Dhampir

Rating:
Summary: Dhampir
Review: The cover likened the book to BVS and LOR, but it fell far sort of the wit the Buffy the Vampire series contains. If you like witty, smart-a_ _ heroines going up against vampires and other creepy crawlies of the dark, please try the Anitia Blake series by L.K. Hamilton. I didn't really read anything in the book that brought Lord of the Rings to mind.

Now, I'm not saying that this is a bad book or a poor one for that matter. I just reminded me more of the Forgotten Realms books that I read in elementary school (3-5 grades). It's very easy reading but there are some interesting plot elements and sections that could have been used to create a more complex and developed work. Younger, or readers less experienced with the genera are going to like this book and that is why I rounded it up to 4 stars, but other readers are going to be a bit disappointed.

I would recommend the following series for those looking for a "bit more" or "something different" in their vampire reading.

The Anita Blake series by L.K. Hamilton
The Diaries of the Family Dracul series by Jeanne Kalogridis
The Coldfire series by C.S. Freidman

For something a bit more epic like LOR, please consider the following:
Carol Berg (questing and some fighting, more social commentary, magic)
George R.R. Martin's Song of Fire and Ice Series (complex, magic, battles, very political)
Melanie Rawn's Sunrunner Series or Exile Series (witty, political, magic)

Happy reading!

Rating:
Summary: Stake it it's dead!
Review: The critic's review on the cover compared this book to a cross between Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Lord of the Rings... Pleeeease! This book fell down flat on it's face. The action ...doesn't keep you interested. The main characters are severely lacking in, well, character. The best thing about this book is the artwork on the cover. If you want better vampire reading, pick up Linda K. Hamilton (Guilty Pleasures, etc) or Chelsea Quinn Yarbro (A Candle for D'Artagnan, A Flame in Byzantium, etc.). This book just dissapointed me.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointment
Review: The premise of this book sounded interesting enough -- a half-vamipre, half-human conwoman and her elven partner take on real vampires after spending years taking the money of superstitious peasants. The book itself was a huge disappointment. The characters spoke in "clever" cliches and were described with unoriginal, flat sentences; the narration was painfully clumsy; and the characters themselves were impersonal and impossible to empathize with. Not an original phrase or idea in the entire book.
If you're interested in a genuinely absorbing "vampire" read, look to C.S. Friedman's Coldfire trilogy. If you're looking for a good doorstop, buy Dhampir.

Rating:
Summary: Promising beginning! I hope this will be a series!
Review: This book is a promising beginning to a great new adventure series. Magiere and her half-elf sidekick Leesil have been making a dishonest living running scams on foolish superstitious villagers whom Magiere promises to rid of evil spirits--for a stiff fee. Having spent her life persecuted by superstitious fools, she feels little remorse at taking advantage of what she views as their stupidity in believing in something she is sure does not exist. At the start of the book, she tires of this kind of life and decides to buy an inn and settle down. Little does she realize it, but the town she chooses is also the home of a nest of undead vampires, and they recognize her for what she really is--a Dhampir--a slayer of undead, and they quickly move to elimate her. Only if she comes to terms with her true self will Magiere and those dear to her survive what is coming...

Magiere and Leesil are fascinating characters. Both have been badly hurt in their childhoods and their motivations and feelings are well drawn. They are not perfect--Leesil drinks to deaden memories of his terrible deeds in his sad past, he picks pockets and routinely gambles away all his money. Magiere resists getting involved, is quite selfish at the start, scamming poor villagers of thier life savings. They make some missteps and people die. Both of them change over the course of the book from bitter loners to the kind of people you can truly call heroes.

And these two people are made for each other! While there is no obvious romance in this book, but I am hoping for a bit of romance between them in future volumes--there are definite hints of it here!

Secondary characters are well designed too, brave Beth Rae and Brendan, even the vampires are given at least some background and bits of history. These characters are not just cardboard cutouts.

Fans of Patricia Briggs and Dawn Cook will probably enjoy this book--the characterization and writing style is similiar.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and hope there will be more adventures of the captivating main characters!

Rating:
Summary: A must read for fantasy and vampire readers!
Review: This book is awesome! An unexpected combination of a fantasy novel and vampire book! It grabs you from page one all the way to the end! The only bad thing is waiting for the second in the series to come out in January 2004!

Rating:
Summary: Well written
Review: This book was much better written than I had expected. The story was interesting and the characters were compelling. You want to find out more about both the protagonists and villians. Both sides had real reasons for their actions. I highly recommend Dhampir for a good read.

Rating:
Summary: Subpar at best..
Review: This is a not a very good book. The title grabbed my attention as I only heard used in a movie before. I was expecting something better than poor characterization and action when I bought this. If you want descent vampire hunting action check out Blade, Vampire Hunter D: Bloodlust, Anita Blake, or the Harry Dresden Series.

Rating:
Summary: Not your run-of-the-mill vampire fiction
Review: This is a rare one, a vampire novel that treads new ground. Magiere and Leesil were believable and sympathetic characters. Like most people, all they wanted was a home and a little peace. But they had to fight hard for both when their faked vampire hunting turns dangerously real. I know the Hendees. They're great people and great writers. I'll be on the lookout for more fiction from them.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and somewhat original.
Review: This is an excellent first venture for the authors. The two main characters are interesting and full of dimensions. They kept surprising me, all the way through the book. The villians are smart, and ironically full of humanity. The setting is quite different from "run of the mill" vampire novels. The world is well laid-out and it seems obvious that an actual map of the fantasy-place exists. The strength of detail, alone, makes this book worth reading. Altogether, I'm hopeful that the author will supply avid readers more novels like this one.

Rating:
Summary: Review
Review: This was an interresting book. The characters are well developed. I hope that the authors of the book continue because I would like to know what happens to the Dhampir & her companions.

Here is a short summary of the book. A woman travels the lonely roads in search for towns that are willing to pay her to remove creatures that roam the night. However what the towns do not realize is that the woman is a fraud. The woman grows tired of the lies & decides that it is time to make a honest living, so she buys a tavern. What she does not realize though is that she is a Dhampir (half human & half vampire) & when the real creatures of the night decide to end her life. She must accept who & what she is to survive or die.

I recommend this book for people who love action, adventure & humor. There is a unique way the authors wrote this book (by the way, I mean unique in a good way) & I hope that they continue with what they started. (HOPEFULLY this will become a series!).

Sincerely,
JenJayLynn