Master of Ecstasy (Mackenzie Vampires, Book 1)

Book Description

WARRIOR, HIGHLANDER, VAMPIRE

Meet the MASTER OF ECSTASY. Darach MacKenzie is everything dark, dangerous, and delicious. His voice is a tempting slide of sin, and he's the primitive need that lives in every woman, no matter how much she denies it. But even five hundred years of sensual knowledge haven't prepared him for the woman who awaits him in his clan's ancestral castle.

HAPPINESS IS HER BUSINESS

In a distant future, Blythe works for Ecstasy Inc. to make people happy. That's her job, and she does it well. Company policy forbids the use of sensual solutions to cure unhappiness, and Blythe agrees that sex is a short-term fix. When her abilities are called into question, Blythe travels back to the Scottish Highlands of 1785 to prove that she can make anyone happy. She hasn't counted on a centuries-old vampire for a client.

Darach believes that sexual pleasure is the key to happiness. Blythe thinks that Ecstasy Inc. has all the answers. Neither one considers love as an option. They're about to discover how wrong they can be.

Customer Reviews:

Nina Bangs Fan!!!.......2007-09-02

I loved this book!!! If you love paranormal romance stories, anything by Nina Bangs, you can't go wrong.

Helloooo bad writing!.......2007-08-01

I made it about a chapter and a half into this mess before I had to put it down for fear of my sanity. But, I dislike not finishing books, so I forced myself to keep trying, again and again. Eventually, I ended up just skimming the thing, wincing with every piece of the "plot" that was spoon-fed to the reader, rolling my eyes at the ever-present concept of sex equaling love or being the road to true love, and wanting to use the book as a dart board every time the heroine opened her mouth.

There are a few things that really stand out as truly awful in this book:

1) Sparkle Stardust. Can we say "Yenta Sue?" The instant I saw that name, I nearly gave up on the book right there. A more Mary Sueish name I have yet to see outside of bad fanfic. However, Sparkle isn't your ordinary Mary Sue, she's the Yenta version. She's there to get the main characters together, and to tell the reader why the characters are so perfect for each other -- you know, instead of using narrative and exposition to build and actual story and let the reader see that kind of thing for themselves.

Her second function, in the case of this book, is apparently to tell everyone the plot of the book and everything of interest about the characters and their situation. Well, thanks, Sparkle! Since you just summed up the entire book for me, guess I don't have to bother with reading it now, huh?

2) Tell vs. Show. It's a simple concept. A story should be *shown*, developed through the narrative, through dialogue and foreshadowing and hints, etc. It shouldn't just be one massive *tell*. Characters shouldn't be doing huge infodumps of plot in their dialogue, nor should we have that amount of info in one place in the narrative, all in the name of saving the author having to write out a few more pages. It's basically saying that the readers are too dumb to figure it out without some metaphorical hand-holding. I find that insulting.

3) Dialect. Any time a reader has to stop in the middle of a story to try and decipher just what the heck a character is saying because the dialect is *spelled* out, there's a problem. We know the story is set in Scotland. It's a pretty safe bet the characters there speak in a Scottish accent. So why does it need to be spelled out? It looks ridiculous, it interrupts the flow of the narrative, and it makes the grammar gods weep.

I like a good vampire romance -- "good" being the operative word, here -- and I was hoping for something new, fresh and interesting when I picked up this book. What a disappointment on all counts. Bad characters, bad structure, bad writing, just badness all around. I won't be trying any more books by this author.

excellent read.......2007-01-07

nina bangs does not disappoint if you have read her other books this is the same genre. The characters are interesting, but if like me you are looking for a romance with some paranormal this is the book for you.

Humorous and Enjoyable.......2005-11-27

I don't believe I've ever used the word `romp' to describe a book before, but that word seems to suit Nina Bangs' Master of Ecstasy. If you're looking for something deep and thought provoking, look elsewhere. However, if you're in the mood for an enjoyable read, something light, sexy (and maybe just a little silly in parts), but with humor and a touch of magic, this paranormal romance might deliver just what you're looking for. And, if you grow attached to them, the Cosmic Troublemakers Ganymede and Sparkle Stardust appear in a number of Bangs' other novels. Enjoy!

Giggle Your Way Thru This Vampire Time-Travel Romance.......2005-05-04

MASTER OF ECSTASY by Nina Bangs is serious fun. Bangs has a smarmy, witty writing style that makes you laugh, often at Blythe's mental comebacks. Blythe is the heroine of this vampire romance, a girl from Earth in 2339 who time-travels back to Scotland of 1785 for business purposes. It's her job to make clients happy, and the client chosen for her is a 500-year old vampire named Darach, who just happens to ooze sexual danger. If that's not intriguing enough to read about, read MASTER OF ECSTASY for its other interesting couple: cosmic troublemakers Ganymede and his lusty cat, Sparkle Stardust - both evil and enjoying it. I want to read more about those two!!! Anyway, I had a fantastic time reading MASTER OF ECSTASY. I finished it in one afternoon, and giggled throughout the entire book. Darach is a hottie vampire and Blythe a strong, enjoyable heroine. The sexual chemistry is great, and very creative. Highly recommended. PS. It has a sequel called NIGHT BITES.

