Children of the Vampire

Rating:
Summary: The masterpiece continues...
Review: The magnificent continuation to the previous masterpiece, Covenant With The Vampire. Arkady & Mary's childe has grown up, & Stephan, now in Amsterdam, has a brother, who has a hard time accepting the shadow world of the Vampire, & eventually comes to learn the horrible truth of it all, in the most personal manner. The psychological twists will set you reeling, as the twisted labyrinths Vlad has constructed unfolds. Zsusannah continues to improve & evolve in her new & glorious afterlife, & has come to realize her new abilities more intimately, & employs wicked trickeries taught to her by Vlad, & a secret society of Vampire Magicians.

The creative genius of Jeanne Kalogridis continues to delight & astound the Children of Darkness everywhere. She is the best new talent to creep forth from the recesses of the catacombes of horror-writers in quite awhile. She has become the Dark Goddess of this strange & compelling world where we long to be, & would swear upon our black souls, we have been. She has spread her black wings, & swiftly ascends unto the ranks of Anne Rice & Clive Barker.

The series, The Diaries of the Family Dracul, is truly an ingenious work, & bears boldly, The Draconian Seal of Approval. I do wish a movie lies in the future...

Rating:
Summary: Dracula not enough?
Review: This book is more than a Dracula spin off. It is a beautifully written novel by a talented author. I found myself completely wrapped up in the story. The perfect addition to a vampire lovers collection.

Rating:
Summary: Better than the first -- in my opinion.
Review: This is the 2nd part in "The Diaries of the Family Dracul" trilogy, which is written in the same format as Bram Stoker's Dracula. This story takes place 25 years after the first novel. Arkady is still trying to find a way to destroy his uncle, Vlad, and release his family from an age-old covenant/curse.

I thought this book was great, better than the first. While I found myself wishing something interesting would hurry and happen in the first book, I didn't have that problem with this book. The action was fast-paced and tinged with a dark urgency, and I couldn't put it down because I was so anxious to see what happened next.

My only real gripe with this book was the "twist" it takes in the end. I thought that was somewhat contrived. It seemed to come right out of left field as if the author was really only putting it for a shock value -- especially considering that vampires supposedly taste the "truth" in the blood. However, it didn't hinder the story, and it definitely does give you a bit of a shock.

Anyhow, I thought the book was better than a 4-star rating, but not quite a five. Definitely another good addition to any vampire lover's collection.