Rating: 
Summary: A Touching, Terrifying, Outstanding Tale!
Review: "Blood Pact" is the fourth book in Tanya Huff's fantastic "Blood" series and it is stunning in every sense of the word. It's shocking and affecting, it tore at my heart and made me cry, and it horrified and amazed me. I absolutely could not put this book down and stayed up all night to finish it. "Blood Pact" is a book you don't want to miss; it's suspenseful, frightening, thought provoking, and heart-rending. But most importantly it is, quite simply, a highly entertaining, great read!"Blood Pact" begins with Vicki Nelson, ex-cop and now Private Investigator, receiving the news every child, no matter how old, lives in fear of. Her mother, whose phone calls she has been avoiding recently, has died suddenly of a heart defect. Wracked with guilt and already annoyed with the two men in her life, 450-year-old romance-writing vampire Henry Fitzroy and homicide detective Mike Celluci, Vicki leaves Toronto for Kingston to lay her mother to rest. Unfortunately, Vicki's coping skills are failing her, and dealing with her mother's sympathetic co-workers isn't helping. Luckily, Henry and Mike both discover what has happened, and head off to Kingston to support Vicki in the midst of this tragedy. But things just keep getting worse, as Vicki's mother's body is stolen from the funeral home. Convinced that the police will not put much effort into the case, Vicki sets out to find her mother on her own, stubbornly refusing to grieve for her loss or even acknowledge her pain, and heading straight for a nervous breakdown. Henry and Mike are truly frightened about Vicki's mental state, and the two of them decide to put aside their differences and work together, in hopes of preserving Vicki's sanity. But then, one terrible night, the unimaginable occurs. Sitting in her mother's apartment Vicki hears a noise at the window and opens the curtains to reveal her mother on the other side of the glass, unmistakably dead and yet somehow horribly alive. This grim discovery leads Vicki, Henry, and Mike on a disturbing and perilous hunt for a group of scientists experimenting with resurrecting the dead through the use of bacteria. And Huff's portrayal of this group of scientists is genuinely disturbing. Indeed, the real monsters in this book are not the zombies at all, but the humans creating them. Their utter lack of humanity and their clinical indifference to the suffering they cause is appalling, and Vicki's mother is just another experiment to them. Sickened by what she has discovered and all the more determined to bring those who stole her mother to justice, Vicki leads Henry and Mike into very dangerous territory. The story is full of twists and turns and heart-pounding suspense, as Vicki, Henry and Mike must deal with a situation that seems more nightmare than reality. "Blood Pact" is an utterly riveting read with a shocking surprise ending. The final chapters are full of thrills and chills and unspeakable horrors, and yet at the same time are a testament to the undiluted beauty and power of love. Huff manages to elicit a diverse range of emotions from her readers, and her moving tale had tears streaming down my cheeks. It is impossible not to become completely wrapped up in the lives of Vicki, Henry, and Mike, and the tension created by their strange love triangle is intense. "Blood Pact" is a brilliant mixture of horror, mystery, fantasy and romance, and it is sure to take you for a ride you won't soon forget!
Rating:
Summary: A Touching, Terrifying, Outstanding Tale!
