You Won't Be The One To Crack Belle Morte's Secrets

~Belle Morte~
Book 1
By Bella Higgin
Amazon ~ Powell's

There’s only one way out

Belle Morte. One of five houses where vampires reside as celebrities and humans are paid to be their living donors. While others came here seeking fortune, I came in search of my sister who walked into Belle Morte five months ago . . . and never walked back out.

Now that I’m here, the secrets about this world have proven to be much bigger than I ever anticipated. And lurking around every corner are shocking insinuations of what happened to my sister.

There’s only one person who might have the answers I need, and the undeniable pull I feel toward him is terrifying: Edmond Dantès―a vampire, and my mortal enemy.

The harder I try to resist him, the further I fall under his spell. And in one instant my life is irrevocably changed. My past becomes prologue and my fate becomes sealed behind these doors.

Belle Morte has spoken. And it may never let me go.


In a move that probably surprises no one who is familiar with my recent reviews, I first came across this book because of the Vampire Book Club. It was an option in April's vote and, though it didn't win, sounded fun enough for me to snag a copy in anticipation of a future read. I mean, how could I turn down a YA vampire romance book? If it wasn't good, it could at least be hilarious, right?

Run First, Mourn Later - the Perfect Motto for Morganville

~Glass Houses~
The Morganville Vampires
Book 1
By Rachel Caine
Amazon ~ Powell's

College freshman Claire Danvers is a 16-year-old math whiz whose parents decided she should spend two years at a small local college instead of taking her scholarships to an Ivy League school. And she has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation.

When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

Will she be able to face the town's terror or will she drown like everyone else?


The theme for this month's Vampire Book Club was start-to-a-series. I actually have owned this book for ages but haven't had a good excuse to start a new series (hence this year's reading goal), so I welcomed this chance to finally pick it up. Straddling the line between YA and NA, would this be the start to a compelling series I'd be chomping at the bit to continue, or would these vamps leave me feeling stale?

The Lost Girls Who Could’ve Been So Much More

~The Lost Girls~
By Sonia Hartl
Amazon ~ Powell's

When Elton Irving turned Holly Liddell into a vampire in 1987, he promised her eternal love. But thirty-four years later, Elton has left her, her hair will be crimped for the rest of immortality, and the only job she can get as a forever-sixteen-year-old is the midnight shift at Taco Bell.

Holly’s afterlife takes an interesting turn when she meets Rose McKay and Ida Ripley. Having also been turned and discarded by Elton—Rose in 1954, and Ida, his ex-fiancée, in 1921—they want to help her, and ask for her help in return.

Rose and Ida are going to kill Elton before he turns another girl. Though Holly is hurt and angry with Elton for tossing her aside, she’s reluctant to kill her ex, until Holly meets Parker Kerr—the new girl Elton has set his sights on—and feels a quick, and nerve-wracking attraction to her.


Another YA pick for Maven's Vampire Book Club, and a shorter one at that. Mainly this was due to scheduling issues that cropped up in January, pushing back the official discussion of that month's book a couple weeks, so she figured a shorter option would be easier to slot in and get things back on track. Besides the length, and the GoodReads blurb citing "dark humor and queer love," I really didn't know anything going in. Would this vampire story edge more cutsie, or have some real bite?

Vampires Are Eternal, Reborn, and Living in Our Nightmares

~Vampires Never Get Old~
Tales With Fresh Bite
An Anthology by Zoraida Córdova, Natalie C. Parker,
Samira Ahmed, Dhonielle Clayton, Tessa Gratton, Heidi Heilig, Julie Murphy, Mark Oshiro, Rebecca Roanhorse, Laura Ruby,
Victoria "V.E." Schwab, & Kayla Whaley
Amazon ~ Powell's

Eleven fresh vampire stories from young adult fiction’s leading voices!

In this delicious new collection, you’ll find stories about lurking vampires of social media, rebellious vampires hungry for more than just blood, eager vampires coming out―and going out for their first kill―and other bold, breathtaking, dangerous, dreamy, eerie, iconic, powerful creatures of the night.

Welcome to the evolution of the vampire—and a revolution on the page.


My library has been a bit hit-or-miss with the Vampire Book Club's selections, but I was able to find this one for December. Admittedly, I wasn't in the best mental space to read books surrounding death and immortality, having lost my grandmother last year and having that wound reopened with our cat's death (cancer) just after reading the first story. But after a bit of time (and some Christmas movies & music) I was excited to dive back in and experience some new takes on one of my favorite paranormal creatures.

