Rating: 
Summary: Great new start of a Series, by an old favorite!
Review: Ms. Huff is readily known for her "Fantasy" shows with this great book, she can do a whole different style of work. Introducing a Female ex-cop Detective and a Male Romance writing Vampire. Through a client Detective Vicki Nelson crosses paths with Romance writer Henry Fitzroy, they both are hunting the same "Villian(s)" A supernatural evil, trying to end the world as we know it. As these two work together, a spark developes making this a nice sexy as well as a fast paced scary mystery.. A nice blend of Horror-ScFi-Mystery & Romance, with a strong women in the lead. Just my cup of tea.
Rating: 
Summary: Not on a par with the Anita Blake series, but entertaining
Review: Reasonably entertaining and suspenseful, but lacking in much of the detail & characterization that makes the Anita Blake novels so believable. It's not clear why Vicki, the main character, a former police detective now working as a private investigator) feels compelled to be so snarly with her on & off lover, Cellucci, nor why she is so cold to her mother (who may be boring, but still seems to be a loving mother, which ought to earn her at least a little affection from her own daughter). But Henry Fitzroy, the vamp who helps her catch the murderer in this book is a fairly interesting and compelling character. I plan to read the next in the series.
Rating: 
Summary: Exciting Vampire Mystery
Review: Something is stalking the streets of Toronto. Several victims are found with their throats torn out. Former homicide detective Vickie Nelson finds the first victim before he was drained of blood. The tabloids are screaming vampire. Henry Fitzroy is a 450 year old vampire and knows that it is something else. Together they search for the creature and his master before all hell breaks loose.I was pleasantly surprised by this mystery. The characters are very vivid and the story moves quickly. Henry is not the typical vampire of this genre. He seems to live a fairly normal writer's life(if only at night) and is more or less mild mannered. This is definitely a worthwhile series.
Rating:
Summary: Exciting Vampire Mystery
Review: Something is stalking the streets of Toronto. Several victims are found with their throats torn out. Former homicide detective Vickie Nelson finds the first victim before he was drained of blood. The tabloids are screaming vampire. Henry Fitzroy is a 450 year old vampire and knows that it is something else. Together they search for the creature and his master before all hell breaks loose. I was pleasantly surprised by this mystery. The characters are very vivid and the story moves quickly. Henry is not the typical vampire of this genre. He seems to live a fairly normal writer's life(if only at night) and is more or less mild mannered. This is definitely a worthwhile series.
Rating:
Summary: Make Room For Victoria
Review: Tanya Huff has been turning out fine fantasy work for some time now. "Blood Price," an early effort from 1991, is the first volume of a vampire series that focuses on three main characters. The first of these is Victoria Nelson, once a homicide inspector with the Toronto police, she has been forced to retire by the start of retinitis pigmentosa. Tough and intelligent, Vicki refuses to be beaten by the disease and has set up as a private detective. Mike Celluci was Vicki's partner on the force and her lover as well. Anger over Vicki's decision to leave the police force has separated the two lovers, but sparks still fly when they are together. Their bickering disguised a deeply held mutual affection. A sudden rash of hideous killings, throats torn out and blood drained, brings Vicki and Mike back together. As the body count mounts Vicki begins to suspect that the killer is not quite human. The newspapers warn of a vampire, but Mike refuses to believe that any such creature can exist. Vicki is not so sure. When she manages to be present at the next killing she discovers Henry Fitzroy at the death scene. Henry, a handsome, intelligent writer of romantic novels, manages to convince Vicki that he is not the killer. But to do so he must reveal that he is a 450 year old vampire, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, no less. Henry realizes what Vicki does not. The killer is not a rogue vampire, but a demon, called into service by someone in the city. But the creature serves two masters, the human who called him and one of the greater demons of hell. By using the killings to spell the name of the greater demon across the Toronto landscape, this evil force intends to open the way for a reign of terror on the earth. All Vicki and Henry have to do is identify which of the greater demons is trying to cross over, catch the lesser demon, and stop the human mage who is casting the summonings. Piece of cake. The three investigators, separately and together are challenged to a race against time. Hampered by Vicki's night blindness, Henry's vampire hours, and Mike's refusal to consider an inhuman killer, it will take all of their energy and a fair amount of luck to track down the elusive magic user. There are lots of plot twists, some hair-raising brushes with death, and very satisfying conclusion. This is a fine start to what will develop into an exciting series. Inevitably, the reader will make comparisons between Vicki Nelson and Hamilton's Anita Blake. They have much in common. Their personalities are similar, but Vicki doesn't quite have the attitude that Blake does. Of course, Anita has far more powers than Vicky does. And Henry, while attractive, is no Jean-Claude. All of Huff's characters, even while they are squabbling, have far better manners. Hamilton is a stronger author, but saying so is unfair to Huff, who is hardly lacking in writing skills. If readers are willing to judge this fine series on its own merits I think no one will be disappointed. If you are looking for a new Anita Blake, seek elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Make Room For Victoria
