Novella Review: Taming the Vampire by Chloe Hart

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Emma

Another ebook I found on Smashwords, Taming the Vampire is a short, easy read.

Liz Marlowe is a demon hunter.   Coming from a long line of Green Fae, Liz is a mostly human warrior striving to prove her worth on the streets of Boston which are currently being stalked by an unknown menace.  She is attracted to the vampire Jack Morgan who has allied himself with her cause but because of his species she despises him and vice versa.  This being a paranormal romance we know where this is going to end up; nonetheless getting to that point is a fun read.

Jack enjoys provoking Liz’s hot temper.  He is unknowingly in love with her and of course the reader knows this from the get go, yet he only realises when they’re about to get hot and heavy.  Like Liz he is protective of his city Boston and wants to put an end to the creature stalking the streets.  Liz is an easy character to like.  She’s tough and feeling the pressure to live up to her family who are all warriors and physically stronger than her.  It’s fun watching the sexual tension between Jack and her grow.  You can sense the electricity crackling in the air when these two are bickering.

Liz’s friend Celia is working on a way to make her strong enough to fight her deadly enemy and discovers that one sure method is for Liz to have sex with a vampire.  Through this union Liz will gain all of Jack’s strength for one night, giving her enough time to kill the demon.

If you want to figure out how Liz breaks this news to Jack, read Taming the Vampire for yourself.  If you are easily shocked or offended by descriptive scenes of a sexual nature then this novella may not be for you.

A spicy, fun read. ***

Check it out on Amazon HERE

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Book Review: Dark Bites: Four Tales of Horror by Robert Ropars

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Emma

Like the last book I reviewed, Nyland’s The Dashwood Haunting, Dark Bites is another ebook I found on Smashwords, the website where self-published authors can sell their work.  Again I was pleasantly surprised by the calibre of writing.  The four stories in Dark Bites can be read as stand alone tales but there are crossovers with some characters turning up in more than one story.

1. Windy City of the Dead is the first, highly enjoyable adventure.  There was plenty of action following a zombie outbreak in Chicago.   The chain-smoking Crow finds herself having to get armed and battle ready pronto if she wants to make it out of her apartment and the city alive.  Luckily she just happens to find a Samurai sword in her neighbour’s apartment (I thought that part was pretty funny).
2. Like Cats and Dogs:  I’m not hugely into werewolves or werenanimals so I found myself just skimming through this story.
3. The Red Planet:  I appreciated this new take on vampire fiction.   Set in the 24th century, Jenny is a vampire, the last of her kind.  Forced to flee from the pollution on earth and the savage persecution of vampires, she is on her way to the colony in Mars.   The story dips back three centuries earlier to when Jenny became a vampire.  This movement from the past to the present keeps the story compelling.   Introducing the sci-fi element of space travel was also a nice touch.                                                                                                  4.  848.  This tale really disturbed me.   It isn’t supernatural but rather shows how horrific people can be.   I don’t want to give the plot away but have to admit that I found the brutal ending disturbing.

Overall I really enjoyed reading these tales and thought that the female characters were strong, independent and well written.  The endings for the most part leave you hanging so I would love to read a follow up.

****

Check it out on Amazon HERE

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