Book Review: The Den by Jennifer Abrahams

The Den by Jennifer Abrahams is a novel of succinct wording, best described as short sentences loaded with abrupt instruction and no discernable flow. I expected to be drawn into this vampiric story based on supposed actual events, when in actuality, I was a little let down by the short and sharp prose with little descriptive content.

Following Skyla Jane Judge, a restless college student and then waitress, we see her initial journey into the world of the supernatural upon a reading with a psychic. Warned of dangerous men, nefarious ghosts, and a past life that could literally come back to bite her, and we are suddenly in New York City.

Enter Alex, a mysterious stranger that Skyla believes harmless and a possible romantic dalliance, and before we know it, having only just met, they are planning a road trip to New Orleans.

At this point I’m shaking my head thinking, ‘you’re going to be strangled and dumped on the side of the road by this psycho’. Naturally, after one week of knowing each other, it’s like fate has stepped in and Skyla is exactly where she needs to be – in the middle of the French Quarter, surrounded by a strange den of ... others.

If all this didn’t happen a little fast for you, Skyla is soon chanting around candle light with her new friends, drinking blood, and denying her role in it. Pressed for affection from one of the would-be vampires, and then reminded of a centuries past tie from another, and Skyla’s soon running again.

What I liked about this novel is the possibilities and the rather odd vampiric/witch ties to this strange assortment of individuals. I enjoyed reading about their hunt, and was curious upon Skyla’s initial Tarot reading. Unfortunately, with an over-paced plot with limited explanation and then quicker resolve sliding to indifference, and I was left with a million question marks without clear parameters as to where the plot would head in the hands of a flighty, inconsistent protagonist.

Two out of five fangs – not terrible, but not stirring, either.

Synopsis:

Is it possible to run away from yourself? No. Skyla Jane Judge should know.
Fresh on the heels of a breakup and college graduation, Skyla Jane Judge feels an inexplicable urge to accompany an attractive stranger on a road trip from New York to New Orleans. Maybe it has something to do with what a psychic has told her about a past life. Maybe some old friends stuck between lives are waiting for her there.
Whatever the case, she gives in to the lure of Louisiana’s voodoo country and doesn’t look back. Longing for change, she uncovers a “den” beneath the haunted cobblestone streets of the French Quarter and, in the company of vampires, begins to discover her true self.
Skyla embarks on a journey to self-awareness that ultimately uncovers a secret ceremonial path to love and eternal enlightenment. Though change is what she wanted, is she ready for the irrevocable change her “new” friends offer her?

Book Review: The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

I may be about the one-millionth person to say this, but The Hunt is Vampires meets The Hunger Games, and yet, decidedly better. It's impossible not to compare these lottery based novels involving a death defying hunt, as truly it's the purpose of the book.
The Hunt follows the story of a human, or heper, as the vampires refer to them, with the designation - Gene.
Gene isn't normal. At least not by this world's standards, a world where vampires are the dominate race and hepers are a dying breed - their only purpose - to serve as fodder in the hunt.
Gene is extremely intelligent and has been taught by his now deceased father the value of assimilation. Masking body odours, shaving hair, and wearing fake fangs are all part of the camouflage. Partaking in the strange animalistic rituals is also a must – frothing at the mouth at the thought of human flesh, scratching wrists when amused, and schooling all emotion is all part of Gene’s survival techniques.
And then he is selected for the hunt. Randomly? We never really find out, but to also be paired with Ashley-June, the vampire he is inexplicably drawn to can only lead to heartache.
Will the heper institute learn of Gene’s ongoing deceit? And will he finally be exposed to a species he can finally relate, perhaps form relationships with the very creatures he’s been selected to hunt and kill?
What I loved about this book was that clear skip of detail regarding how the world became vampire ridden, or how humans were hunted into non-existence. Andrew Fukuda’s writing is such, that as a reader, you merely accept the world as it’s painted with information supplied when necessary and without complication. Paired with sumptuous imagery, and strange, albeit compelling characteristics of the vampires, and you find yourself enraptured.
With strong, descriptive prose that was filled with enough moments of suspense and interspersed action to keep my heart stuttering within my chest, and I can say without a doubt this is one of the best novels I’ve read in a long time. Thank you, Andrew Fukuda for the wild imagination – five out of five fangs.

Synopsis:
Against all odds, 17-year-old Gene has survived in a world where humans have been eaten to near extinction by the general population. The only remaining humans, or hepers as they are known, are housed in domes on the savannah and studied at the nearby Heper Institute. Every decade there is a government sponsored hunt. When Gene is selected to be one of the combatants he must learn the art of the hunt but also elude his fellow competitors whose suspicions about his true nature are growing.

Book Review: The Deadliest Bite by Jennifer Rardin

Sadly this is the last book in the Jaz Park's series by Jennifer Rardin. It has been a long journey with eight books in total - all of them full of suspense, action and believe it or not, side splitting humour. I will be saddened never to turn the pages of this author's words again, Jennifer Rardin having died on September 20th 2010.
The deadliest bite culminates the adventures of Jaz Parks, a fiery red head and CIA agent intricately bound to her vampire partner Vayl, the world's deadliest assassin led by personal agenda and supernatural instincts. The two of them together are explosive, sexual tension runs high, and additional characters with interesting skill sets mark the scenes and subplots with plenty of hilarity, violence and all round ... fun.
Although this book and others in this series are burning with action and non stop agenda, I found myself smiling just about every few pages. I had plenty of laugh out loud moments, thanks to the very talented and witty writing style of the author who managed to make sarcasm and down right silliness seem endlessly amusing. I was also just as entangled in the more serious moments within the novel, although at times, admittedly I did grow impatient with some of the inner dialogue. The main character, Jaz, seemed to have a party of people that lived within her head. It wasn't confusing, just sometimes a distraction from the main flow of text that I felt almost obliged to skip over to keep the story moving forward.
Rather than spill the entire guts of the last novel's plot lines, I thought I'd post the synopsis for perusal. The reason being is that I didn't want to ruin the context of all the stories if you haven't read any of the books from this series before. And yes, unfortunately this is not a series that you can pick up half way through and catch on. You need to start at the beginning to fully understand all the characters, the progress in relationships, and the twists and turns that ultimately lead Jaz and Vayl on missions across the globe and into the underworld.
I give this particular book four out of five stars - an all round great intelligent read with enough content to keep me laughing for days.

"I have two choices. Carve Brude's name into Hell's bile-encrusted gates or lose my soul"

After an assassination attempt on Vayl, I find myself pulled into a tangle web that takes the gang to Romania. So how will I save a ghost, rescue a demon, and cheat the Great Taker out of a soul he's slavering for while defeating my nastiest foe yet so that Vayl can, at last, cherish a few precious years with his sons?

With careful planning, major violence, and one (hopefully) final trip to hell.

Anyway, Happy weekend, hope you get into this series as much as I did.

Kristy :)