Walking Through a Literal Valley with Death Himself

~The Company of Death~
The Immortal Journey
Book 1
By Elisa Hansen
Amazon ~ Powell's

The zombie apocalypse was just the beginning of vampire hunter Emily’s problems. Now she must team up with Death himself in this thrilling apocalyptic adventure series!

It’s been two years since the zombie uprising devoured 99% of the world’s population—and the vampires have come out of the shadows to claim the spoils. It’s Emily Campbell’s job to destroy vampire communes and rescue their human herds, but when a mission goes wrong, and she faces certain undeath, she would rather die than ever let them transform her. The problem is that when she makes a desperate suicide attempt, not only does the Grim Reaper fail to take her life—he also somehow loses all his powers in the process.

Now neither alive nor dead, Emily is stranded in the California desert with Death himself. She has heard the remnants of human civilization are developing a cure that could make her alive again in New York—all the way on the other side of the vampire- and zombie-swarmed continent. Only with Death’s help does she have a chance to complete the journey.

But without his powers, Death is mired in a crisis of his own. And he is not used to having company.


Having been a member of her Vampire Book Club for most of the year, you'd think I'd have already read her book, right? Well, now that I have a Kindle Unlimited trial, I'm jumping on one of the (many) books I've been meaning to read. Besides, I've already covered the other big Halloween themes this month: Demons, Superheroes, Vampires, and Werewolves. So a book about zombies (and more vampires) and Death incarnate sounded like a great way to finish off my month's proverbial bingo card.

Vampires Are United by One Unavoidable Fact: We Are Our Hunger

~Certain Dark Things~
By Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Amazon ~ Powell's

Welcome to Mexico City, an oasis in a sea of vampires. Domingo, a lonely garbage-collecting street kid, is just trying to survive its heavily policed streets when a jaded vampire on the run swoops into his life. Atl, the descendant of Aztec blood drinkers, is smart, beautiful, and dangerous. Domingo is mesmerized.

Atl needs to quickly escape the city, far from the rival narco-vampire clan relentlessly pursuing her. Her plan doesn’t include Domingo, but little by little, Atl finds herself warming up to the scrappy young man and his undeniable charm. As the trail of corpses stretches behind her, local cops and crime bosses both start closing in.

Vampires, humans, cops, and criminals collide in the dark streets of Mexico City. Do Atl and Domingo even stand a chance of making it out alive? Or will the city devour them all?


This month's pick for Maven's Vampire Book Club is a recent reprint following the author's wildly successful Mexican Gothic, which I admittedly haven't read yet. So, other than knowing that this author has gotten a lot of praise for her suspenseful and beautiful writing, I had absolutely no idea what I was getting into. I'm not one who usually enjoys gritty stories (I'm a bit put off by the mention of "narco-vampires"), but a kick-ass vampire on the run with a charming human sounds like it could be fun, right? Right?

Shambling Guide on How to Catch Idiot Humans Who Ran in the Dark With a Hangover

The Shambling Guide to
New York City
The Shambling Guides
Book 1
By Mur Lafferty
Amazon ~ Powell's

A travel writer takes a job with a shady publishing company in New York, only to find that she must write a guide to the city - for the undead!

Zoë Norris is looking for a fresh start in New York City. She's found a seemingly perfect position as a travel book editor, but there is one thing holding her back—being human.

Zoë isn't going to let anyone—not even her blood-drinking boss or her death goddess coworker put her off from delving deep into the monster underworld. But her job, not to mention her life, might be in peril when the line between monster and human starts to crumble...with Zoë right in the middle.


Phew, this is the first physical book I've read in quite some time. That's right, my library didn't have an e-book of this one available in time for the Vampire Book Club's discussion date (though I did request it and its sequel for the future), so I had to hoof it old-school (it's been probably 5 years since I went full digital) through a paperback copy! Was it worth the papercut potential?

Damned to Darkness for All Eternity

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous book, The Beautiful, or don't mind knowing spoilers for it. This book, however, will not be spoiled.
SPOILER ALERT

~The Damned~
The Beautiful
Book 2
By Renée Ahdieh
Amazon ~ Powell's

Following the events of The Beautiful, Sébastien Saint Germain is now cursed and forever changed. The treaty between the Fallen and the Brotherhood has been broken, and war between the immortals seems imminent. The price of loving Celine was costly. But Celine has also paid a high price for loving Bastien.

Still recovering from injuries sustained during a night she can’t quite remember, her dreams are troubled. And she doesn’t know she has inadvertently set into motion a chain of events that could lead to her demise and unveil a truth about herself she’s not quite ready to learn.

