Review - Heat Stroke by Rachel Caine

Heat Stroke (Weather Warden #2) by Rachel Caine
Librarything / Goodreads 

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 stars

Review is spoiler-free - the summary is not!

Summary: Accused of murder, Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin was chased across the country—and killed—by a team charged with hunting down rogue Wardens. Five days later, Joanne had a lovely funeral and was posthumously cleared of all charges. Her human life was over, but she had been reborn in Djinnhood. Now, until she masters her enhanced powers, Joanne must try to avoid being "claimed" by a human. But when a hazard that only a Djinn could sense infiltrates Earth's atmosphere, Joanne must somehow convince someone to do something about it—or the forecast will be deadly. So who said being all-powerful was going to be easy?

Thoughts: When I started Heat Stroke, it had been over a year since I read Ill Wind, the first book in Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series. And while I had geniunely enjoyed Ill Wind, and I could remember as much, I couldn't remember anything that had happened in it. I vaguely recalled the ending, I remembered the main character had a thing for fast cars, and... that was it.

So, needless to say, this book started off a bit rough. There were a lot of characters dealing with the emotional fall-out of the last book – and that really meant nothing at all to me. But soon enough, Caine ramped up the action and I no longer had to worry about what I didn't remember. There were are new problems to worry about!

Heat Stroke reminded me of what I adored about the first 6 books of the Morganville Vampire Series: the out-of-nowhere twists and turns. Rachel Caine is not an author to stick with the status quo. She'll set you up in one direction and then – BAM – she'll move you into another. Heat Stroke was filled with twists and turns – all of them utterly realistic.

UK Cover

And now that I write that, I realise that that is exactly it. I've read 10+ Caine books and now I've finally worked out why she is such a joy to read! It's not just that she puts in great twists into her books, it's that the twists feel completely natural. A lot of excellent fantasy novelists put in mind-blowing twists into their books (Rachel Vincent and Richelle Mead, I'm looking at the two of you), but they always feel like twists. Your reaction to them will always be “Wow, I can't believe [author] did that!”. But with Caine, you don't even feel it. She creates characters and universes so complete within themselves that they can drive the show all on their own. It's fantastic.

I can officially say that Heat Stroke took me from just being a Rachel Caine fan to being a Weather Warden fan. Apparently, Rachel Caine can write a main character in love with more than one leading man without turning the novel into a migraine inducing disaster. She can writes 3D villains who you can both pity and wish dead. She's also one of the few authors I've read who “abuses” her male characters just as much as her female ones. In short, she's fab - there is a reason she has so many fans!

Bottom line? Read the Weather Warden series! It is extremely enjoyable, highly realistic, kick-ass urban fantasy filled with fast cars and physics.

Review - Ghost Town (Morganville Vamps, Book 9) by Rachel Caine

Ghost Town (Morganville Series, Book 9) by Rachel Caine
Bookdepository / Amazon UK / Amazon US
Librarything / Goodreads

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult

Rating: 2.5 stars
Pages: 479

Summary: While developing a new system to maintain Morganville's defenses, student Claire Danvers discovers a way to amplify vampire mental powers. Through this, she's able to re-establish the field around this vampire-infested Texas college town that protects it from outsiders.

But the new upgrades have an unexpected consequence: people inside the town begin to slowly forget who they are-even the vampires. Soon, the town's little memory problem has turned into a full-on epidemic. Now Claire needs to figure out a way to pull the plug on her experiment- before she forgets how to save Morganville...

Thoughts: I really cannot believe I am writing a non-glowing-verging-on-negative review for a Morganville book. This series has consistently been one of my favourite reads - I thought that there could be no such thing as a bad Morganville book. But after reading Ghost Town, I remembered the problems I had with the first book in the series (Glass House). Namely, it just didn't make me care about the characters.

