Partners

Rating:
Summary: Not as Good, but Better in Some Ways
Review: I liked this story more than "The Hunt," for the most part, but some things made me twitch.

I was glad that some other supernatural beings were discussed, because it leaves the series open for other creatures to be brought in later. This, in my opinion, is one of the strongest elements in the Southern Vampire series. It's also one of the drawbacks to Anne Rice's books. The way her books portray other supernatural creatures is very much like a 1970s primetime series: And featuring Lestat de Lioncourt as "The Vampire."

I was annoyed with how Jebel could find clues and not find clues in the same scene of the book. It irritated me that the "vampire glamour" could convince someone of something patently false yet allow them to see fairly obscure clues that force them to deny that falsehood.

I'd still recommend this book if you're into mysteries, vampires, or supernatural characters of any kind.

Rating:
Summary: Not as Good, but Better in Some Ways
Review: I liked this story more than "The Hunt," for the most part, but some things made me twitch.

I was glad that some other supernatural beings were discussed, because it leaves the series open for other creatures to be brought in later. This, in my opinion, is one of the strongest elements in the Southern Vampire series. It's also one of the drawbacks to Anne Rice's books. The way her books portray other supernatural creatures is very much like a 1970s primetime series: And featuring Lestat de Lioncourt as "The Vampire."

I was annoyed with how Jebel could find clues and not find clues in the same scene of the book. It irritated me that the "vampire glamour" could convince someone of something patently false yet allow them to see fairly obscure clues that force them to deny that falsehood.

I'd still recommend this book if you're into mysteries, vampires, or supernatural characters of any kind.

Rating:
Summary: Superior sequel!
Review: In my review for Susan Sizemore's previous book, "The Hunt," I said that she introduced too many concepts without enough explanation, and gave us too many characters without taking enough time to develop them all. I am happy to say that these are not mistakes she makes in her second book--indeed, in almost every way, the second book is a tighter, more focused story--a delight to devour!

A quick note: while this is technically a sequel to "The Hunt," there are very few references between the two--you don't really have to have read the first one to understand the second, though you'll get more out of it for the extra little details you'll notice.

Once again, this is the story of an Enforcer--the judge, jury, and executioners of vampire law. But instead of the experienced Selim of the previous book, we are introduced to Char, a young, bookish, lady vampire who tries to see herself as a superhero who occasionally has to eat people (but finds jokes about such activites in poor, ahem, taste). Because she is new to the job, we learn as she does, giving us a more complete world-view and understanding of what it means to be a vampire, and an Enforcer. Char is sent to Seattle to look for a newly-created vampire who has gone missing. Seattle holds a great deal of memories for the Enforcer, however--it was her home town, when she was human, and it's where she and her lover/sire lived in happier times. Char must come to grips with all these memories and jumbled emotions, while at the same time try and find out what is behind the recent string of horrific murders that have taken place there--is her missing vampire to blame?

On the opposite side of Char, we have Jebel Haven, a vampire hunter whose own origin story sounds like a take-off of the movie "From Dusk Till Dawn." He is approached by a worried FBI agent, who is afraid her son has fallen in with a serial killer. His trail also leads him to Seattle, where he will quickly have to decide if all vampires are monsters that need to be killed--or if there are worse things than vampires to worry about.

Excellent, nicely-paced book--I can't wait for the next one!

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant story-fantastic characters-a 6*
Review: Jebel Haven used to be the lowest scum of the earth until the former con found his true calling of killing vampires and other creatures of the night. He and his compatriots make their kills in a cloak of darkness that keeps other mortals ignorant of their deadly tasks. However, the Vampire Council is well aware of his success rate and fears he could turn into a bigger problem for them. The Chief orders the relatively new enforcer Char now a Nighthawk, to terminate Jebel.

Before she can hunt her prey, a vampire mother visits Char to tell her that one of her nestlings Danny has vanished. At about the same time, FBI agent Brenda Novak coerces Jebel into helping her find her missing son Danny. Eventually Char and Jebel meet in Seattle and each wants to kill the other at first. However despite their mutual distrust of each other, they join forces to find Danny and battle a cult and its demon to the death.

Once again, Susan Sizemore has created a fantastic vampire story that brings fresh life to the Nosferatu legends. The action is intense, but easy to follow, which is a tribute to Ms. Sizemore's storytelling abilities. However, the heart of this work lies in the protagonists, two partners who find themselves in a very shaky business relationship and alliance. These two natural enemies not only are attracted to one another, but are also struggling against a common opponent. The "Laws of the Blood" series is deservedly becoming a cult favorite.

Harriet Klausner

Rating:
Summary: Susan did it again. :-)
Review: Just finished reading it this morning and loved it. Look for to the next book in the series. Great read.

Rating:
Summary: Susan did it again. :-)
Review: Just finished reading it this morning and loved it. Look for to the next book in the series. Great read.

Rating:
Summary: Anita Blake Fans Will Love It!
Review: Partners by Susan Sizemore is the second in the Laws of Blood series. I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, but Partners is a much better book than the first, The Hunt. You don't have to read the The Hunt to enjoy this book, but it does give a lot of background on the Stigoi community.

Partners deals with a young enforcer coming to terms with her new powers and a vampire killer with a criminal past coming to terms with his thoughts on 'monsters'. The Hunt is suspenseful, violent, sexy and often funny. If you are a fan of the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton, I think you'll LOVE this book. :)

Rating:
Summary: Anita Blake Fans Will Love It!
Review: Partners by Susan Sizemore is the second in the Laws of Blood series. I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, but Partners is a much better book than the first, The Hunt. You don't have to read the The Hunt to enjoy this book, but it does give a lot of background on the Stigoi community.