Portal Through Time (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)

Average customer rating:

The Best Buffy Ever!
not the best Buffy novel
When History and the Sunnydale Slayer Collide, Duck and Cover!
LOVE THE CONCEPT BUT...
Time Well Spent

Portal Through Time (Buffy the Vampire Slayer)
Alice Henderson
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 141691918X

Book Description

Buffy thought she'd finished the Master when she dusted him. But in Sunnydale things have a way of coming back. . . . The Master may be dead, but he is not forgotten. One of the vampire lord's devotees sets out to alter the past so that he can resurrect the Master without Buffy's meddling. When he conjures up a portal to transport his minions through time, the vampires

are poised to murder the most powerful slayers in history!

It is up to the Scoobies to stop the Master's followers before they break the chain of slayers. Giles, Xander, Willow, and Buffy pursue the vamps back in time through the portal to save the slayers of the past. They must track the bloodsuckers from the French Revolution to the American Civil War without getting detected -- or worse!

But you can't change the past without changing the present. . . .

Customer Reviews:

The Best Buffy Ever!.......2007-09-12

This is an awesome book. I really enjoyed the Civil War scenes. It was a fast-paced page-turner. The main character, Buffy, traveled through time saving historical slayers from time traveling assassins. Each time period was well written with a suspenseful, thought-provoking ending. This is well worth picking up.

not the best Buffy novel.......2007-08-31

I thought that the plot jumped around a lot; nothing seemed to conclude. The characters were moving through time; I would have preferred a series of novels, one dealing with each time period, to one book that tried to cover so much.

When History and the Sunnydale Slayer Collide, Duck and Cover!.......2007-03-21

Those of us who are still mourning the end of our favorite show ever, a loss which ocurred in 2003, can take solace in the fact that the novelizations based on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" continue well past the show's end -- and they're still good!

"Portal Through Time" takes Buffy and Scoobies on a wild adventure through history. After Buffy defeated the Master and ground his bones to ash, she thought that was the end of it -- but she was mistaken. A few loyal followers of the Master have discovered a way to rip a hole in the fabric of time, and travel back in the past to try to change the outcome of the Master's demise. After killing Buffy herself at a point in time before she became the Slayer didn't have the desired effect, they discovered that in order to stop her from destroying their Master they need to go farther back in time and kill past Slayers in order to create a chain of events that would change history forever! Buffy and company must follow these rogue vampires back in time and stop them from succeeding!

Like the recent Buffy novel "Bad Bargain", this book is actually set during Season 2, just prior to Angel's shift to evil. However, unlike "Bad Bargain", this book also doesn't have the added fun of alluding to future events from the show. Instead, it likes to throw a few references to things and events that took place before this novel, in reference to it's place on the season 2 timeline (which, by my estimate, must be just after the episode "Bad Eggs", but before "Innocence"). Even though it would have been nice to see the extra effort of adding those little winks and hints to the story, I can also see how it would have been quite difficult to do while taking on this gargantuine storyline.

The book itself is very entertaining, and I tend to be a little critical of my Buffy novels. It also helps if you're a bit of a history buff, like myself, because the majority of the book deals with certain people, places, and events that are important to our history -- such as the Roman invasion of the British Isles, the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk and it's most famous king, Gilgamesh, and even the American civil war and the bloody battle of Shiloh. These historical aspects are all beautifully incorporated into the novel, but are also kept light enough so as not to alienate readers who don't have a partcular likeing for history (I'm an anti-math girl myself). With the elements of time travel, this novel is a lot of fun!

At times the dialogue seems to regress into a sort of clipped, amateur version found mostly in Buffy fanfiction, but I think most of that is due to the efforts of the author trying to re-create the Season 2 atmosphere. When it comes to writing a book based on such a popular TV show, I imagine it's quite difficult for an author to write a novel where they needed to, for the most part, completely ignore all the character development that takes place *after* the setting of their novel. If you think about it, the dialogue of the characters in season 2 is *quite* different than the dialogue in season 7.

Forgiving the occasional mistep with the flow of the dialogue, I think this was a great Buffy novel, and fellow fans will enjoy it!

