[The Chronicles Of Vladimir Tod: Ninth Grade Slays]

Series: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer
My Rating: 5 of 5 stars

In a remarkable sequel to the debut (Eighth Grade Bites), Ninth Grade Slays, as I mentioned in the previous review, brings to the table loads of what I what I was hoping to see in these Chronicles. What I should have probably mentioned in the previous review about Eighth Grade Bites is the basic story line (LoL). Vladimir Tod is your typical boy with the exception that he is a vampire. Within a touching tale, you find that Vlad discovers he is not in fact the only one left and delves into his family heritage and also finds himself amidst a problem. A prophesy and a madman who threatens his very existence (I remember mentioning the last bit of that sentence in the previous blog).

Ninth Grade Slays continues with Vlad delving into his family heritage and despite the saddened state of loss surrounding his parents, he enjoys learning more about the Vampiric ways. This one continues from where the last left off and he finds himself facing more enemies that threaten his existence and he must also face the question is he just a Vampire or so much more? The Author, Heather Brewer, takes the reader on a journey out of his home he's known all his life so he can learn more about his abilities in an absolutely riveting way. To put it another way, I didn't get any sleep last night because I couldn't put the book down (LoL).

The only disappointment I would have is that I felt the heartbreak of a betrayal and found myself saying 'No!! It can't be!!,' but that is not a bad thing. It leaves me thirsty for blood, oh wait, i'll leave that for Vlad. It left me thirsty for the 3rd book, so naturally, as well as the first book, the series keeps you on the edge of your seat and leaves you wanting to pick up the next book.

The 2nd installment gets a full 5 stars. It's definitely a series you can't put down as the bloodbath continues within Vlad's life.

[The Chronicles Of Vladimir Tod: Eighth Grade Bites]

Series: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod
Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
My Rating: 4 of 5 stars

I remember stepping into a Books & Co. while I was briefly in Beavercreek, Ohio. The most amazing bookstore I have ever seen in my life! Most bookstores i've gone into to peruse the shelves for a title that catches my eye, they're either quite dull (because of lack of selection) and/or they are so small that it's basically equivalent to a book section at Wal-Mart. Basically, I love me a large bookstore, especially like this Books & Co. that I was amazed to find out had a glorious staircase that took you to another floor of books; and this particular one in Beavercreek, OH is where I first met Vladimir Tod.

Vladimir was sitting on an end-cap on the 2nd floor in the Teen Fiction section. I remember being rather bored with a lot of titles. Some ranging from U.S. History (bleh, no thanks), to Religion (no comment), to cooking (you do not want me in your kitchen, even WITH a cookbook. Let's just say: 'Singed eyebrows' :D), to nonfiction and every other kind of random book you could think of...then, as said above, I spotted the Teen Fiction. Vladimir was sitting with a white background, wearing a black hoodie with a circular red skull and what appeared to be jeans. I opened the cover and read how Junior high really sucks for Vladimir and it went on to talk about how he had a secret and he doesn't want it to be exposed. Intrigued, I indulged myself and read the first chapter right there in the bookstore. I was hooked and bought the first two books in the series. There are 5 books in total now.

The positive things I have to say about this book is that Vladimir is both strong and very much with a HEART. There are cute, lighthearted moments as well that just capture your heart and make you smile as you keep reading and in some moments, where you can't help but get swept up in Vladimir's sad moments when he reflects on his parents with longing. And to no surprise, no book that i'm interested in would be complete without a villain, this one threatens Vladimir's very existence, but I shan't give too much away...you'll have to run out and buy the book! :D.

As far as downsides to the book, I don't really have anything to criticize. Anything that kept me wishing for more was fulfilled in the 2nd book. Yes, these are the ramblings of a devoted Vladimir Tod fan, to me, this story is flawless.

[Bloodlines]

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After reading the Vampire Academy series, I anxiously awaited for "Bloodlines" release and now after reading it, my only disappointment is that it ended too soon! That's because I read too fast for my own good!

"Bloodlines" picked up soon after the events of "Last Sacrifice." The Moroi Court is facing consequences of Lissa being made queen. Not everybody is happy with the change. Certain Moroi are tying to kill Lissa's only living relative, her half-sister Jill, because politics require members of the Royal bloodline to have at least one living relative in order to hold the throne. That's where Sydney comes in. She is recruited to help keep Jill safely hidden from danger until the law is changed, by posing undercover as Jill's sister at the prep school Amberwood in Palm Springs, CA.