Review: "Blood Pact" is the fourth book in Tanya Huff's fantastic "Blood" series and it is stunning in every sense of the word. It's shocking and affecting, it tore at my heart and made me cry, and it horrified and amazed me. I absolutely could not put this book down and stayed up all night to finish it. "Blood Pact" is a book you don't want to miss; it's suspenseful, frightening, thought provoking, and heart-rending. But most importantly it is, quite simply, a highly entertaining, great read! "Blood Pact" begins with Vicki Nelson, ex-cop and now Private Investigator, receiving the news every child, no matter how old, lives in fear of. Her mother, whose phone calls she has been avoiding recently, has died suddenly of a heart defect. Wracked with guilt and already annoyed with the two men in her life, 450-year-old romance-writing vampire Henry Fitzroy and homicide detective Mike Celluci, Vicki leaves Toronto for Kingston to lay her mother to rest. Unfortunately, Vicki's coping skills are failing her, and dealing with her mother's sympathetic co-workers isn't helping. Luckily, Henry and Mike both discover what has happened, and head off to Kingston to support Vicki in the midst of this tragedy. But things just keep getting worse, as Vicki's mother's body is stolen from the funeral home. Convinced that the police will not put much effort into the case, Vicki sets out to find her mother on her own, stubbornly refusing to grieve for her loss or even acknowledge her pain, and heading straight for a nervous breakdown. Henry and Mike are truly frightened about Vicki's mental state, and the two of them decide to put aside their differences and work together, in hopes of preserving Vicki's sanity. But then, one terrible night, the unimaginable occurs. Sitting in her mother's apartment Vicki hears a noise at the window and opens the curtains to reveal her mother on the other side of the glass, unmistakably dead and yet somehow horribly alive. This grim discovery leads Vicki, Henry, and Mike on a disturbing and perilous hunt for a group of scientists experimenting with resurrecting the dead through the use of bacteria. And Huff's portrayal of this group of scientists is genuinely disturbing. Indeed, the real monsters in this book are not the zombies at all, but the humans creating them. Their utter lack of humanity and their clinical indifference to the suffering they cause is appalling, and Vicki's mother is just another experiment to them. Sickened by what she has discovered and all the more determined to bring those who stole her mother to justice, Vicki leads Henry and Mike into very dangerous territory. The story is full of twists and turns and heart-pounding suspense, as Vicki, Henry and Mike must deal with a situation that seems more nightmare than reality. "Blood Pact" is an utterly riveting read with a shocking surprise ending. The final chapters are full of thrills and chills and unspeakable horrors, and yet at the same time are a testament to the undiluted beauty and power of love. Huff manages to elicit a diverse range of emotions from her readers, and her moving tale had tears streaming down my cheeks. It is impossible not to become completely wrapped up in the lives of Vicki, Henry, and Mike, and the tension created by their strange love triangle is intense. "Blood Pact" is a brilliant mixture of horror, mystery, fantasy and romance, and it is sure to take you for a ride you won't soon forget!
Rating:
Summary: Most frightening Book of this series!
Review: "Man's inhumanity to Man" all for Glory & Money... true horror, more so than any of the "creatures" in this set of books. Once again we find Vicki Nelson~Detective, Henry Fitzroy~ Vampire, & Mike Celluci~Cop in a scary fast pace tale of true evil. That all come to about because Vicki goes home to arrange things when her Mother dies. Only to find someone has stolen Mrs.Nelson's body. Interesting blend of Romance, Mystery, Scfi & Horror...
Rating: 
Summary: the wild card in the series - with a shocking ending
Review: Blood Pact is the fourth book about Vicki Nelson, PI, and Henry Fitzroy, romance writer, bastard son of Henry VIII, and vampire, continueing the enjoyable series. Those who already know that they like vampire novels, anything at all that features a vampire, can skip this review, and likewise, those who hate the whole idea of vampires can skip it. But for those trying to decide whether or not to read more of this genre, or whether the one vampire novel you've already read was a fluke, it may help to have some ways to categorize these novels. Thus: BunRab's Standard Vampire Classification Guide. First, most authors of vampire novels approach from one of the main genres of genre fiction; thus their background may be primarily in romance, or in science fiction/fantasy, or in murder mysteries, or in horror. Second, many vampire novels come in series; knowing whether this is one of a series, and where in the series it falls, may be helpful. Then we have some particular characteristics: - Is the vampire