LOVE THE CONCEPT BUT..........2007-01-20

If you don't like SPOILERS, don't read on... Near the end of the story, when Buffy actually gets to battle Angelus and Darla (which was a genius twist, btw!), the Scoobies were wondering how to save Angelus from getting killed so as not to alter the future. The solution Henderson gave was for Buffy to write a letter to him which says that he shouldn't go with Darla to a fight in the alley if he values his life. It was signed, a friend. And yes, Angelus chose not to go with Darla. If Henderson wanted to remain true to Angelus' character, she would know that he just won't back away from any fight, most especially that "an unknown friend" wrote it. Angelus should have been suspicious and knowing his arrogance and particularly since he was supposed to bag 2 slayers, he wouldn't give up that easily. He should have at the very least tried to see who wrote the letter... Well, the book was off to a good start but the ending wasn't done masterfully. Still, since I love collecting Buffy books, this is still worth a read. I would've given it 3.5 stars... due to the ending. The time portal concept is a good one but if you look throughout the book, there are still some inconsistencies with regard to the "rules" of time travel. For one, the author said that no matter what time they followed the vamps, it wouldn't matter coz they would arrive at almost the same time as the vamps. But when you think about it, it should matter because if the vamps already did something to alter the future, then it goes to show that the present that they are now in would have changed. So that means that the sooner the gang followed the vamps, the better to not alter the future. But, if you really don't get too technical about it, the storyline is still good.

Time Well Spent.......2006-12-27

The first few seasons of Buffy the Vampire Slayer have always been my favorite, so I'm particularly interested in books set during those early years. Henderson fixes this tale during Buffy's junior year at Sunnydale High, which means we get plenty of Giles, Xander, Willow and Angel along with the Slayer (the only disappointment is that Oz has not entered into the Scooby Gang picture yet).

This is a rousing, rollicking tale that takes the gang back into the past to save four of Buffy's Slayer predecessors from time traveling assassins. But although this is technically a Young Adult book, author Henderson pulls no punches with a lot of the violence, which is entirely appropriate, as Buffy finds herself at various points in the middle of a Roman invasion of a Druid stronghold, the French Revolution, and the American Civil War, and there's no sugarcoating the inhumane butchery that real life battle inflicts. It's a stark parallel to Buffy's usual 'dust the vampires' comic book-style look at death, and it adds an added depth to the story.

But what makes the book really work for me is that Alice Henderson has found the "voices" of Buffy and her friends, and it's a delight just to read the dialog between them. This is a terrific story, very deftly crafted by a very talented author.

Average customer rating:

This reads like a 16 year old wrote it...
Hmmmm......
A book that you just have to finish once you pick it up
A First Effort
Astounding

In the Forests of the Night
Amelia Atwater-Rhodes
Manufacturer: Laurel Leaf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0440228166
Release Date: 2000-05-09

Amazon.com

Three-hundred-year-old Risika looks darn good for her age. Thanks to her "blood mother," a vampire named Ather who turned Risika (nee Rachel) into one of the undead back in 1684, she will always look as fresh as a 17-year-old. Now Risika is a world weary night stalker who sleeps in Concord, Massachusetts, by day and prowls New York City by night, in search of fresh blood to slake her inhuman thirst. One of the benefits of living such a long life has been discovering that most of the popular myths about vampires are not true: "Holy water and crosses do not bother me... and silver does not burn me. If someone hammered a stake through my heart, I suppose I would die, but I do not play with humans, stakes or mallets." In fact, there is little in the mortal world that surprises Risika anymore, until she returns from a hunt one night to find a black rose on her pillow--the same flower she was given on the eve of her mortal death. Knowing that the rose is a taunt from Aubrey, a vampire she believes murdered her human brother, Risika decides to confront her nemesis. In a bloody battle with Aubrey, Risika finally unearths her brother's true fate.

While the plot of this vampire tale may not stand out from the fanged masses of the genre, what does stand out is the fact that the author is 14 years old. Teen horror fans of Anne Rice and L.J. Smith will surely want to experience for themselves how In the Forests of the Night stacks up to their favorite adult titles--and will be especially interested in seeing how one of their young peers plies the writing trade. (Ages 12 to 15) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

I was born to the name of Rachel Weatere in the year 1684, more than three hundred years ago.

The one who changed me named me Risika, and Risika I became, though I never asked what it meant.  I continue to call myself Risika, even though I was transformed into what I am against my will.

By day, Risika sleeps in a shaded room in Concord, Massachusetts.  By night, she hunts the streets of New York City.  She is used to being alone.

But now someone is following Risika.  Someone has left her a black rose, the same sort of rose that sealed her fate three hundred years ago.

Three hundred years ago Risika had a family -- a brother and a sister who loved her.  Three hundred years ago she was human.

Now she is a vampire, a powerful one.  And her past has come back to torment her.

This atmospheric, haunting tale marks the stunning debut of a promising young novelist.

Customer Reviews:

This reads like a 16 year old wrote it..........2007-10-02

...which is a compliment, I suppose, considering she was 13 when it was penned. It's actually quite impressive for such a young woman, but the sheer wall of angst, the repetitive use of such overdone terms as good, evil and innocence, not to mention 300 year old creatures who react like high school students when approached with conflict...well, suffice it to say that the high rating this novel has received overall leaves me baffled. The tone, conflict and resolution call out the author's adolescence. I suspect in time, as she gets more life experience, she will be quite good at the craft, but for now? Not so much.