Forces hiding in the shadows have been patiently waiting for this moment for centuries. And just as Bastien and Celine begin to uncover the danger around them, they learn their love could tear them apart.


This is the first sequel The Vampire Book Club has picked thus far, so I was pretty excited to enter this world. I caught up on The Beautiful earlier this week and really enjoyed it, finding it a fun and well-crafted mix of familiar modern and classic stories. With that experience fresh in my mind, and a bombastic ending to boot, I was eager to continue the story and see just where Bastien and Celine got to next.

It May Be Beautiful, but Beauty Is a Danger to Behold

~The Beautiful~
Book 1
By Renée Ahdieh
Amazon ~ Powell's

In 1872, New Orleans is a city ruled by the dead. But to seventeen-year-old Celine Rousseau, New Orleans provides her a refuge after she's forced to flee her life as a dressmaker in Paris. Taken in by the sisters of the Ursuline convent along with six other girls, Celine quickly becomes enamored with the vibrant city from the music to the food to the soirées and—especially—to the danger. She soon becomes embroiled in the city's glitzy underworld, known as La Cour des Lions, after catching the eye of the group's leader, the enigmatic Sébastien Saint Germain. When the body of one of the girls from the convent is found in the lair of La Cour des Lions, Celine battles her attraction to him and suspicions about Sébastien's guilt along with the shame of her own horrible secret.

When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.


This is the first of the Vampire Book Club picks that I've gotten to from before I joined. That's right, it's time I catch up on some of the prior club picks...so I can read the current club pick, the sequel to this book! I swear, I'll get to more of the previous club books (I'm especially interested in A Discovery of Witches), but this makes as good excuse as any, right? Honestly didn't know anything going in other than the cover was pretty, it has vampires, and the first line of the summary places it in the 1800s. What have I got to lose?

Some Bizarre Hopes for This Mask of JoJo's

~Phantom Blood~
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Part 1
By Hirohiko Araki
Translated By Evan Galloway
Amazon ~ Powell's

Young Jonathan Joestar’s life is forever changed when he meets his new adopted brother, Dio. For some reason, Dio has a smoldering grudge against him and derives pleasure from seeing him suffer. But every man has his limits, as Dio finds out. This is the beginning of a long and hateful relationship!

This month's pick in Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club was a first for me: my very first official (not fan-translated) Manga ever, and also my first foray into the world of JoJo. Sure, I've seen enough of JoJo here and there to know of him—his style, the references, and what have you—but I'd never actually gone and experienced it for myself. Not even an episode of the anime. So, with an open mind and bated breath, I took the plunge into the bizarre world of JoJo and DIO!

Gilda Had Written the Stories of Their History

~The Gilda Stories~
By Jewelle L. Gómez
Amazon ~ Powell's

Before Buffy, before Twilight, before Octavia Butler's Fledgling, there was The Gilda Stories, Jewelle Gómez's sexy vampire novel.

This remarkable novel begins in 1850s Louisiana, where Gilda escapes slavery and learns about freedom while working in a brothel. After being initiated into eternal life as one who "shares the blood" by two women there, Gilda spends the next two hundred years searching for a place to call home.

An instant lesbian classic when it was first published in 1991, The Gilda Stories has endured as an auspiciously prescient book in its explorations of blackness, radical ecology, re-definitions of family, and yes, the erotic potential of the vampire story.


Breaking out of my reading slump to read last month's pick in Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club proved to be no easy feat. Unfortunately, my library did not carry the audiobook, and it turned out I had other obligations the night of the meeting. Luckily I found a copy of the audio online, and, as always, the book club meetings are saved for posterity, so while I wasn't there for the live discussion, I was able to participate in some ways (unlike the previous month's when my library didn't even carry a text copy for The Silver Kiss). And though I'd never heard of this book before the club picked it out, the premise seemed especially intriguing and I was eager to experience it. Let me just say, wow.

Vlad Dracula Had Taken London

~Anno Dracula~
Book 1
By Kim Newman
Amazon ~ Powell's

It is 1888 and Queen Victoria has remarried, taking as her new consort Vlad Tepes, the Wallachian Prince infamously known as Count Dracula. Peppered with familiar characters from Victorian history and fiction, the novel follows vampire Geneviève Dieudonné and Charles Beauregard of the Diogenes Club as they strive to solve the mystery of the Ripper murders.


