addicted to reading and writing. Thanks, Sister Regis!

Anything else you'd like to add?

Actually yes! I know there are some book-lovers out there who are pretty skeptical about mash-up novels, and I can totally understand their reasoning—messing with the classics can seem really sacrilege. However, writers have been doing this long before Quirk Books published Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. Mark Twain took on the story of creation in Bible with his book The Diaries of Adam and Eve, and that was way back in 1905. Of course, I’m in no way comparing myself to Mark Twain—that would be ludicrous—but I am saying that part of an author’s job is to reinterpret revered stories, in either bold or subtle ways. And that more often than not, re-imaginations are homages meant to entertain the masses, not disrespect the original author.

Thanks for the incredible interview Claudia!

Onto the giveaway, I have one copy of Romeo & Juliet & Vampires courtesy of HarperTeen 

US Only, Ends on September 16th at midnight. Comment on my review HERE for an extra couple entries. 

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