If you are in high school yourself, this might be a good read. Otherwise, skip it. There's plenty of YA lit of high enough caliber to appeal to adult sensibilities. On the plus side, this is an extremely short book, so you won't waste too much of your life if you feel the need to actually complete it.

Hmmmm.............2007-05-21

This is a unique book. It's unique in an obvious way in that it's only about 150 pages. It's also unique in that it delves into vampire world without getting sexually explicit (which I appreciated). Now, because it was so short, the book did lack some depth. With that said, I still found it to be quite captivating. A good read by a promising young author, this book is certainly worth your time.

A book that you just have to finish once you pick it up .......2007-05-05

A thrilling experence that you just want to read over and over again and you feel like you're right there watching the action in your own mind. I borowed it from my teacher for a week and I read it about six times.

-Adam Slavik

A First Effort.......2007-03-22

This is the story of a vampire, living today in Concord, Massachusetts. She wasn't always a vampire, though. Back in the sixteen hundreds, she was a real teenaged human being named Rachel, living with her father, younger sister Lynette, and twin brother Alexander. Alexander had been trying to tell her that there were evil things in the world that might try to hurt her, but Rachel ignored him, despite the fact that he seemed to have strange powers himself. Shortly after that, Rachel was transformed into a vampire and given the name Risika.

Risika has been living the life of a vampire for centuries, but still isn't quite satisfied with what she is. She had a hard time adjusting to the lifestyle and being able to kill humans without guilt. She still seeks vengeance for the death of her twin brother at the hands of Aubrey, another vampire who was there when Rachel was transformed. Now the time seems to be drawing near--Aubrey is challenging her and causing her the anger that may lead to her challenging him. But there is a surprise in store for Risika, something she would never expect.

I liked how this book challenged the basic myths about vampires, making them seem more realistic. The writing, though, was simplistic. I saw the surprise at the end coming, but I didn't think it seemed plausible. It didn't fit into the rest of the story.

Astounding.......2007-02-06

This book is yet again another divine book written by the one and only Amelia Atwater-Rhodes. Of course , it is filled with vampires and Witches and mysterys. Aubrey is a popular charactor in some of her other books that is in this book although, the great thing is although some of the charactors and events are similar or close to her other books you do not have to read them in order to understand whats going on in this particular story.

I also need to single out how well she brought in Charactors. She gives them such a personality that I fell in love with some and hated others.
This book had tons and tons of action and Mystery
No matter what kind of reader you are or what , the plot is so amazing that you have got to read it.

Transformations (Mysteries of the Unknown)

Average customer rating:

Transformations (Mysteries of the Unknown)
Time Life Books
Manufacturer: Time Life Education
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0809463644

Morrigan's Cross (The Circle Trilogy, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Morrigan's Cross
Morrigan's Cross
Neat Series
Not as good as it could have been...
Excellent story

Morrigan's Cross (The Circle Trilogy, Book 1)
Nora Roberts
Manufacturer: Large Print Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 159413149X

Book Description

As a storm rages, the tale of a powerful vampire's lust for destruction-and of the circle of six charged by the goddess Morrigan to stop her-begins. One of the chosen is a medieval sorcerer whose quest will take him through time-and into the arms of a woman courageous enough to link her destiny to his own.

Customer Reviews:

Morrigan's Cross.......2007-09-24

The characters in this story are extremely well done. Would love to meet them - if only it were possible! the scope of the story is exciting and intersting as Nora Roberts expores the characters and their fight to understand each other and become what they need to be.

Morrigan's Cross.......2007-09-15

This was the beginning of one of the best trilogies I've ever read. If you like to get away from the everyday dulldrums and reality, ths is a good place to start. It only gets better with The Dance of the Gods and Valley of Silence.

Neat Series.......2007-09-11

I love that this book was so reasonably priced on Amazon! The story was better than others I have read in the same genre. Anyway, decent story, good price. What more can a person ask for?

Not as good as it could have been..........2007-08-25

Speaking as someone who prefers Nora Roberts when she writes as J.D.Robb - I thought the story was fine but it didn't leave me with a burning need to go out and get the second book.

Part of this might be down to the fact that it's the first in a trilogy, so the story has a lot to do - we need to be introduced to the characters, to the world they live in and the circumstances they find themselves. I thought the set-up was interesting and the circle of 6 a clever idea. I very much liked the poetry of it - (the sorcerer), "the witch, the warrior, the scholar, the one of many forms and the one you've lost". However, I found the characters (with the exception of Cian) didn't hold my interest. One of the problems with an ensemble cast, is that some characters are neglected.

There are moments where the dialogue sparkles - Cian especially, has an acerbic wit. And some of the set pieces are beautifully written, for example - Glenna's arrival at the club and her first (proper) meeting with Cian, Hoyt and King.