Partners deals with a young enforcer coming to terms with her new powers and a vampire killer with a criminal past coming to terms with his thoughts on 'monsters'. The Hunt is suspenseful, violent, sexy and often funny. If you are a fan of the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton, I think you'll LOVE this book. :)

Rating:
Summary: A demonic threat makes for strange vampiric bedfellows
Review: Partners is the second book in Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series, and while I enjoyed the first novel, The Hunt, I found Partners to be a much more energetic and entertaining read. There is a lot of life in this novel's characters, especially the undead ones, and I felt like an active observer of all the action that takes place in these pages. Partners also significantly expands upon the self-styled vampire mythology that Sizemore is crafting in this fresh and unusual series. Not only do we learn more about vampires, we are also introduced to other supernatural creatures lurking within the shadows of human society.

Vampires are subject to their own special laws in this universe, and Enforcers are the ubervampires charged with the duty to enforce these laws. Vampires can only feed upon mortal flesh in authorized Hunts, for example. Most importantly, they can do nothing that would alert the human population to their presence. When vampires break the law, Enforcers serve as judge, jury, and executioner. Charlotte McCairn is a relatively new Enforcer; in the two years since her transformation from vampire to Hunter, she has spent her time doing research rather than face active duty out on the streets. She calls herself Char because that sounds tough, but she has yet to earn the distinction of the name. That changes when Istvan the dhampir, the baddest Enforcer of them all, sends her out to kill Jebel Haven. Haven is a self-styled vampire killer; even though the vampire-like creatures he has devoted his life to killing aren't actually vampires, the Strigoi Council has decided he poses a future threat to vampirekind and must be eliminated. At the same time, a vampire nest leader comes to Char asking for help - one of her nestlings has disappeared and may be involved in some pretty dark activities (of the sulfurous variety) - a definite no-no in vampire circles. Meanwhile, vampire buster Jebel Haven is coerced into taking a job of his own, hunting the very same vampire Char is searching for. The missing young vampire seems to have gotten mixed up with a demon, and Char and Haven eventually work together in an uneasy, complicated, increasingly close partnership to find him. Char plans to kill Jebel after the search is over, of course, but things get a little complicated along the way.

Char is a fascinating character, learning the ways of the Enforcer before our (and Jebel's) very eyes. There is plenty of action to keep the reader engaged in the story, and the evolving relationship between Char and Jebel is not only interesting but a lot of fun to watch. After all, vampire killer meets vampire charged with the task of killing said vampire hunter isn't your typical romantic pairing. Sizemore does a wonderful job letting the relationship develop, giving us quite a grounding in her vision of vampirology in the process. At the same time, the question of how these two opposites will react toward one another in the end is never far from the reader's mind. All of this makes for an engaging and refreshingly different sort of vampire story and helps establish Susan Sizemore as a bonafide modern craftswoman in the art of vampirology.

Rating:
Summary: A demonic threat makes for strange vampiric bedfellows
Review: Partners is the second book in Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series, and while I enjoyed the first novel, The Hunt, I found Partners to be a much more energetic and entertaining read. There is a lot of life in this novel's characters, especially the undead ones, and I felt like an active observer of all the action that takes place in these pages. Partners also significantly expands upon the self-styled vampire mythology that Sizemore is crafting in this fresh and unusual series. Not only do we learn more about vampires, we are also introduced to other supernatural creatures lurking within the shadows of human society.

Vampires are subject to their own special laws in this universe, and Enforcers are the ubervampires charged with the duty to enforce these laws. Vampires can only feed upon mortal flesh in authorized Hunts, for example. Most importantly, they can do nothing that would alert the human population to their presence. When vampires break the law, Enforcers serve as judge, jury, and executioner. Charlotte McCairn is a relatively new Enforcer; in the two years since her transformation from vampire to Hunter, she has spent her time doing research rather than face active duty out on the streets. She calls herself Char because that sounds tough, but she has yet to earn the distinction of the name. That changes when Istvan the dhampir, the baddest Enforcer of them all, sends her out to kill Jebel Haven. Haven is a self-styled vampire killer; even though the vampire-like creatures he has devoted his life to killing aren't actually vampires, the Strigoi Council has decided he poses a future threat to vampirekind and must be eliminated. At the same time, a vampire nest leader comes to Char asking for help - one of her nestlings has disappeared and may be involved in some pretty dark activities (of the sulfurous variety) - a definite no-no in vampire circles. Meanwhile, vampire buster Jebel Haven is coerced into taking a job of his own, hunting the very same vampire Char is searching for. The missing young vampire seems to have gotten mixed up with a demon, and Char and Haven eventually work together in an uneasy, complicated, increasingly close partnership to find him. Char plans to kill Jebel after the search is over, of course, but things get a little complicated along the way.

Char is a fascinating character, learning the ways of the Enforcer before our (and Jebel's) very eyes. There is plenty of action to keep the reader engaged in the story, and the evolving relationship between Char and Jebel is not only interesting but a lot of fun to watch. After all, vampire killer meets vampire charged with the task of killing said vampire hunter isn't your typical romantic pairing. Sizemore does a wonderful job letting the relationship develop, giving us quite a grounding in her vision of vampirology in the process. At the same time, the question of how these two opposites will react toward one another in the end is never far from the reader's mind. All of this makes for an engaging and refreshingly different sort of vampire story and helps establish Susan Sizemore as a bonafide modern craftswoman in the art of vampirology.