Rating: 
Summary: A Marvellous Mix of Mystery, Fantasy, and Romance!
Review: "Blood Price" by Tanya Huff is the first book in a five book series revolving around Vicki Nelson, an ex-policewoman turned Private Investigator because of a degenerative condition that is slowly causing her to go blind. Add in Henry Fitzroy, a 450-year-old vampire romance writer and bastard son of Henry VIII and Mike Celluci, Vicki's ex-partner on the force and sometime lover, and you have the recipe for a compelling, exciting, and fun story. Huff has created an intriguing group of main characters and set them in the midst of a suspenseful and well-written mystery. Sure to please readers of fantasy, mystery, and even romance genres, "Blood Price" is one great read. Something is stalking the streets of Toronto at night, tearing out throats and draining bodies of blood. After Vicki discovers the first body in a subway station, she is reunited with Mike Celluci, the primary homicide detective on the case, who she hasn't seen in the eight months since she resigned from the force. These two can't seem to talk to each other for long without yelling, but underneath all the anger, they still hold a deep affection for one another. Vicki quickly begins to believe that the killer is far from human, but Mike stubbornly refuses to believe in a supernatural possibility. The media has started crying vampire, which is where Henry Fitzroy comes in. He has long since learned to survive without killing, and happily co-exists with the 3 million citizens of Toronto. However, the vampire frenzy the media has created is exactly what Henry doesn't want, for it is more than likely to bring about his demise. Vicki and Henry meet under less than ideal circumstances when Vicki comes across Henry leaning over the newest mutilated body. In order to convince her he's not the killer, Henry reveals his secret to Vicki, who he immediately feels drawn to. It's not long before these two team up, and start hunting the killer together. Henry knows just what it is, a demon, being called into service by an unknown human. And what's worse is that this lesser demon is the minion of a greater demon, and the killings are writing the name of that greater demon on the city of Toronto. Once the name is complete, it will open the doorway to Hell on Earth, and the start of Armageddon. And the world's only chance lies in the hands of one vampire, who can't work days, and a night-blind ex-cop. But Henry and Vicki make a great team, and they aren't about to give up without a fight. The chemistry Huff develops between Vicki and Henry is electric, and I can't wait to see what develops between them in later books. Vicki is a wonderful heroine, she's got plenty of vulnerabilities but she's still very tough and very determined. I adore Henry; he is a refreshingly different kind of vampire, and a fascinating character. The flashes of his past are expertly handled and really help the reader understand him better. Mike Celluci is also well drawn, and his interactions with Vicki are often humorous and always interesting. The story effectively builds to a thrilling climax and Huff provides readers with a satisfying conclusion. "Blood Price" is a hugely entertaining and tightly plotted book. The story is filled with suspenseful brushes with death and chilling scenes of undiluted evil, but Huff skilfully blends these with some very funny moments to keep the tone from getting too dark. "Blood Price" is just an all-around excellent read, sure to amuse, intrigue, and entertain readers everywhere. It's a book you don't want to miss and I most definitely recommend it!
Rating: 
Summary: Judge it on its own merits!!!!!