character (or characters) a "good guy" or a "bad guy"? Or are there some of each? - Are there continuing characters besides the vampire, through the series? - Are there other types of supernatural beings besides vampires? - Can the vampire stand daylight under some circumstances, or not stand daylight at all? - Does the vampire have a few other supernatural characteristics, many other supernatural characteristics, or none other than just being a vampire? (E.g., super strength, change into an animal, turn invisible) - Does the vampire have a regular job and place in society, or is being a vampire his or her entire raison d'etre? - Does the vampire literally drink blood, or is there some other (perhaps metaphorical) method of feeding? - Is sex a major plot element, a minor plot element, or nonexistent? - Is the entire vampire feeding act a metaphor for sex, part of a standard sex act, or unrelated to sex? - Is the story set in one historical period, more than one historical period, or entirely in the present day? - Does the story have elements of humor, or is it strictly serious? - Is the writing style good, or is the writing just there to manage to hold together the plot and characters? Tanya Huff's series about the vampire Henry Fitzroy starts from the mystery and thriller genres (Huff also writes Fantasy), and is a continuing series. Fitzroy is a good guy, just leading a quiet life. The continuing characters include several types of humans: police officers, detectives, street people, family members. There are other supernatural characters, usually only one type per book (e.g., werewolves). Henry definitely can't stand daylight at all; it literally burns him. He has extraordinary strength and speed, and a sort of hypnotic influence but no "magic" powers. In fact, other than the existence of a few types of supernatural beings, there is little supernatural going on in the series - it's everyday modern Toronto, not a fantasy world. He's got a day job - er, make that a night job: he's a writer. He drinks blood, usually from consenting adults, sometimes associated with sex, but not necessarily. There is sex in the books, but it's a minor plot element, not graphically detailed. These stories are there for the mystery/thriller elements; romance is only a sideline. Huff allows the characters to have a sense of humor: witty dialogue, a way with words. Some of the characters are set up for humor and farce as well, although not in a crude or gross way. The writing is well above average for "genre fiction" and the books are quite enjoyable to read. In Blood Pact, we are introduced to the usual new type of supernatural character - in previous books, it's been demons, werewolves, mummy - this time it's zombies. We also get introduced to a type of character that's not supernatural, but none the less has its stereotype in the genre: the mad scientist. Vicki's mom dies, and Vicki travels to Kingston to see to her burial - only, there isn't a body to bury. We do get some bits of farce, reminiscent of several classic movies, where people lose track of corpses, but there's nothing actually insensitive or offensive about it. Henry follows Vicki; Mike follows Henry, and soon the crew are interfering with the hapless campus police (Vicki's mom worked at a university) and the Kingston police. I can't tell you too much more about this one without giving away the surprise ending, and it is indeed a surprise, one that will change the tone of the series, and of the characters' relationships, profoundly. Suffice it to say that the gigantic fire that wipes out the mad scientists and their lab, and kills all the remaining zombies, is the least of it.
Rating: 
Summary: Okay end to the Series
Review: Excellent Series - This is the fifth novel in Tanya Huff's vampire series. Although this book is my least favorite, it is still an excellent series overall. This is the final chapter involving Vicki, an ex-cop, Mike, a detective who is Vicki's lover, and Henry, a vampire, romance writer who is Vicki's ex-love. (If you have not read the entire series, you must read it, you will not be disappointed. The series order: Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Lines, Blood Pact and Blood Debt). This fifth book begins with Vicki and Mike as a couple. if you have read the series, you know that Vicki and Henry were in love but Vicki was badly hurt and Henry made her into a vampire. There are rules that vampires must follow, and one is that they can't hunt in the same territory. Vicki had one year with Henry while he taught her everything she needed to know to survive as a vampire. She left Henry, and returned to Mike, her first boyfriend. What makes this fifth book so irritating at times, is Henry and Vicki's new personalities which come out in the fifth book. Before Vicki became a vampire, she was already a little irritating. She was an overbearing loud mouth woman cop, who had temper tamtrums, banged things when she got angry and had yelling matches with her boyfriend Mike to the point