Claire and the gang are, as usual, in the midst of another action-packed drama - this time centred around Claire and Mrynin's experimental new machine. Now, that should make my knees turn to jelly, because a) I am head-over-heels in love with Myrnin, and b) I absolutely adore the Claire/Myrnin relationship. And yet their dynamic in this book is pretty much centred around Ada - which was just one of those characters I wish Caine would drop already. Seeing Myrnin - of all people - so love-crazy (instead of regular crazy) just annoyed me. There were a few scenes between them at the start of the book that I loved, but then it was all downhill.

Same goes for Amelie and Oliver - usually two kick-ass characters who seemed to spend this book going on and on about their unbelievable emotional angst. Not to mention the fact that they have been having the same argument about Morganville for nine books. Every time they brought it up, my eyes would start to glaze over. I get it already! Geez.

As for the Glass House residents, I have been growing less and less attached to them with each book. Shane/Claire used to make my heart pitter-patter, and now I feel like skipping through all their lovey-dovey business. I guess they've reached that point in their relationship where the camera would usually fade to black and display a "happily ever after" banner. It's great for them, but not so interesting for us readers. Not that I want angst, per say, but some kind of development would be nice.

Bottom line? Depressing instalment to a great series. I remain a fan, but have lost my faith in the series.

Review - Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine

Kiss of Death (Morganville Vampires, Book 8) by Rachel Caine
Bookdepository / Amazon UK / Amazon US
Librarything / Goodreads

Rating: 3.5 stars
Pages: 348
Genre: Young Adult (Paranormal)

Summary: Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a big- time producer who wants to cut a demo and play some gigs-which means Michael will have to enter the human world. For this, he's been assigned escorts that include both a dangerous immortal as well as Michael's all-too-human friends. And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell..

Thoughts: I remember reading that Rachel Caine had had a 6-book plan set out for the Morganville series when she started out.  Kiss of Death is book 8 – and her lack-of-overarching-plan is kinda starting to show.

Don’t get me wrong, I really enjoyed Kiss of Death.  Caine’s verse is as addictive as ever.  I love these characters and their angst – so, really, how could I not enjoy another visit into their world?  But Kiss of Death was definitely a step down from some of the other Morganville books.  If I weren’t such a fan, I probably would have been less than impressed.

Kiss of Death takes place outside of Morganville.  This is a first for the series which had had the characters literally confined to the city in previous books.  Whilst a road trip might sound like a happy-go-lucky time for the gang, things never work out that way for Claire and co.  So, there are plenty of new vamps, some kidnapping and, oh, a car chase or two.

Pretty cool… but also pretty pointless.  Kiss of Death felt very episodic and monster-of-the-week.  A cool monster, sure, but I couldn’t help thinking “… so?”  It was a far cry from the epic cliff-hangers of the first 5 books that literally stopped your heart.

Not to mention the most important failure: the epic lack of Myrinn.  *cries softly whilst wearing vampire bunny slippers*

However, I do have hope for Morganville books of the future.  Fade Out was friggin’ fantastic (and with plenty of Myrinn goodness) and managed to remain self-contained to a single book.



Bottom line?  The Morganville Vampires series is fantastic - I highly recommend it.  That said, Kiss of Death was not it’s greatest instalment.

Note to the UK publishers: Did something break when publishing Kiss of Death?  My cover was in pieces after one light read – not to mention the book was littered with typos.  Not cool.

Review - Ill Wind by Rachel Caine

Ill Wind (Weather Wardens, Book 1) by Rachel Caine
Bookdepository / Amazon UK / Amazon US
Librarything / Goodreads
Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 337

Summary: Joanne Baldwin is a Weather Warden. Usually, all it takes is a wave of her hand to tame the most violent weather. But now, she's trying to outrun another kind of storm: accusations of corruption and murder. So, she's resorting to the very human tactic of running for her life...

Her only hope is Lewis, the most powerful warden known. Unfortunately, he's stolen not one but three bottles of Djinn-making him the most wanted man on earth. Still, she's racing hard to find him-before the bad weather closes in fast..