In the second half of the book following Blair's arrival there are scenes reminiscent of what the group already experienced in the first half before she turned up. I ended up with the feeling that the characters should have learnt these lessons already.

If this had been the first paranormal romance I'd ever read I think I would have been impressed with the world building and story structure, though the characters would still have left me slightly disappointed.

Excellent story.......2007-07-24

I can't wait to read the rest of this series. Roberts does a wonderful job of pulling the reader in and keeping their attention. A softly blended story of romance and drama that will keep you until the end.

Time of Thin Blood (Vampire: The Masquerade)

Average customer rating:

Fair but it could have been so much more!
The Final Nights Approach
Good, but Dhampirs...?
Know what you're getting into.
Not too shabby

Time of Thin Blood (Vampire: The Masquerade)
Dean Shomshak , and Sarah Roark
Manufacturer: White Wolf Games Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 156504245X

Customer Reviews:

Fair but it could have been so much more!.......2001-11-14

Ok, I love the beginning and for those who've read the "ghoul book" you'll recall the fine Malkavian doctor and his ghoul assistant as they now share their research into the "thin blooded" vampires and these strange new creatures some of them can parent. I also loved the insights from the thin-blooded themselves. However, I still had some questions such as when these 15th generation vampires first appeared and any connections to other ancients arising. Also I felt that the "story-like" sections were merely repeated in later sections and that the insights on character creation is not as strong as in other books. Also why would 13th or 14th gen kindred even be trying to make others? And why are 15th gen so interested in sex when supposedly other gens aren't? How much of this is propaganda? I know, I'm a stroyteller, I can make this stuff up, but I had hoped for better guidelines.

The Final Nights Approach.......2001-08-18

In theory, this book is a powerful tool for any Storyteller with a mature troope. The thin-blooded are a force to be reckoned with; their power is small but they numbers are unimaginable. Are these the Final Nights? The Book of Nod would seem to suggest so (according to this book), but what of it? There are Cainites so weak that the Sun no longer burns their flesh, vampires so far removed that they can bear breathing children.

In this book are excellent rules for designing a discipline (or powers within a discipline), a subject rarely touched before. I have odd feelings about the subject of Dhampirs, the children of the thin-blooded, but this book portrays them marvelously. So much thought is put into these systems that I can hardly restrain my chronicles from overusing thin-blooded plots.

Why just four stars then? That draws upon the overall readability. The grammar style of the authors is different from that of most other White Wolf publications. It's choppier and harder to read. Entire pages are written like notebooks, cutting up their readability factor. And the notes are, in some ways, no less than cheasy. The authors have reached out on a limb, which subsequently broke.

Still, don't be discouraged. The thin-blooded are a wonderful plot point and excellent chronicle focus. They have fatal flaws counterbalanced by powerful assets that strike fear into the hearts of Elders. The Final Nights are here, embrace them.

Good, but Dhampirs...?.......2000-12-18

I really liked the idea of "thin blooded" vampires, for two reasons. One, they are weaker (but they can shine) than everyone else. This is good for me from a StoryTellers point of view. One thing I can't stand is power-gamers. Since the Thin-blooded can make thier own disiplines, this gives me (the story teller) a measure of control, but can make them good characters. Second with Thin-blooded ones, they ARE weaker, so that makes them a challenge to play, and I love a challenge.

Also this supplement was necesary. With some players being 13th Generation Vampire make their own childer, and this goes into detail on the information of 14th and 15th Gen Vampires.

Finally Dhampirs... If I understand how Dhampirs work, they are essentally masterless ghouls, right? Now I'll admit that I don't know much about Ghouls, but that seems a bit weak for the childREN of Vampires.

Know what you're getting into........2000-11-22

This isn't the book for the gamers who want a supplement to contain more bitchin' powers and the (apparent) answers to some of the great mysteries of the game setting.

Instead, this is jumping in at the deep end of the desperation, confusion and madness of the end of the world, as the vampires see it. Fourteen and fifteen generations later, the power of Caine's curse is wearing off, and vampires are being created who are more human and less vampire than those who have come before them. They aren't masters of the night, they aren't capable of living as humans. They're pathetic creatures living in fear and ignorance, not even knowing that there's an entire World of Darkness ready to do them in for reasons they won't live long enough to learn.

Instead of the high Gothic opera of most "Vampire: The Masquerade" games, "Time of the Thin Blood" is a squalid, brutish and brutal game supplement that stinks of fear sweat and, along the way, gives reasons for the rest of the vampires to be sweating blood along with the thin-blooded.

And, of course, there are some bitchin' new powers: The thin-blooded can't do much of what more potent vampires can do, but they can do some things that none of their elders (and betters) can do, including make babies. The rules for these half-human/half-vampire dhampires are also given. Would a player want to play one? Not most players in most games. But "Time of the Thin Blood" works best on its own (with the core rulebook, of course) or for the rare player who doesn't want to be a Lestat-like master of the night.