they woke the neighbors. This behavior is already a little over the top, now throw in the fact that Vicki is a vampire, and even more aggressive, and she at times can be a downright irritating character. Also my favorite character of all was Henry, a vampire, and romance writer, who with his wealth of years, always seemed calm and in control. Not in this fifth book. Henry keeps seeing ghosts. The ghosts will ask him a question, and then an innocent person dies. When Henry cannot figure this out on his own, he has to call Vicki to help him. As soon as Vicki arrives, none of the old romance is there, instead, they spend the entire novel snarling at each other like animals (which is so unlike Henry's character in any of the other novels). It's very disappointing. Throw in Mike with his yelling and Italian cop testostrone and the most likeable character in book number 5 is Tony, Henry's roommate. Basically Henry and Vicki will have to stop fighting long enough to solve the crime. I'm glad there was a fifth book, but I am also glad the series ended here. Otherwise, I could see myself becoming disappointed. Vicki as a vampire is annoying. Still good series - definitely worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: 4th Book in the Series
Review: Excellent Series - This is the fourth novel in Tanya Huff's excellent vampire series. This book and the entire series gets 5+ stars. Although I must admit I liked the first three books more, this still is an excellent continuation of the story involving Vicki, Mike and Henry. (If you have not read the entire series, you must read it, you will not be disappointed. The series order: Blood Price, Blood Trail, Blood Lines, Blood Pact and Blood Debt). This fourth book continues with Vicki, an ex cop turned private investigator, who had to leave the police force because she is losing her night vision. From previous novels you met Henry, a 400 year old vampire who is also a romantic writer, and Vicki's friend and lover. Also, you met Mike, Vicki's ex-partner, who is also involved with Vicki. As the fourth book begins Vicki receives the telephone call that no one wants to receive. Her mother has died unexpectedly. Vicki has to come to grips with her mother's death, and at the same time if you have been reading the earlier books of the series, also has to finally deal with her relationship between Mike and Henry who both love her. This book has some surprise twists, namely the fact that even though her mother is supposed to be dead, While Vicki is staying at her mother's house, she sees her in a window. Is she dead, or isn't she? This fourth book had some surprise twists, and I must say I felt a little saddened for Henry in this series, who for so many centuries has been alone. But I won't give away more, you will have to read it to find out. A very excellent book if you are into the Tanya Huff series. I recommend.
Rating:
Summary: Beautiful...
Review: I fell in love with Tanya Huff's works ever since "The Wizard of the Grove", and "Blood Pact" did not disappoint me. Vicki Nelson receives a call that turns her life upside down, her mother has died. Vicki quickly packs her things to Kingstown to say her farewells. But when somebody steals her mother's body, Vicki is on the case and very eager to exact her revenge. This was such a beautiful story that I thought I was going to cry, and I haven't cried in three or four years. It almost made me want to say "I love you" to my mother, almost. This book was undoubtedly the best book in the series.
Rating:
Summary: Great Plot, Poor Writing
Review: I read Summon the Keeper by Tanya Huff and I must say it was a very good plot but again the writing was jumpy. This book had one of the most creative and well-developed plots I've ever read and I have just a month ago past the 400th book I've read since I was 11 and able to read adult books (13 now). Yet the writing in this story jumped around a lot and the " F-word" was used all too frequently. I'm not sheltered from life by any means and I've heard more " language " then perhaps the average person but every other page is just too much. I still besides all that highly recommend this story for the activity and plot alone. It would also be a very good movie.
Rating:
Summary: Maybe she should have stopped at three.....
Review: I read the first three and really thought they were great. Reading one right after the other because I enjoyed the characters so much I didn't want to let go of them. But in the fourth book, I felt something was lacking and I really did not like what happened at the end. I'm going to hold off reading the fifth book for awhile. Let the disappointment pass before I try reading it. The first three books are very good, so please don't pass on them. But pick up the 4th at a book exchange instead of spending full price on it.
Rating: 
Summary: Should have stopped with Three
Review: I really enjoyed this series, untill I read this 4th book. ACK! . . what a disapointment.
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