Thoughts: I am a hardcore, unapologetic Rachel Caine fan. Her Morganville series? Pretty much the most addictive YA series ever written. In short, Rachel Caine = Awesome.

Ill Wind proved to me that Caine's awesomeness does indeed translate over into adult fiction.  It has plenty of action, fast cars, biblical storms and some brilliantly 3D characters.  Although not as addictive as her Morganville series, I have high hopes for the rest of the Weather Warden books.

Jo is feisty as hell and has no less than three guys after her heart.  She drives a mustang and can start a hurricane - she's on the lam, but she ain't no sheep.

One of the things I love about Rachel Caine is her ability to write smart characters who still make plenty of mistakes.  Jo is smart - she has to be.  Because, unlike other superpowers, being a weather warden is not just about having the talent - you have to learn how to use it.  And what does that mean?  Well, it means an awful lot of atmospheric physics!   *swoons*

Despite Jo's obvious book smarts, she is still fallible.  She makes mistakes and misjudges people - she's only human!  Unlike a lot of authors, who have the token genius who never makes a mistake, Caine writes realistic smart people.  Just because a character has an IQ of 150 doesn't mean they have to be boringly predictable - Caine lets her smarties get into trouble.

And go to the beach.

Bottom line?  Ill Wind has it all: action, mystery, romance and rain.  Pick it up if you are looking for some UF without all the traditional baddies.

Summer Scream Event + Rachel Caine UK Tour!

First off, Rachel Caine is coming to the UK! Whoot! I am a big, big fan of her Morganville Vampires Series and really can't wait to meet her.

And where do I plan on doing that? At the Foyles' Summer Scream Event, of course! Not only is Rachel Caine going to be there, but so is Sarah Rees Brennan (who is AWESOME), Sarwat Chadda, Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams! There will be goodie bags! Prizes! Sugary snacks! Yay!

I have already booked my ticket (they are free, just need advance planning) - anyone else want to come along? Check out the website, or read the rest of the details here:

Do you have the courage to attend the Foyles Summer Scream? If so, you'll be in the company of a host of leading authors, and the recipient of all sorts of spooky treats!

Q&A sessions with:

• The Original Vampire Queen - Rachel Caine, author of the Morganville Vampire series.
• The man who survived The Devil's Kiss - Sarwat Chadda, with exclusive pre-publication copies of his new book Dark Goddess, only available at the Summer Scream.
• The world-renowned Demon Tamer Extraordinaire - Sarah Rees Brennan, author of The Demon's Lexicon and The Demon's Covenant.
• Subterranean explorers Roderick Gordon and Brian Williams - Bestselling authors of the hugely successful fantasy 'Tunnels' series will be talking about their new book Closer, followed by a signing (until 5pm).

Plus: secret scare recommendations from all your favourite authors - Michael Grant, Neil Gaiman, Justin Somper, Holly Black, Scott Westerfeld, Becca Fitzpatrick, Chris Priestley, Dan Wells, Jon Mayhew, Philip Womack, Patrick Ness, Darren Shan and many more!

And our chilling short story competition - your chance to finish off Cassandra Clare's short story and win a hamper of signed books!

All this and more competitions and prizes to be won on the day, plus vintage fairground treats and goody bags for all.

See you there... If you dare!

Saturday 19th june, 12pm - 4pm, The Gallery, Foyles.

Tickets: Free, to reserve a place please email events@foyles.co.uk

♥ ♥

Rachel Caine is touring all over the UK, so if you can't make it to London, check these out:

SIGNINGS

June 2 - 1:00 pm - Waterstone's, Guildford
Guildford, United Kingdom

June 3 - 6.00 pm - Forbidden Planet
London, City of, United Kingdom

June 7 - 12:00 pm (tentative) - Waterstone's Chesham
Chesham, United Kingdom

June 16 - 11:00 am - Waterstone's Islington
Islington, United Kingdom

June 17 - 5.00 pm - Waterstone's Bluewater
Greenhithe, United Kingdom

June 19 - 4:00 pm - Waterstone's Harrow
Harrow, United Kingdom


TALKS/EVENTS

June 4 - 6:00 pm - BITE NIGHT - Harefield Library, Hillingdon
Hillingdon, United Kingdom

June 18 - 5:00 pm - Hornsey Library, Original Gallery
London, United Kingdom
Caine: "Please join me as I discuss the Morganville Vampires series and writing in general!"