It's that time of the month again. No, not that, I mean it's time for the next vampire book for Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club! Of the three choices in the poll, this was definitely the most interesting to me. Jack the Ripper and various literary vampires all thrown together—what could possibly go wrong?

She Was, After All, Soulless and Practical

~Soulless~
The Parasol Protectorate
Book the First
By Gail Carriger
Amazon ~ Powell's

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations.

First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire--and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?


I've had this one on my To-Read shelf since forever. Being a sucker for werewolves and vampires, the premise hooked me from the get-go, plus that cover image was perfection. I bought a used copy of it ages ago, but never quite got around to diving in until this month the Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club chose it as their next read (the club's review/discussion will be held March 15th at 5:30 PDT on her channel for any interested). Though I'm more on Team Werewolf than Team Vamp, this excuse was as good as any to finally take the plunge and start my first ever Steampunk series. And boy was it steamy.

Lost Souls Belonged to the Crowd of Spirits Inside His Head

~Lost Souls~
By Poppy Z. Brite
Amazon ~ Powell's

At a club in Missing Mile, N.C., the children of the night gather, dressed in black, looking for acceptance. Among them are Ghost, who sees what others do not. Ann, longing for love, and Jason, whose real name is Nothing, newly awakened to an ancient, deathless truth about his father, and himself.

Others are coming to Missing Mile tonight. Three beautiful, hip vagabonds - Molochai, Twig, and the seductive Zillah (whose eyes are as green as limes) are on their own lost journey; slaking their ancient thirst for blood, looking for supple young flesh.

They find it in Nothing and Ann, leading them on a mad, illicit road trip south to New Orleans. Over miles of dark highway, Ghost pursues, his powers guiding him on a journey to reach his destiny, to save Ann from her new companions, to save Nothing from himself...


I picked this one up as my first participation in Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club, wherein she offers her extensive library of as yet unread vampire literature as choices for a monthly vote and subsequent livestreamed discussion. After seeing her book club's discussion of The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires from a couple months back, I decided a monthly dip into vampire fiction sounded like fun, so requested the upcoming book from the library. Despite my best efforts, the ebook didn't become available to download until the morning of the livestream, so I only managed to read about 45% before the stream started. Looking back, perhaps the universe was trying to warn me...

You’re Going to Book Club Me to Death?

~The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires~
By Grady Hendrix
Amazon ~ Powell's

Fried Green Tomatoes and Steel Magnolias meet Dracula in this Southern-flavored supernatural thriller set in the '90s about a women's book club that must protect its suburban community from a mysterious and handsome stranger who turns out to be a blood-sucking fiend.

Patricia Campbell had always planned for a big life, but after giving up her career as a nurse to marry an ambitious doctor and become a mother, Patricia's life has never felt smaller. The days are long, her kids are ungrateful, her husband is distant, and her to-do list is never really done. The one thing she has to look forward to is her book club, a group of Charleston mothers united only by their love for true-crime and suspenseful fiction. In these meetings, they're more likely to discuss the FBI's recent siege of Waco as much as the ups and downs of marriage and motherhood.

But when an artistic and sensitive stranger moves into the neighborhood, the book club's meetings turn into speculation about the newcomer. Patricia is initially attracted to him, but when some local children go missing, she starts to suspect the newcomer is involved. She begins her own investigation, assuming that he's a Jeffrey Dahmer or Ted Bundy. What she uncovers is far more terrifying, and soon she--and her book club--are the only people standing between the monster they've invited into their homes and their unsuspecting community.


I've always been a big supporter of Quirk Books' lineup. From their monster mashups (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Android Karenina, etc.) to their more serious but still humorous fair (Miss Peregrine, The Con Artist, & The Obama/Biden Mysteries) I just love their commitment to offering the quirky. So when I saw their latest publication on Facebook, I knew I had to check it out ASAP. Unfortunately this probably wasn't the best time for me to read it.

Mage & Vampire, Light & Dark, Blue & Red

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books in the Sabina Kane series or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Blue-Blooded Vamp~
Sabina Kane
Book 5
By Jaye Wells
Amazon ~ Powell's

Sabina Kane is on the hunt. Her prey: Cain, the father of the vampire race and the one who murdered her family and her friends. Unfortunately, Cain is hunting Sabina, too.

The one man who holds the key to defeating Cain is, of course, Abel. A mage with secrets to spare and, hopefully, the power to match it. Unfortunately, for Sabina, he's in Rome and may not want to be found.