Review: "Blood Price" is an intriguing start to a new vampire series, it has been unfavourably compared to a similar set of books namely the Anita Blake series by Laurell K Hamilton. For everyone's piece of mind lets get the comparisons out of the way yes there are three strong main characters Vicky the private detective, Michael Celluci the homocide detective and sometime lover of Vicky, and Henry Fitzroy 450 year old vampire the bastard son of King Henry the 8th. Yes these three look as though they have the potential to become embroiled in a love affair. Yes these three characters are Toronto's only hope against the bloody destruction a demon and its handler are wreaking across the city. Right now for the refreshing differences Vicky has a degenerative eye disease so she has had to give up her first love police work. She is a much more vulnerable character than even the early Anita Blake was, and so is much more sympathetic. Like the rest of us she avoids her mother's phonecalls, worries about paying her rent with her struggling detective agency, and avoids her ex lover Michael Celluci like the plague after they argue about her decision to leave policework. Enter debonair Henry Fitzroy a writer of bodice rippers and incidentally a vampire. We can sympathise easily with each of them henry's growing isolation and lonliness, Vicky's frustration at her physical weaknesses and poor night vision, and Michael's inability to accept the supernatural until it is almost too late. If these books should remind you of anything think of the tv show Forever Knight the flashbacks to Henry's life through the ages are handled skillfully, as is the depiction of the demon and the unpopular young man who summons it for his own gains. You know a writer is good when you can feel pity for the villain of the piece, Huff is very good and it is not an insult to say that these novels read as a YA companion piece to the Anita verse, but it is unfair to trash these wonderful books because they aren't Anity enough! The plot is well structured and moves logically from A to B without the distraction of mysticism and magic that can foul up Anita Blake plots. Vicky, Henry, and Michael are the only hope of destroying the demon but they must work together against Vicky's inability to see at night, Michael's stubborness to refuse to see what's in front of him, and Henry's inability to work in daylight. The book is chilling in its depiction of the monster but funny too, and the reactions of characters and dialogue are very realistic you can almost hear Vicky and Michael argue. If your expecting Anita Blake you will be disappointed but judge it on its own merits and I think you'll find you quite like it.
Rating:
Summary: Bloody Awesome!
Review: After getting hooked on the "Dresden Files" books by Jim Butcher, I sought others in the same genre. Someone suggested reading the "Anita Blake" books by Laurel K. Hamilton. I couldn't get throught the first one. Three quarters of the way through the book, nothing significant had happened. A bit discouraged, I picked up "Blood Price." I'm so glad I did. Sure, the story is simple...former cop turned private investigator looks into seemingly paranormal murders. Once involved, the supernatural world becomes reality to this tough but flawed female detective. I liked it so much, I found the rest of the series and bought them all. Read Butcher's books first, then give Huff a try. You won't regret it.
Rating: 
Summary: It's not a bad book
Review: After I saw so many high rating, I expected to find a book that'll get me hooked instantly. I got a copy and read it in one night... it wasn't that great. To be fair, a story about a strong female private investigator and a vampire who is the bastard son of King, is certainly not a bad concept. The interaction of the main characters are interesting, the villian is believable but not strong; the monsters Huff created are OK. You might enjoy it, but just don't expect it to be as strong as Rice or Hamilton's books.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable
Review: After reading Blood Price (the first in the series) I am looking forward to reading the others. Tanya Huff has done an excellent job of creating characters you find yourself caring and rooting for. Her portrayal of Henry is very refreshing. None of the melodramatic whirling and disappearing and fang showing. Her portrayal of Vicki with her eye disease was a nice change from the perfect beautiful heroine who can do no wrong. Her descriptions of the problems/life changes Vicki's eye disease has caused her helped you to understand the character's actions better. And of Celluci, hotblooded Italian cop who is tough and fights constantly with Vicki, but could forget all danger to himself to protect her and keep her alive. Huff did a great job of creating depth to the charaters, especially with Henry. Though it was very frustrating at times to be in the middle of the action and have to go through one of Henry's flashbacks to his past before you could go on with the action again, it was a good tool in building Henry into more than just a flat character in a book. That's what helped to grip you into caring about each one of the main characters. If you are a fan of non-erotic romances, mysteries and fantasy, then you can find a treasure in this series which combines all three beautifully.
Rating: 
Summary: Very simplistic, no points for writing style
Review: As someone says below, "This is not an Anita Blake story." Nor is it good PI narrative. Weak dialogue. The backstory of Vicky & her cop ex-boyfriend laid on the page looking cardboard. Within the first dozen pages they are re-hashing their former relationship: in public, at a crime scene, in front of other cops, bellowing "okay, the sex was great!" Far easier to believe in vampires. Henry the vamp was potentially the most interesting character. But he felt like a historical fantasy with no masculine pulse. And his writing excerpts could have been sharper. The nerd character might have been painfully scary. One of many missed opportunities. I am puzzled that there are numerous followups in this series. Seems like a low writing standard to me.