June 19 - 12:00 pm - Summer Scream - Foyles Bookshop
London, United Kingdom

Review - Fade Out (Morganville Vampires, Book 7) by Rachel Caine

Fade Out (The Morganville Vampires, Book 7) by Rachel Caine
Bookdepository / Amazon UK / Amazon US
Librarything / Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 348

Summary: Without the evil vampire Bishop ruling over the town of Morganville, the resident vampires have made major concessions to the human population. With their newfound freedoms, Claire Danvers and her friends are almost starting to feel comfortable again…

Now Claire can actually concentrate on her studies, and her friend Eve joins the local theatre company. But when one of Eve’s castmates goes missing after starting work on a short documentary, Eve suspects the worst. Claire and Eve soon realize that this film project, whose subject is the vampires themselves, is a whole lot bigger—and way more dangerous—than anyone suspected.

Thoughts: I had been saving Fade Out because it was my last MV book until Kiss of Death comes out - I finally cracked and read it in a single go! Best 4 hours I've had in quite a while!

The book picks up a few months after the chaos of Carpe Corpus - and Morganville is living in relative peace. In fact, this book has less action than is typical for a Morganville book - which is still an awful lot! Caine's books always pack a punch, and Fade Out is no exception.

A new girl throws all the group dynamics off balance, and it was great to watch how the characters dealt with a less violent disruption to their status quo. Especially Shane and Claire (bless them - I love these two) who are both desperately trying to be grown ups for each other - and not always succeeding. We also got some amazing insight into Myrinn, his relationship with Ada, and the mostly!platonic love between him and Claire. The Myrinn/Claire dynamic is probably my favourite in the series, and Caine really pushes it to its limits. We get a much clearer picture about how Myrinn feels about Claire - and up to what point Claire will have his back. I'll stop there, because I don't want to give anything away. Let's just say that I love their interaction, and there is plenty of it in Fade Out!

Bottom line? Yet another amazing installation in the Morganville Series. A definite must!

Review - Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6) by Rachel Caine

Carpe Corpus (Morganville Vampires, Book 6) by Rachel Caine
Bookdepository / Amazon UK / Amazon US
Librarything / Goodreads

Rating: 4 stars
Pages: 384

Summary: In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace - until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths.

He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants - the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?

Thoughts: Claire and co. are thrown through the wringer - again - in Carpe Corpus. This is Morganville as we have never seen it before - everything that was once only very dangerous becomes terrifyingly so. It seems even worse for poor Claire, as her parents decide that this book will be the perfect opportunity for them to visit their daughter! I loved seeing Claire deal with her parents on top of all the chaos - which makes me sound rather sadistic... hmm.

Carpe Corpus is probably the darkest of the Morganville books so far. There were a lot of game-changing events that will have long reaching consequences for both humans an vampires. It was also the first book where the group dynamics have not been solid. Because of the events in Lord of Misrule, Claire is all on her own at the start of the book - and this time it is not simply The Glass House vs. The World.

Bottom line? Yet again, you NEED to read this series. It is an action packed roller coaster ride of pure genius. Not to mention it is one of the few YA books out there totally dominated by the romance!

Waiting on Wednesday - Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that are being eagerly anticipated.

Kiss Of Death by Rachel Caine

Paranormal Young Adult - Morganville Vampires, #8
May 3rd 2010 by Allison & Busby (UK) and Signet (US)

Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a big- time producer who wants to cut a demo and play some gigs-which means Michael will have to enter the human world. For this, he's been assigned escorts that include both a dangerous immortal as well as Michael's all-too-human friends. And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell...

