Real Vampires Have Curves

BERKLEY BOOKS

Written by Gerry Bartlett

Copyright 2007 by Gerry Bartlett

 



In Real Vampires Have Curves by Gerry Bartlett, Glory St. Clair is a centuries-old vampire who is eternally full-figured. Glory stops traveling and starts an after dark antique clothing store in Austin, Texas. After all, she loves clothes and she is an antique - the trouble is that there is a billionaire vampire hunter with high tech weaponry who is after Glory and her fellow vampires.

The first book in the Real Vampires series, this book concentrates more on the present day in the middle of Texas rather than on any European vampire history that took place centuries ago. While this is an erotic vampire story, the book is not as sexually graphic as I would have thought for a romance novel. Although, I do think Glory is hot and busty - even if she does wish for some weight loss. Just thinking of Glory's cleavage being stuffed into a Kevlar bra was very hot to me. I thought it was funny that the book takes place in Austin, Texas - cowboy vampires! There are also a couple of ghosts in the book and Glory's talking demon dog, who was given to Glory as her protector by her old boyfriend and vampire sire Jeremy Blade.

I was quite surprised that Glory had several sales to actual humans during her graveyard shift hours for her boutique. Enough sales that she can hire someone to assist with the sales. I guess no one else caters to that group of people of the graveyard shift, aside from the late night convenient stores. Glory is determined to make a go of her business despite Blade wanting to just take care of her and protect her. Although I do not recall Glory vamping out with fangs, having her learning about how to be a real vampire was interesting.

The vampire hunter going after all of them gives the sense of danger to these vampires, as well as adding suspicion amongst themselves.

 Pancho
All people smile in the same language.
 

ANGEL - AFTER THE FALL - VOLUME ONE

IDW

Plotted by Joss Whedon and Brian Lynch

Scripted by Brian Lynch

Illustrated by Franco Urru

Angel created by Joss Whedon and David Greenwalt

Angel is copyright 2008 by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved. Copyright 2008 Idea and Design Works, LLC. The IDW logo is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. All rights reserved.

In the graphic novel Angel - After the Fall - Volume One, writers Joss Whedon and Brian Lynch continues Wheedon's TV show Angel after the show's final season, Season Five. The city of Los Angeles has been sent to Hell by the demonic law firm Wolfram & Hart. Angel has lost his vampire powers as a result, although he has become friends with a dragon - who likes dropping off his cars. While Angel continues to try to help people, Angel's team has been scattered - and not all of his team have fared well at all.

With Angel being produced as a series of graphic novels, instead of as a TV show, creator Joss Whedon, writer Brian Lynch, and illustrator Franco Urru are able to expand on Angel's world in ways that were not possible with the limited budget of a TV show. There are more crowds of exotic demons, monsters, crowds in general, as well as dinosaurs. As Los Angeles has become hell for some time since the start of the graphic novel, the normal native humans in Los Angeles appear to have accepted what has happened to their home. Many of the surviving humans are fighting for their own survival, including a surviving cop in an arena. Gangs of demons are at war in this hell realm competing for control of Los Angeles.

While generally you can tell who all the major characters were from the show through the artwork, there were a couple of minor characters that I had no idea who they were until I read the Original Proposal that is at the end of the book. Even then, I can not tell which character is which as they were originally such minor characters and these characters look pretty much alike. I like what they have done with Wesley, although I do not really like the fact that he still has a job with Wolfram & Hart. You can tell the evil law firm Wolfram and Hart still has plans for Wesley and Angel. I am not too crazy about what has happened to Gunn, but I am looking forward to what they will do with Gunn in future graphic novels as there is potential for good storytelling to be done with him now. There is also an art and sketch gallery, as well as the script with the author's notes, at the end of the book.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

JAILBAIT ZOMBIE

EOS
An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

Written by Mario Acevedo

Copyright 2009 by Mario Acevedo

In Jailbait Zombie, a Felix Gomez novel, a crow delivers a message from the Araneum to vampire private investigator Felix Gomez. Vampire Gomez is sent on a mission by the Araneum to search for who is creating an army of zombies before the zombies reveal the existence of the supernatural to humans. Along the way, Felix is forced to be accompanied by a clairvoyant teenage girl who demands that Felix make her a vampire.

Due to their decomposition, it is easier than one might think to locate zombies because of their smell - which turns off undead vampires like Felix. Since teenager Phaedra is related to organized gangsters, it is funny that Felix gets some reluctant help from the gangsters as part of their business - as the gangsters become unwitting victims of the zombies. Phaedra's terminal condition is rather sad and makes you understand why she wants Felix to make her a vampire. Felix is reluctant to turn her into a vampire, and all the curse that goes with it, but Phaedra's psychic clairvoyant powers make it hard to resist.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

UNDERWORLD - RISE OF THE LYCANS

Pocket Star Book

A Novelization by Greg Cox

Screenplay by Danny McBride and Dirk Blackman & Howard McCain
Story by Len Wiseman & Robert Orr and Danny McBride
Based on Characters Created by Kevin Grevioux and Len Wiseman & Danny McBride

Copyright 2009 by Lakeshore Entertainment Group LLC. All rights reserved.

Underworld - Rise of the Lycans, a prequel to Underworld, tells the ancient origin of the lycan servant Lucian and his forbidden love with vampire noblewoman Sonja. With the threat of Lady Sonja's powerful vampire leader father Victor finding out about their love and their unborn child, Lucian leads the dangerous lycans and werewolves in a revolt against their noble vampire masters.

A second telling of the origin of Lucian and Sonja, and of Lucian's determination to get revenge after a tragic execution performed by Victor, written by Greg Cox. The story is slightly different than the original origin book Underworld - Blood Enemy. I happen to like the Blood Enemy story better and I think it is more romantic and therefore more tragic as a result. Rise of the Lycans is more of a graphic revolution story than a love story, and the love story is different than that of Blood Enemy although it is basically the same.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Immortal

Pocket Books

Written by CHRISTOPHER GOLDEN and NANCY HOLDER
An original novel based on the hit TV series created by Joss Whedon

Copyright 2000 by Twentieth
Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved.

In Immortal, Buffy encounters aggressive vampire Veronique who - when you dust her - reemerges as another vampire in another body. Meanwhile, Buffy's mother is sick and is about to undergo an operation. How can Buffy be with her mother - when an immortal vampire is after Buffy?

I felt for the usually dependable Buffy as she would much rather stay by the side of her sick mother - rather than fighting vampires, or of fighting the arrival of the evil demons Triumvirate that are wanting to absorb human souls. Having the Scooby gang prey on Buffy's duty as a Slayer was rather cruel of the gang, but that is the point. Which has more priority, Buffy's mother or the end of mankind?

The cover of the book also has what I think is the best cover of the entire book series of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. To me the cover for Immortal represents the Hell scenarios that Buffy is always encountering.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.

The Undead Kama Sutra

Eos is a federally registered trademark of HarperColins Publishers

Written by Mario Acevedo

Copyright 2008 by Mario Acevedo



Military veteran and vampire, now turned private detective, Felix Gomez searches for aliens who want to kidnap Earth women.

In The Undead Kama Sutra, the third of the Felix Gomez series, the aliens from The Nymphos of Rocky Flats are back with a much more sinister scheme and are in collaboration with the U.S. government and the cosmetics industry. Like the Harry Potter series, the Felix Gomez series starts out fun - but with this book the series starts to get darker. Sad for me to say that the fun idea of an Undead Kama Sutra soon turns dark after what happens to the hot lady vampire researching the Undead Kama Sutra. This darkness will obviously continue into the rest of the series.

Pancho
All people smile in the same language.