We all know strange things have been going on with vampires recently. Authors and filmmakers have been twisting mythology, setting new rules and boundaries for the most fabulous of all monsters. Vamps seem to take on all sorts of different guises – the ones who can walk around just like you or me in the sunshine, don’t have any hassles at all with crossing moving water and might even dine out on garlic bread with their pizza. Some have fangs, some don’t; others wear crucifixes as a fashion statement. But the common link is blood. Drinking it, that is. Other than that, it seems writers can do whatever they want with the once feared and gruesome bloodsucker… but should they?

American author, Richelle Mead has delved a little deeper into the basic vampire myth, drawing from Romanian Folklore; it’s this that makes her Vampire Academy series that bit different to everything else out there right now.

The series contains six books, with Vampire Academy being the first. It’s there we meet Rose Hathaway, who narrates the series, and her best friend Vasilisa (Lissa) Dragomir. Rose is a Dhampir, a vampire/human hybrid. Dhampirs have enhanced strength, suffer none of the weaknesses of actual vampires (heck, they don’t even need to drink blood) and quite often, serve as bodyguards – called guardians – to the real vamps. Those real vampires fall into two groups, which is where the Romanian Folklore kicks in.

There’s the Moroi and the Strigoi. Moroi are actually living, breathing creatures and while they need blood, they never kill to obtain it. In fact, there’s always lots of willing humans or Dhampirs ready and willing to bend a neck and get a quick endorphin rush in return. Sunlight doesn’t kill Moroi, but it does weaken them, and while their strength and senses are heightened compared to humans, they still die natural deaths. Moroi also each possess an ‘element’ of magic. Typically, this is either  Earth, Fire or Water. But occasionally, a Spirit user pops up amongst the Moroi – and this causes all sorts of problems for both the users themselves, those around them, and those who want to capture and use the Spirit user’s unique gift.

Then there’s the Strigoi. These guys are your typical bad-arse vampires, of the undead variety. They’re evil and they’re bloodthirsty and can be killed by all the usual methods – sunlight, decapitation, stake through the heart (as long as it’s pure silver) and fire. Moroi and Dhampirs can and are turned throughout the series into Strigoi – whether it be by force, or occasionally, by choice.

In book one, we learn that Rose is not only Lissa’s best friend, but once she’s finished her training at St Vladimir’s, wants nothing more than to be Lissa’s guardian for life. Lissa is the last member remaining member of the Dragomir bloodline, a Moroi royal family. The two girls share an unusual one-way psychic bond which enables Rose to be able to see through Lissa’s eyes and read her mind. It gives the reader an interesting insight – although all the books in Vampire Academy are told from Rose’s point of view, sometimes we get a sneak peak at what’s going on with Lissa. And sometimes – that information is a little hot and heavy.

Yes, both the girls have love interests. Lissa with the dark and handsome Christian; a fellow royal Moroi. Rose’s love interest is not so straight forward, and the backdrop of the entire series. She falls for Dimitri, a world famous guardian, stronger, more lethal and feared by the Strigoi than any other Dhampir. He also happens to be Rose’s instructor and teacher. Yep, you guessed it – even in a world of vampires, this is a big no-no.

Rose, Dimitri, Lissa and a whole gang of supporting characters (some of whom are going on to ‘Bloodlines’, Mead’s next series) become entangled in all manner of sticky situations throughout the six books. There’s love, lust, loss and heartache entwined with plenty of action for our kick-arse heroine. Rose is a strong protagonist, a girl who grows into a woman with strong values and is willing to fight and kill for what she believes in, no matter how high the cost to her own heart.

So should authors like Richelle Mead play with vampire lore and rewrite the myth? Well, yeah. Everything old becomes new again… right? I think this series works most of the time. It can be a little repetitive and sometimes feels formulated, but on a whole I think those who can’t get enough of the modern day vampire and like a bit of lovin’ with their bloodsuckers will enjoy Mead’s spin on an old folktale.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Bk 1 – Vampire Academy, ISBN – 978-1-59514-174-3

Bk 2 – Frostbite, ISBN – 978-1-59514-175-0

Bk 3 – Shadow Kiss, ISBN – 978-1-59514-197-2

Bk 4 – Blood Promise, ISBN – 978-1-921518-29-4

Bk 5 – Spirit Bound, ISBN – 978-1-921518-86-7

Bk 6 – Last Sacrifice, ISBN – 978-1-921518-90-4

One look will steal your heart, but her touch will take your soul…

Votive is the second book in The Curse of the Bond Riders Series, and the follow-up to the exquisite Tallow (recently reviewed here by Cels). Votive continues the story of Tallow, no longer a humble candle-making apprentice hiding her true nature as an Estrattore, but as the unwilling weapon of the wicked and self-serving Giaconda Maleovelli and her nobile father. Through various means, they convince Tallow to become Tarlo, the most beautiful courtesan Serenissima has ever seen. And, the most deadly.