And there's also some answers to the big questions, or at least an apparent answer that poses some bigger questions. The game master-only section at the back tells a brief tale: Something very old and very nasty wakes up in India, the supernatural world rises against it, and the world of VtM changes, getting more desperate and somewhat less populated ...

This is the stuff of nightmares and urban legends. Good stuff. Pick it up.

Not too shabby.......1999-12-21

The part about 14th and 15th Gen Vamps was almost as interesting as it's supposed author although the "brief" format is a bit unwieldy. Although I can't actually see anyone wanting to PLAY a 14/15 gen vamp the data is good resource material. If you overlook the GLARING contrast with what is written in the KoE Companion (RE: Ravnos) the last section is VERY interesting and provides a nice bit of backdrop for any campaign.

Average customer rating:

A Great Read!
Night Biters Rocks!!!
Pinoys get Respect
A Clever Premise, filled with Twist and Surprises
Great Book

Night Biters: A Tale of Urban Horror
Adrian Harper
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

In a novel that crackles with wit and suspense. Night Biters takes horror to a new, yet familiar place; the inner-city and introduces characters as diverse and complex as their city. Set against the gritty backdrop of Oakland, California Night Biters tells the story of Bay Area teens coping with the dangers of urban living while facing the horrors of the Supernatural. Fasten your seat belts, you're going to a place bustling with hip hop music, drugs, gangs and vampires.

Customer Reviews:

A Great Read!.......2006-03-06

This is a great read.

Great, because it has a common sense idea that is missing from most stories of this genre.

The genre, "supernatural horror," ultimately goes to a war between good and evil (yep, heaven and hell), because these would be the source of power in the story. So the ultimate source of power is on another level--not the level the story is about (our everyday homes and neighborhoods). But hey, the vampires, zombies, and other things have been around for a long time. And we are still here, too. Something we don't usually see in these stories must be equalizing the landscape, or else ordinary humans would have been gone a long time ago. What equalizes a vampire? They have supernatural powers, so regular folks are out-gunned. In any war, if the sides are not matched, the war does not last long. In the literature vampires, zombies, et al., have been around a long time. So what holds them in check? Doesn't have to be a "good" version of the evil creature--just something with power and method of its own that it can use to engage the enemy. That's war. Even a supernatural one would have to have this equivalence of power.

There are popular movies about renegades that have reason to hate the supernatural villains, but vampires alone would have over-run the world before most of these popular characters started. Besides, these stories are usually more about special-effects or martial arts or something--not really horror stories but more like action-adventure-martial arts-horror. Whatever. There's only one movie I've seen recently that is an exception to this, "Constantine." But since this isn't a plug for movies, let's move on... ;)

"Night Biters" revitalizes the role of the church in this type of story! Instead of the lame "Exorcist" angle in which the demons have power that is clearly uncontrollable, here the war could have lasted this long. God is on our side through supernatural beings at this level. That's what I was referring to before, when I said that ordinary humans would otherwise be gone. In run-of-the-mill horror stories a recurring theme is that the heroes are so outmatched they have to sacrifice themselves--and leave this plane of existence--in order to win. So in time they'd all have moved on, leaving us here. There must be something more powerful that fights here and wins often enough to balance the war against evil. This story touches on this with style; it's a story told intelligently in a way that makes sense.

So is it scary? Yeah, because the writer tells the tale in a way that evokes vivid images of what the characters are going through as all of these peculiar things happen. It's not a predictable story. I found myself liking some, and wondering if they'd make it...but it's war. Casualties are inevitable. How does it end?

Check it out! It's a great read!

Night Biters Rocks!!!.......2006-01-16

This is no R L Stien! This book has a diverse group of hip hop characters from the Bay Area that are actully intelligent and not based on stereotypes. The book has teens in the Bay dealing with regular teenage issues, as well as vampires gang violence. The characters are cool, there's African American's, Vietnamese, Latino's, Filippino's, Jews, Goths, ravers, taggers and possibly dirty cops and a guy who eats a rat. If you LOVE hip hop, or you're from the Bay Area you need to read this book. I love Night Biters because it's real hip hop, it's not derogatory or dogmatic, it's just real and entertaining.

The book is written in the style of how Traffic and Crash were made as movies. A ton of individual stories, all intertwined into one explosive plot. Read this book, you won't be disappointed. The story is based on actual events in 1999 leading up to the change of the century in the backdrop of the worlds most integrated group of cities. Two teens come here to spend the summer and find that some of thier friends have become vampires and are dealing with personal issues like abusive stepfathers, drugs, gangs and police (damn taggers!). Doooooood read it!!!