Sabina sets out for Italy with her friends, Giguhl and Adam Lazarus, to track down the only man who can get her the revenge she hungers for. But will he help her or oppose her? And just who is Abel, really? Worst of all, when Sabina figures out the goddess Lilith has a plan for her she realizes this trip is getting deadlier by the minute. As they say: when in Rome - SURVIVE.


Another series down in the records. Gotta say, it's a bit bittersweet to let go of these characters after 5 books together. On the one hand, it's nice that I don't have to witness their perpetual torture, but I also don't get to see them taking names and kicking ass anymore either.

Struck by Cupid's Arrow

Last of my current set of story apps, and probably the most casually fun:

Lovestruck
By Voltage Entertainment

Choose your ideal romance and enjoy the love you've always wanted to in this unique visual romance novel game! Find a story that captures your heart and decide who you want to fall in love with from a selection of over 70 unique characters!

This is what I would imagine the majority of chick-lit romance apps are like: flirty, fun, and fairly simple.

The Beginning of a New Chapter

As if books, ebooks, and manga weren't enough, now I've discovered apps with interactive(ish) stories. Coming off the heels of Hallmark's Christmas Movie marathons, I first started looking when I was craving a little romance in December. I've downloaded a few "otome games", just looking for some paranormal fluff, but I've been pleasantly surprised at how much depth has been in a couple of these. I'll get into my other favorites shortly, but I wanted to start off with probably the most diverse I've tried so far: Chapters.

Chapters
By Crazy Maple Studio

Choose your story with Chapters, the interactive story game that lets you choose your path in every story. Read through pages and pages of fun interactive stories that fit your mood, from romance to suspense!

Choose your story from our top collection of romance, fantasy, sci-fi, young adult, comedy, and drama series! Chapters combines a unique style of choose your own story gameplay with fiction stories from our top authors that you simply can't put down!

YOU get to make the choices in each story. Decide on hard life choices such as falling in love, discovering secrets, or unraveling deep mysteries! Make your choices wisely; every ending is different!

He Gave Me the Devil’s Own Smile

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Red-Headed Stepchild, The Mage In Black, and Green-Eyed Demon, or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Silver-Tongued Devil~
Sabina Kane
Book 4
By Jaye Wells
Amazon ~ Powell's

Now that the threat of war has passed, Sabina Kane is ready to focus on the future. Her relationship with Adam Lazarus is getting stronger and she's helping her sister, Maisie, overcome the trauma of her captivity in New Orleans. Even Giguhl is managing to stay out of trouble thanks to the arrival of Pussy Willow and his new roller derby team. But as much as Sabina wants to feel hopeful about the future, part of her doesn't believe that peace is possible.

Her suspicions are confirmed when a string of sadistic murders threatens to stall treaty negotiations between the mages and the vampires. Sabina pitches in to find the killer, but her investigation soon leads her down dark paths that have her questioning everyone she thought she could trust. And the closer she gets to the killer, the more Sabina begins to suspect this is one foe she may not be able to kill.


It's been a while since I was last in Sabina's world, but it took no time at all to ease myself back into their story and get hooked again.

Getting a Green Light from the Universe

SPOILER ALERT
This review is for those who have read or are familiar with the previous books, Red-Headed Stepchild & The Mage In Black, or don't mind knowing major spoilers for them.
SPOILER ALERT

~Green-Eyed Demon~
Sabina Kane
Book 3
By Jaye Wells
Amazon ~ Powell's

Things to do:

1. Rescue sister.
2. Murder grandmother.
3. Don't upset the voodoo priestess.

The clock is ticking for Sabina Kane. Her sister has been kidnapped by her grandmother, the Dark Races are on the brink of war, and a mysterious order is manipulating everyone behind the scenes.

Working on information provided by an unlikely ally, Sabina and her trusty sidekicks--a sexy mage named Adam Lazarus and Giguhl, a Mischief demon--head to New Orleans to begin the hunt for her sister. Once there, they must contend with belligerent werewolves, magic-wielding vampires and - perhaps most frightening of all - humans.

But as much as Sabina is focused on surviving the present, the past won't be ignored. Before she can save those she cares about most, she must save herself from the ghosts of her past.


I had a feeling I'd get to add a LGBT tag to one of these, and I was finally right! Absolutely LOVED Brooks as soon as he came on page. While arguably not a main character, Brooks and Giguhl's interactions were gold, and with my own sibling in a similar situation, I'm happy to add the tag. It didn't feel tacked on at all, as Brooks did play a major part in the story, and his history was nicely fleshed out. Overall, I wish Brooks could continue in the series...