I am eagerly awaiting my next Morganville fix. If you haven't read any of Caine's kick-ass series, you really should start now! I'd say it is the best YA series on sale... although the Vampire Academy series comes pretty close!

Cover Alert! Ghost Town by Rachel Caine

I've just seen the cover art for the next-next (9th) Morganville Vampires book - and it is so gorgeous, I just had to share!  GHOST TOWN by Rachel Caine is going to be released in Hardcover in the US on November 2nd, 2010 - which is so exciting as I have been longing for hardcover versions of this series for a while! I will have to order it from there!

The fragile peace between humans and vampires in Morganville is in trouble, and when Claire takes drastic action, she's put under serious pressure to re-establish the barriers that keep the town residents inside, and wipe the memories of those who leave. But working with her half-crazy vampire boss Myrnin means that things don't always turn out as planned ... and as the people of Morganville begin acting strangely, Claire and her friends must solve the mystery and try to put things right. But one by one, her allies are turning on her ... even the ones she trusts most.

 *squee*  I can't wait to see what the UK publishers come up with!

ETA:  Also, if you are a Rachel Caine fan living in the States, make sure to check out the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour - which features lots of AMAZING YA Paranormal authors who are visiting 12 US Cities in September.  I wish they could add London to their list, but alas.  Other authors on the tour include Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Alyson Noel, Holly Black, Cassandra Clare, Rachel Vincent, Sarah Rees Brennan, Becca Fitzpatrick, Melissa de la Cruz,  Carrie Ryan and more! Check out their Facebook page for more details!

Review - Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires, Book 5) by Rachel Caine

Lord of Misrule (Morganville Vampires, Book 5) by Rachel Caine
Amazon US / Amazon UK / Bookdepository / LibraryThing / Goodreads

Rating: 4/5 stars
Pages: 256

SPOILERS for previous books!

Summary: In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans coexist in (relatively) bloodless harmony. Then comes Bishop, the master vampire who threatens to abolish all order, revive the forces of the evil dead, and let chaos rule. But Bishop isn’t the only threat.

Violent black cyclone clouds hover, promising a storm of devastating proportions as student Claire Danvers and her friends prepare to defend Morganville against elements both natural and unnatural.

Thoughts:  Lord of Misrule turns the entire Morganville series on its head - if you ever have to skip a book, make sure it isn't this one! The relative comfort our characters used to live in has gone, and has been replaced with a war in the trenches. Any action that I might have felt was missing in Feast of Fools is made up for in Lord of Misrule - I gave up counting the life-or-death situations by page 30.

The action turns the entire town around, and the change brings out the hardness in all the characters - including Claire. I'd call some of her actions fierce, but I'd just be paraphrasing Eve (honestly, they are that fierce). I'd say Shane gets the biggest shake-up, character-wise. He had a lot of explaining to do in this book and, unsurprisingly, talking it out really helped with his new enlightenment.

Make sure you have a copy of Carpe Corpus on hand, because Lord of Misrule has the most jaw-dropping cliffhanger yet. And given Caine's usual modus operandi, that is saying something!

Bottom Line?  You NEED to read this series!

Review - Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4) by Rachel Caine

Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, Book 4) by Rachel Caine
Amazon US / Amazon UK / BookDepository / LibraryThing / Goodreads

Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Pages: 256

SPOILERS for previous books!

Summary:  In the town of Morganville, vampires and humans live in relative peace but Claire Danvers has never been convinced - especially with the arrival of Mr Bishop, an ancient, old-school vampire who cares nothing about harmony. What he wants from the town's living and its dead is unthinkably sinister.