Pinoys get Respect.......2006-01-13

Night Biters is my favorite book, I visited the Bay Area and have saw the old Montgomery Ward building. It was too scary a building for me to enter but not a vampire. I also like that us Pinoy's finally got some recognition and respect in a book. Dragonbrush is my dog I liked the way he and Tioni looked out for one another and how he showed that he really appreciated her. Jamilah is cool but too stuck up for my taste, I wouldn't want my sister taking all my favorite clothes just because she wants them. But in the end they all looked out for one another.

A Clever Premise, filled with Twist and Surprises.......2006-01-04

Adrian Harper's Night Biters offers some fresh ideas to the fantasy genre. The magical compact disc is as effective a talisman as a ring or trinket in other period work of fiction. It also solidifies the effectiveness of hip hop in a way the reader will find appealing. Graffiti spray painting is also featured, skateboarding is taken to new heights and I will never see using a Super Soaker the same way.

The writer skillfully depicts the story's teens as youth who regret some of the poor choices they have made and the impact those decisions have on their families while ably avoiding stereotypes. He also offers some interesting views on vampirism viewing it more to an addiction than a spiritual damnation reminding the reader that there is always hope. Filled with clever twist and surprises, Night Biters is a delight.

Great Book.......2006-01-03

This book puts Oakland, CA on the map. It is filled with suspense and humor. The multi-cultural characters are people we see in everyday life. I loved this book. I can't wait for the next one.

Average customer rating:

Interesting Collection Of Tales
Creepy, funny, and fun.
So far so good

The Time of the Vampires

Manufacturer: DAW
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0886776937

Customer Reviews:

Interesting Collection Of Tales.......2005-08-18

This collection of vampire tales was, on the whole, quite good but had a couple of duds. It seemed that after the first 100 pages the stories got much better. I particularly liked "Voice From The Void", "Death Mask" and "Faith Like Wine". These were great stories. "The Ghost Of St. Marks" didn't interest me much. It was confusing - what was the relationship between Father Brian Stuart and David? It seemed like the author was trying to hint that they were gay, but you were left wondering what was the true relationship between them? I don't know; I just didn't get that one.

Overall, a good collection of stories.

Creepy, funny, and fun........2005-07-06

Ok, I'm new to reading Vampire stuff, but this was my first. I did the unthinkable and at first judged this book by it's cover. Woops. Thinking it was going to be whiny goth crap (no offense), it turned out to be stories throughout time, starting in Rome and Greece if I remember correctly. However, the stories do not really relate to each other, the book is just set up chronologically by story setting. This was a great idea, and gave the impression of a sub-culture that has existed throughout human history. This also acted as credibility of why there's so much written about vampires, as if these stories were true. Most pieces are set up with the vampires being the protagonist, some are creepy, some funny, all fun. Great stuff, I really enjoyed this one, I hope you will too.

So far so good.......2000-02-05

I have only read about half of it so far, but the stories are original takes on vamps. I especially enjoyed "Scent of Blood" by Booth. Her style is extremely engaging.

The Dark Times : Lost Slayer Serial Novel part 2

Average customer rating:

Super Reader
The Thrilling Second Installment of The Lost Slayer Quartet
A Couple of Glitches, but an Interesting Read
Bleak, but interesting
King Giles The Vamp

The Dark Times : Lost Slayer Serial Novel part 2
Christopher Golden
Manufacturer: Simon Spotlight Entertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0743411862
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Book Description

Consequences

Sunnydale has always been a haven for creatures of the underworld. But when Buffy Summers awakes in a possible future, she is stunned to discover that Southern California has fallen under vampire rule. Buffy learns that her Slayerettes have already rallied together against the new order. But they're different now: Willow is a full-fledged sorceress, Xander a battle-scarred, humorless man, and Oz a frightening split personality. Almost more shocking is that Faith's gone, and a new Slayer has been called in her stead. Buffy's astonished at the terrifying alternate reality for which only she herself is to blame.

Back in the present, Buffy's friends can't figure out why the Slayer is behaving so strangely. They don't realize that the Prophet has inhabited her body. Either they're going to have to bring their friend back or Buffy herself, still trapped in the future, will have to find her own way home -- but not before confronting her worst nightmare....

To be continued...

Customer Reviews:

Super Reader.......2007-08-06

The young slayer, August, refuses to stop fighting until either she, or Buffy, is dead, so another Slayer will rise to continue fighting.

She loses, and Buffy uses her body as a distraction to break out of her cell next time they come to feed her.

She is horrified by what is out there, but manages to contact the Council, who tell her they will send an extraction team.

It is a grown up version of her friends, but the bad news is what happened to Giles.

In her own time, Willow realises the Prophet has taken over Buffy's body, and that there is little they can do to stop her.