Even though no character could ever replace dhampir Rose, I loved reading about the Moroi world through the eyes of a human Alchemist. Sydney couldnt be more different than Rose, but the contrasts between the two characters is what makes "Bloodlines" work for me. While Rose is a fighter and full of attitude, Sydney is more reserved and cautious. I've read a lot of reviews that complained about the lack of action in the book, especially since VA featured some great action scenes with Rose, but truthfully that didnt bother me at all. Rose relied on physical strength, but Sydney has her on strength and that is her intelligence and though the book lacked action, it had several mysteries to unravel. And even though it was easy to figure out a few of the mysteries before the actual revealing, it didnt make the book any less interesting.

The only thing that annoyed me about Sydney is her prejudice towards Moroi, especially their ability to use magic. I think her prejudice is going to make her character development even more interesting as the series continues and cant wait to see how her mind changes in the future. The number one taboo in the VA world is Moroi/Human relationships and even that annoyed me about Rose, so I cant wait to see whats going to happen once Sydney realizes she has feelings for Adrian, assuming she does in the future!

Speaking of Adrian, he was my favorite part of "Bloodlines." The part where Sydney was helping in the job interviews was probably the single greatest thing in the entire book! I couldnt stop laughing because everything he did was so typical of him! Loved it!! Aside from Rose, Adrian was my favorite character in the VA world and I cant wait to see what all changes his character goes though in the future. Even though I wasnt rooting for him and Rose, my heart broke for him and I'm already rooting for him to get a happy ending this time around.

Romance wasnt the main focus of "Bloodlines" though, at least not for the main character. Sydney was too focused on making sure Jill was kept safe and Jill was giving the role of the object of all the guys affections, which didnt bother me. Even though I wasnt that fond of Jill in VA, I warmed up to her in "Bloodnlines." It was nice to see Rose again, even though her role very short and limited. I wish there had been a small update on Christian though, since he was another character I loved. I'm hoping that maybe he'll be mentioned somewhere in the future.

Overall, I have absolutely no complaints about "Bloodlines." I think Richelle Mead did a fantastic job. I'm glad she chose to write through the eyes of Sydney and I cant wait to learn more about the Alchemists. I also cant wait to see how Adrian is going to deal with a certain unexpected guest!

[A Kiss of Shadows]

A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

After reading all of the Anita Blake books, I was looking forward to Laurell K. Hamilton's Merry Gentry novels. I think I set my expectations too high, because I was hoping to read a book that would rival the first half of the Anita series, but instead I was left feeling disappointed. I hate to compare the two series, but I found so many similarities that it's hard not to. Even though Meredith's Fey world is very different than the vampire world of Anita's, the same themes remain throughout the novel: A petite female character that has more power than she's aware of and ends up being forced into sexual situations with multiple men makes it so much like the last 10 Anita books. Though, I dont really mind the amount of sex that takes place in the Fey world, it's to be expected. There was also a line about being one of the monsters that felt very Anita-like and the dialogue was even similar in style.

What truly disappointed me was the repetitive writing and the need to describe every single detail about what each character is wearing in every new setting. At least that's how it felt. My mind completely checked out of the story a few times, which is why it took me so long to finish the book. It just wouldnt hold my attention for more than a few minutes at a time. That might not have been a problem if I was already connected to the characters, but there was so much going on in the 480 pages, that it felt more like a follow up novel than an introduction to a series. Too many characters were introduced that I found it hard to keep them all straight. The Seelie/Unseelie courts also have a very diverse group of characters/creatures and for several different types of sidhe to be introduced in one book was a bit of an overkill.

Even though the storyline of "Kiss of Shadows" was all over the place and kept going all different directions, I like to think the series has potential. The sidhe world has a lot of interesting characters and Merry's personality makes me want to follow up on what happens to her next. I know LKH is capable of writing a truly great story and parts of her brilliant imagination came through in "Kiss of Shadows." I'm just hoping the next in the series has a more consistent storyline that makes Merry's world less confusing to dive into.

Read at your own risk if you enjoy stories that mix sex and violence with magic.