Review: Tanya Huff has been turning out fine fantasy work for some time now. "Blood Price," an early effort from 1991, is the first volume of a vampire series that focuses on three main characters. The first of these is Victoria Nelson, once a homicide inspector with the Toronto police, she has been forced to retire by the start of retinitis pigmentosa. Tough and intelligent, Vicki refuses to be beaten by the disease and has set up as a private detective. Mike Celluci was Vicki's partner on the force and her lover as well. Anger over Vicki's decision to leave the police force has separated the two lovers, but sparks still fly when they are together. Their bickering disguised a deeply held mutual affection. A sudden rash of hideous killings, throats torn out and blood drained, brings Vicki and Mike back together. As the body count mounts Vicki begins to suspect that the killer is not quite human. The newspapers warn of a vampire, but Mike refuses to believe that any such creature can exist. Vicki is not so sure. When she manages to be present at the next killing she discovers Henry Fitzroy at the death scene. Henry, a handsome, intelligent writer of romantic novels, manages to convince Vicki that he is not the killer. But to do so he must reveal that he is a 450 year old vampire, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, no less. Henry realizes what Vicki does not. The killer is not a rogue vampire, but a demon, called into service by someone in the city. But the creature serves two masters, the human who called him and one of the greater demons of hell. By using the killings to spell the name of the greater demon across the Toronto landscape, this evil force intends to open the way for a reign of terror on the earth. All Vicki and Henry have to do is identify which of the greater demons is trying to cross over, catch the lesser demon, and stop the human mage who is casting the summonings. Piece of cake. The three investigators, separately and together are challenged to a race against time. Hampered by Vicki's night blindness, Henry's vampire hours, and Mike's refusal to consider an inhuman killer, it will take all of their energy and a fair amount of luck to track down the elusive magic user. There are lots of plot twists, some hair-raising brushes with death, and very satisfying conclusion. This is a fine start to what will develop into an exciting series. Inevitably, the reader will make comparisons between Vicki Nelson and Hamilton's Anita Blake. They have much in common. Their personalities are similar, but Vicki doesn't quite have the attitude that Blake does. Of course, Anita has far more powers than Vicky does. And Henry, while attractive, is no Jean-Claude. All of Huff's characters, even while they are squabbling, have far better manners. Hamilton is a stronger author, but saying so is unfair to Huff, who is hardly lacking in writing skills. If readers are willing to judge this fine series on its own merits I think no one will be disappointed. If you are looking for a new Anita Blake, seek elsewhere.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting premise, but mostly groundwork
Review: The storyline is different, and lightly entertaining. I wouldn't call it a page-turner, but it is a nice diversion. It also does a good job of laying the groundwork for future "Blood" novels.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting premise, but mostly groundwork
Review: The storyline is different, and lightly entertaining. I wouldn't call it a page-turner, but it is a nice diversion. It also does a good job of laying the groundwork for future "Blood" novels.
Rating:
Summary: A fair attempt
Review: This book was enjoyable, but not all it could be. On the plus side, Huff's take on vampires -- as essentially bestial and tending toward amoral at heart, but capable of good and generally not killers -- was well done and original. Henry, the vampire, was the best character. On the other hand, the interplay between the heroine detective and her ex-partner was stilted hard-boiled "wisecracking" pretty much at its worst. And Huff seems to have no sensitivity toward the psycho loser demon-raiser who is her villain, while oozing affection for her golden-girl-gone-half-blind star detective with the great body. In other words, Huff's understanding of character seems simplistic. But, the plot was rip-roaring, and kept me turning the pages. It was original and tightly written, with nary a plothole in sight. If the author could work on adding more depth, as opposed to phony-sounding personality clashes, to her characters, she would be a truly fine novelist.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful...
Review: This is an excellent start, but for some reason it just never pulled me into it. The book was well-crafted and enjoyable, but something about it just never convinced me to pick it up and never put it back down. I will probably read the next ones, to give it a fair chance, since it was good, but nothing gripped me here.
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