The Thrilling Second Installment of The Lost Slayer Quartet.......2004-10-12

Sunnydale has always been a marking-ground for vampires, and other creatures of the underworld. At nightfall, they prey upon the innocents that walk upon the Hellmouth, at daybreak they sleep, content with the blood consumed the night before. However, when Buffy Summers - the chosen one - awakens in the future, now a 24-year-old, she is shocked to see what has happened to Sunnydale. It is now overrun with vampires, and creatures of the night, who have claimed it as their own. Buffy soon finds that her friends, known as the Scooby gang, have now grown as well. The usually fun-loving Xander is now a humorless older man, Willow is a complete sorceress, and Oz possesses a tremendous split personality, living as both a human and werewolf. However, back in the present, Buffy's friends can't figure out why the 19-year-old is acting so strangely, and walking around in a trance-life state. They don't yet realize that the Prophet has taken-over her body. Now it's up to the Slayer's friends to draw her out of the future, and bring her back to the present before it's too late.

Christopher Golden is utterly amazing. In his second installment of THE LOST SLAYER QUARTET, DARK TIMES, we are introduced to the future of the Scooby Gang. The older characters are captivating, while at the same time battle-scarred, and a little eerie. Buffy, on the other hand, is alluring, as always, and is defending innocents better than ever. While her witty comebacks aren't being spouted after each punch of kick, she is still amazing. Filled with wonderful battle scenes, and enticing new characters, DARK TIMES is wonderful. Beware, DARK TIMES is an extremely quick read, so make sure you have KING OF THE DEAD - the third installment in THE LOST SLAYER QUARTET - handy.

Erika Sorocco
Book Review Columnist for The Community Bugle Newspaper

A Couple of Glitches, but an Interesting Read.......2003-05-30

"Dark Times" is the second installment in the four part Lost Slayer chronicles by Christopher Golden, beginning right where the last one let off:

Buffy has been catapulted into the future by the malevolent Prophet, into her twenty-something year old body that has spent the last five years in a tiny prison cell. She's there under the power of the Kakchiquels, the energy-sucking vampires that serve the demon-god Camazotz, and they're about to change her grim existence: into her cell is thrown August the Vampire Slayer, Faith's successor to the Slayer line. August decides that their only choice is to kill one another so that another Slayer might be called out in the world, but Buffy is more concerned with escaping her jail. After a fight (and I won't give away the results), Buffy flees the compound into a grim world she could never have comprehended. Sunnydale is a ruined city, with the vampires performing not like animals, but as an organised group, and some humans as their willing slaves. But who could have such power and charisma to hold sway over what are essentially individualistic creatures?

Meanwhile, back in the present Willow, Xander, Anya and Oz are torn between going to save the captured Giles (taken by Camazotz's henchmen in the previous book) or going after the unidentified Prophet, who has taken over Buffy's body and has a secret adjenda of her own.

You could probably get away with understanding this book without reading its predecessor "Prophesies", as most details are repeated here, and most of it is pretty straightforward anyway. It is definitly an improvement on "Prophesies", fast-paced and action-packed, with another large twist at the end that shakes the situation up a bit. There are more cute cameo roles, predominantly that of Parker Abrams, but I found the inclusion of Spike (pre-chipped and pre-souled) and Drusilla to be rather pointless, it feels as if Golden simply put them as they're popular, and I personally felt that their decision to be a part of the regimented vampire world was way out of character for both of them.

The time-travelling/parallel time stream idea confused me (but those types of things always do), and I get the grim feeling that Golden's going to pull a 'deux ex machina' in order to put things back the way they were, something that is *never* good - kind of like when a character puts themselves in a bad position only to wake up and find it was all a dream.

Finally there were a few glitches that really annoyed me - August's decision she has to kill Buffy in order to activate a new Slayer was completely useless. If you are a long-time fan of the show you'll know that when Buffy died by drowning at the end of Season One, her temporary death caused Kendra to be called into the role of Slayer. After Kendra's death Faith was called. Buffy could die and be resurrected a thousand times to no effect - *the Slayer line lies with Faith*. True, it's possible that August didn't realise this, but Buffy certainly did, and she does not even attempt to explain August's folly to her.

Furthermore, when Buffy is driving towards her pick-up point, she serves to miss two vampires and sees them giving her obscene gestures in the rear-vision mirror - since when did vampires have reflections? I can't believe that particular flaw slipped through!

All in all, a light, interesting read, but no better or worse than some of the fan-fiction out there that can be read for free.

Bleak, but interesting.......2001-10-17

When they throw in another Slayer with Buffy in the cell and she declares she's going to kill Buffy for being a bad slayer I knew things were going to be intersting. This book while short, is well written and creative. The end left me gasping in shock. It also leaves you very interested in hearing what happens next. IF you enjoyed the first book I suggest you read this one as well.

King Giles The Vamp.......2001-10-17

the book was great i never expected it to end the way it did. it kept me guessing what was going t happen next i couldnt put it down the next chapter is the king of the dead i hope its as good.

My Teacher Is a Vampire (Lc and the Critter Kids, School Time Reader, No 1)

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My Teacher Is a Vampire (Lc and the Critter Kids, School Time Reader, No 1)
Mercer Mayer , Erica Farber , and John R. Sansevere
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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