[Full Dark, No Stars]

Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I found every story to be delightfully dark. The collection is definitely not for the faint of heart and should only be read by those who dont mind the macabre, because King writes about it in vivid detail.

My favorite story out of the four included in the hardback was "1922." It's about a man that murders his wife in order to keep her from selling land, which sets off a chain of events that are down right chilling to read. The story is told in first person, which makes everything even more creepy and at times I forgot I was reading fiction and felt like I was reading a murderer's confession. This story alone earned the book 4 stars.

A woman in raped and left for dead in "Big Driver." The plot involves a woman seeking justice, but also involves twists and turns along the way. It was told with a certain amount of believability on the revenge part, since most acts of revenge dont happen like we see in the movies.

"Fair Extension" was one the shortest and most twisted stories out of the collection. A man is dying of cancer and makes a deal with the devil in order to extend his life. The consequences of his deal leads to some of the most appalling events imaginable. Only King's mind could come up with something so twisted.

A woman discovers that the man she has been married to for over 20 years has a deep, dark secret in "The Good Marriage." I found this story to be the most realistic out of the four, and without spoiling any details, it makes one wonder what you would do in her given situation.

I bought the book in paperback, which included a 5th story, "Under The Weather." Even though I predicted the ending before I actually got there, it was a nice addition, but the shortest and weakest of the bunch. A man loves his wife so much that he's lost his sanity and grasp on reality.

Overall, I recommend this collection to anyone that is a fan of the Horror genre, especially to those looking for something perfect for late night reading, which "Full Dark, No Stars" proved to be in my opinion. Just dont read if you're easily squeamish or tend to get nightmares.

[The Secret Circle]

The Captive, Part II and The Power by L.J. Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Overall I liked it, but I found it hard to like any of the characters aside from Nick. He was the only one that held my interest from beginning to end. I did manage to warm up to Diana and a few other characters, but Cassie bugged me ever since book one and continued to bug me throughout "The Captive, Part 2." She managed to redeem herself in "The Power" since she wasnt running around acting all secretive and lying to everybody anymore. I was upset over how the love story played out and the ending proved to be a little anticlimactic, but that's probably because I prefer physical action over magic, but it was still good. Even though I prefer "The Vampire Diaries" series, I think "The Secret Circle" is a good series for the YA genre.

[Hit List]

Hit List by Laurell K. Hamilton
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Anita Blake is one of my all time favorite characters and it pains me to give the book only two stars, but compared to past books, this one is very anticlimactic. Then again, the last several books have been disappointing, especially when I know the series has so much great potential. The first half of the series is so 5 star awesome, but ever since Anita became "one of the monsters" the books have been almost painful to read due to so much sex and metaphysical connections she has with her "sweeties." A lot of the books I could forgive due to the really good story-lines in between, but the storyline with "Hit List" was a bit boring.

The Harlequin are back and this time they are murdering weretigers and trying to help The Mother of All Darkness take over Anita's body: Like we havent read that before. I'm so tired of The Harlequin and Marmee Noire and if there is one pro to this book is that it seemed to wrap up the story-lines involving them - in the most anticlimactic way I've ever read in my life. The dialogue in between the storyline has also become repetitive. It felt like I've read the same dialogue in past books. How many times do we need to meet a cop that worries about Anita's sex life? It's getting pointless. Another con about the book, none of her main men were in the storyline and only mentioned briefly by Anita.

However, there was a few things I like about the book: Edward was back, along with Bernardo and Olaf. There was only one chapter that involved actual sex, and after reading some books that had sex scenes that would span over several chapters, that was a relief! After all, I like to read Anita for the fantasy world of vampire slaying, not for the physical and/or metaphysical sex orgies she needs to feed her ardeur. That's one power I wish she would lose.

I am happy about certain story-lines being wrapped up, which makes way for something new and hopefully great. I also look forward to seeing what happens with Olaf, his exit has many possibilities for great story-lines to follow. I will keep with the series only because I love the characters so much, but I would like to see Anita return to her roots and maybe raise a few zombies and slay a few regular vampires, execution style, instead of tying them to her metaphysically and making them her Bride that she's just going to screw in the next book. I recommend "Hit List" to only the most loyal Anita Blake fan, but I'm keeping myself optimistic that the next book in the series will be vastly better than the last few.