Rating:
Summary: Not Laurell Hamilton, But Fun All the Same
Review: Blood Price is the first book in Tanya Huff's Vicki Nelson series. Vicki is an ex-cop turned private investigator who is having a hard time cutting her ties to the police department. She loved her job, and she was good at, but she has a rare disorder where she is slowly losing her vision. She doesn't let this slow her down, however. When she hears a strange scream in the subway, she immediately runs to help and finds a young man with his throat torn out. He is the latest victim in a series of similar crimes and the newspapers start screaming about a killer vampire on the loose. While she is investigating, she finds a vampire - the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII, romance writer Henry Fitzroy. Together they track down the killer... I was expecting this book to be better than it was because of all of the great reviews. I am a big fan of Laurell Hamilton's earlier books and this book just didn't come close. The characters were likeable enough: I enjoyed a female heroine who had definite weaknesses, but went for it all the same; a 450-year old vampire who writes bodice rippers for a living and still hates his father for not accepting him; a dweeby nerd who is a great villain, etc. Still, the world just didn't come to life and I kept waiting for something to happen. Bottom line, worth your while to read, but maybe you would like to find a library copy...
Rating:
Summary: Not Laurell Hamilton, But Fun All the Same
Review: Blood Price is the first book in Tanya Huff's Vicki Nelson series. Vicki is an ex-cop turned private investigator who is having a hard time cutting her ties to the police department. She loved her job, and she was good at, but she has a rare disorder where she is slowly losing her vision. She doesn't let this slow her down, however. When she hears a strange scream in the subway, she immediately runs to help and finds a young man with his throat torn out. He is the latest victim in a series of similar crimes and the newspapers start screaming about a killer vampire on the loose. While she is investigating, she finds a vampire - the illegitimate son of King Henry VIII, romance writer Henry Fitzroy. Together they track down the killer... I was expecting this book to be better than it was because of all of the great reviews. I am a big fan of Laurell Hamilton's earlier books and this book just didn't come close. The characters were likeable enough: I enjoyed a female heroine who had definite weaknesses, but went for it all the same; a 450-year old vampire who writes bodice rippers for a living and still hates his father for not accepting him; a dweeby nerd who is a great villain, etc. Still, the world just didn't come to life and I kept waiting for something to happen. Bottom line, worth your while to read, but maybe you would like to find a library copy...
Rating:
Summary: Good start.
Review: I can tell that this series is going to be one to read. It'snot as dark as Laurell K. Hamilton, and Vicki is not as kick-ass as Anita Blake, but the characters are really good, already captivatingand intriguing. Vicki is an ex-cop, whose failing eyesight forcedher to retire early. She is dealing with withdrawal and otherdifficulties when she stumbles on a body, and lands smack in themiddle of a supernatural murder. It's not just Vicki, either.Henry Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VII, is a 450 year-oldvampire who writes romance novels, but don't make the mistake ofunderestimating him. He is as strong as he is funny anddangerous. Last but not least, there's Vicki's ex-boyfriend, andsometimes still lover, who is heading up the case. They are greatbase characters on which to build a series, and what the story lacksin plot, it gains in characterization and potential. One to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Poor start to a series....
Review: I had such high expecataions with this book. Everyone I know has such good things to say....I just didn't see it. The char's were extremely flat and undeveloped. I was confused by what was going on between Vicki and Celluci. Are they lovers? Are they just ex-partner? Is it just casual sex between them? It jsut seemed forced and very uncomfortable to read. I also wasn't impressed with Henry either. He too seemed flat. You get to read about Henry's past, but it seemed to slow the plot down. Huff used caps way to much. THIS IS SO DISTRACTING TO READ, OVER AND OVER AGAIN. See, this that annoying? Way to much of that. It was also annoying having the char talk to themselves as much as they did. I mean, who talks to themselves that much. It seems that all of the char's were doing it. I was talking about these issues to someone who likes the series, and she told me to stick with it, it get's better. She also told me that the char's get more developed as the series goes on. I have the books, and plan to read the rest. I just wasn't impressed with the first book. If you want to read about a vampire hunter, I highly suggest the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton.
| 