Thoughts: I love the Morganville Vampire series, and while this book is no exception, it wasn't quite as extraordinary as Midnight Alley. After the shocking revelation in MA of the newest baddy in town - a Mr. Bishop - Claire is unfortunately back in the dark as to what on earth is going on in Morganville. Although it did wonders to build tension - I couldn't turn those pages fast enough - it also made a lot of the book feel like a placeholder. Although we do get a resolution to the mystery - well, as much a Caine can write a resolution to her Morganville series - I would still recommend having a copy of Lord of Misrule on hand.

Now that I think about it, this book is the Morganville equivalent of Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix. Claire, like Harry did, spends the majority of the book utterly confused, then bang - big event - and all becomes clear. Obviously, Caine hardly sat Claire down to explain the verse to her, the way Rowling did to Harry - but the similarity is still there.

On to the great things in this book. Myrinn is as awesome as ever - eccentric, violent, and utterly adorable. Shane and Claire have their relationship is put to the test by the pull of her parents, and the introduction of a new vamp who takes an unfortunate interest in Shane. We also got a teaser as to the strengths that Claire may or may not possess (I'm not being cagey, I honestly don't know). Lots of great emotional drama - although not quite as much plot as Caine usually manages to get into a Morganville book. Although if compared to other authors, it sure is action-packed!

Bottom line?  Not the best book in the series, but enjoyable none-the-less.  If you haven't yet, make sure you get your hands on the Morganville Vampires Series ASAP!

Review - Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires 3) by Rachel Caine

Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
Buy at:  Amazon UK - Bookdepository

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Pages: 384

Rec for people who love: Buffy - aka action with a laugh and some love.

Summary: Morganville is such a nice place to live...and die. If you don't mind that sort of thing. When Claire Danvers learnt that her college town was run by vampires, she did what any intelligent, self-preserving student would do: she applied for a transfer and stocked up on garlic. The transfer is no longer an option, but that garlic may come in handy. Now Claire has pledged herself to Amelie, the most powerful vampire in town. The protection her contract secures does little to reassure her friends. All of a sudden, people are turning up dead, a stalker resurfaces from Claire's past, and an ancient bloodsucker extends a chilling invitation for private lessons in his secluded home.

Thoughts: This series just goes from awesome to awesome.

Yet again, Caine delivers.  This book is my favourite in the series (at least books 1-5).
In MA, she gets right down to business - dealing with Micheal's new vampireness, the implications of Claire's contract and adds even more new twists along the way.  Yet again, Claire is put through the ringer - and it changes her.  Don't get me wrong, she is still the Claire we all love to love, but she does a fair bit of growing up in this book.

As for her relationship with Shane, gosh.  It just gets better and better.  It is hard to find a pairing where rooting for both sides just comes naturally - where you look at both sides of the relationship - but with Shane and Claire, it comes easy.  It is quite a feat.

What makes this as my favourite in the series is the exploration of Claire's intellect.  Her education, and what she does with it, is pushed way past Hermione-like expectations.  And let's just say her interaction with her new teacher is... Mindblowing.

Another thing I loved was how Caine dealt with the ever rising number of secrets that Claire is forced to keep.  She hates keeping them, but knowing she has no choice, she does a really good job with giving vague answers.  A definite change from the girl in the first book.

Caine also delves into the mythology behind Morganville - something that had been lacking in the first two books.  Let's just say it is more interesting than she had let on!

This book kept me up all night - again.  So try to set aside a good chunk of time before you get started!

Review - The Dead Girls' Dance (Morganville Vampires #2) by Rachel Caine

The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine

Rating: 4/5

Pages: 320

Rec for people who love: Smart young heroines, maturity in YA, and Buffy!

First Line: It didn't happen, Claire told herself.

Summary: Claire has her share of challenges. Like being a genius in a school that favours beauty over brains; homicidal girls in her dorm, and finding out that her college town is overrun with the living dead. On the up side, she has a new boyfriend with a vampire-hunting dad. But when a local fraternity throws the Dead Girls' Dance, hell is really going to break loose.

Thoughts: Let me just start off by saying: WOW.

Considering how ambivalent I was about the first book in the Morganville Series, this one definitely changed my mind! After the cliffhanger at the end of the first book, the characters continue their epic search for a little bit of peace - but to no avail. Just as one problem is solved, another pops up unexpectedly. Claire was extremely sleep deprived during the entire book, and to say that Caine put her through a lot is an understatement. Also, the series got a bit gruesome in this book. Details of which I don't want to spoil, but lets just say that the Dead Girls' Dance that Claire attends could have been a lot more than traumatic.

This book ultimately was about sacrifice - those who are willing to give their lives for their friends, versus those who barely spare a thought for their own family. Claire, Micheal, Eve and Shane demonstrate how much they care by how much they are willing to give away. They did it willingly, but it was never an easy choice to make. Unlike, say, Bella in the Twilight Series - who considered her life so worthless that sacrificing it for Edward only made me roll my eyes - Caine's characters value their lives, their own hopes and dreams. Like, you know, sane people.

It was their sacrifices that ultimately made me love this book. I my mind, Shane went from being a random angry guy to become the love-of-my-life, tortured soul; while Claire went from being a spineless bookworm to a brave, kick-ass-yet-sensitive heroine. In just 300 pages. Sheesh.

Note on the Cover: As I mentioned in my post about the first book, this UK cover makes me cringe. Apparently publishers cottoned on to this, as new UK editions have just been released with hot new covers. So basically, you can either go to your local bookstore, which will probably still have the old editions, to get the cover in this post. Or you can go to a store with rapid turnover/order it from Waterstones (where they are currently 1/2 price) to get the new cover. Or, as I did, buy the US edition from BookDepository.co.uk.

Other Reviews:
LoveVampires only gave it 2 stars (SPOILERS) (despite a 5 star rating for the first). Even though I loved the book, the review brings up an important issue regarding a particular scene in the book that is... not so pleasant. Let's just say I understood Claire's reaction in this case but usually I would also have been put off.

Review - Glass Houses (Morganville Vampires #1) by Rachel Caine

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Rating: 3/5

Pages: 288

Rec for people who love: YA Reads, Buffy

First Line: On the day Claire became a member of the Glass House, somebody stole her laundry.

Summary: College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they come out fighting when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood...

Review: Okay, I can't help myself. I have to bitch about the cover - all the Morganville UK covers in fact. Who on earth are these random girls supposed to be? I am assuming it is supposed to be Claire, if we decide to, you know, ignore her description. Not to mention the painful clashing colours and fonts and just... eww. This is one of those books I just won't take on the tube. If you can, get the US edition which is fierce.

Moving on. The book - it was enjoyable, but not amazing. Glass Houses is very different to most YA Vampire books out at the moment, because unlike the House of Night Series or the Twilight Saga - Vampires are so not the good guys. They are soulless SOBs, and the humans in their control are not much better. Monica, a college girl who immediately puts Claire on her hit list, has a violent streak that would make Angelus (BtVS) look like a weakling. She was psychotic, but extremely enjoyable.

With all this evil going around, the book is action packed. There are hospital stays, kidnappings, sieges, breaking-and-enterings, and a lot of run-for-your-life moments. But unlike say, Kelly Armstrong or Rachel Vincent, Caine is not too great at describing the action. I often had to go back a page or two to work out what was going on.

Caine also didn't succeed in making me feel for any of the characters. All the action meant that character development was left out. It was one of those cases where you are just ohsoclose to relating to the protagonist when, bang, you're back to apathy. I understood that the characters were supposed to be scared - but the writing just didn't make me feel it. The romantic tension was pretty un-tense, and the scary scenes were pretty bland.

This book barely gets three stars, although I do plan on getting the rest of the series. Hopefully my interest in the characters will grow the more I read.

You can read the first chapter of the book over at Caine's website.

Other Reviews:

Jo at Ink and Paper gives it a very positive review.
LoveVampires gave it 5 great big stars.