Votive digs deeper into the lives and motives of those surrounding Tallow – those who want her for their own devices, and those who want to protect her. As an Estrattore, Tallow’s very existence is outlawed by the church. She has the power to extract emotion from anyone, or anything she touches and distil those emotions elsewhere. All who harbour or protect her place themselves in danger of public execution – or much, much worse.

Karen Brooks is one of my favourite world-builders – that is, her words have the ability to place you right there, in Serenissima. In the first book, I was blown away by her skill and Votive is no different. But this time around, it was the characters that struck me, deeper than our last adventure together. I found myself whispering to Tallow, ‘No! Don’t do it!’ and begging her to watch over her shoulder for those who wished to use her for their own gain. Brooks has the ability to make you care for the most unlovable character, cry for the one you thought meant little, and despise the one you hoped would redeem themselves. I don’t think I’ve read a book with such a large cast where each and every character is pivotal to the story itself. The characters we knew, loved and despised in Tallow are back (well, most of them…), but this time with more depth, more substance. Like Tallow, Votive is written from a number of different points of view, just one of those being Tallow herself in the first person. In some books, this technique can get a bit messy, but Brooks makes it perfectly clear at all times whose eyes we’re seeing this beautiful world through. Every one of the secondary characters becomes more important as the tale unfolds; each one has flaws and imperfections making their motives even more intriguing, their fates entwining with twists and turns that are impossible to see coming.

I have to admit, when I read both Tallow and Votive, they took me much longer to get through than the average novel aimed at the Young Adult audience. But this wasn’t because they dragged or I didn’t enjoy them. Quite the opposite, in fact. I seriously didn’t want them to end. Brooks has built a world so magical, so real, it feels tactile; as though you could actually reach out and stroke the delicate fabrics of the amazing gowns, inhale the scents of Tallow’s candles and taste the blood from a crushing blow. At times, it was almost sensory overload, and I found myself placing the book down after only a chapter, needing time to digest the heartbreak, joy and gob-smacking deceit that flowed from the pages.

For those of you who loved Tallow… you’ll adore Votive. And, like me, you’ll be counting the days until book 3, Illumination hits the shelves.

Votive — Karen Brooks. (Curse of the Bond Riders: 2).
Published 1 June, 2011, by Random House Australia
Paperback, 628 pages.
ISBN: – 978 1 86471 943 7

The fifth and final book of Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series, Darkest Mercy doesn’t disappoint. I’ve been a fan of the intricate world Marr created since book one, and although sometimes confusing, by the end of the series it’s obvious she had a grand plan all along.

Darkest Mercy begins where Radiant Shadows (number 4) left off. The Faerie realm is in turmoil; The Summer King is missing; The Dark Court is bleeding; and a stranger walks the streets of Huntsdale, his presence signifying the deaths of powerful fey.

Aislinn tends to the Summer Court, searching for her absent king and yearning for Seth. Torn between his new queen and his old love, Keenan works from afar to strengthen his court against the coming war. Donia longs for fiery passion even as she coolly readies the Winter Court for battle. And Seth, sworn brother of the Dark King and heir to the High Queen is about to make a mistake that could end his life.

This has been an unusual series to follow; Book one, three and five concentrate on Aislinn and the royal courts of the fey – The Summer, Winter, Dark, Shadow and High Courts. Books two and four are from the points of view of other characters – in Ink Exchange (bk 2), it’s all about Leslie and her role in the fey world. Book four, Radiant Shadows, was the story of Ani, Devlin, Rae and the Hunt. But in the final instalment of the Wicked Lovely world, Marr takes us full circle back to the warring royal courts. This can be a little confusing at times, and therefore I’d suggest the best way to get the most of this series is to read the books in order, although they do also stand alone.

Darkest Mercy is all about war. It is bloody, violent and at times delves deep into the depths of one king’s madness. It is a story of betrayal and sacrifice, but also of trust, love and can actually be a bit weepy (for this sook, anyway!) with tenderness at times. Most of the lead up to the final battle concentrates on politics and strategy within the faery realms, and we learn more about each and every character. There is a brand new bad guy in town to watch out for, as if dealing Bananach wasn’t bad enough. Bananach – she who embodies discord itself – has to be one of the most ruthless, crazy-arsed psychos in YA fiction today. In fact, she’s easily my favourite character in the entire series. It’s very difficult to go into more plot detail here; I don’t want to ruin the first four books for those of you who haven’t read them yet. What I will say, is that Marr isn’t afraid to write the hard words, to hurt (or even kill) her beloved characters. Every character in Darkest Mercy is somehow forced to make a sacrifice for the good of the Feary realm, every character is somehow broken. And still, by the final pages, Melissa Marr manages to surprise her loyal readers with even more shocks, twists and turns.

There were some storylines from earlier books that were not tied up, and this is my only complaint against Darkest Mercy. Some characters who were important in the development of the entire story arc were forgotten about, or didn’t even make an appearance in the final instalment. But we can keep our fingers crossed for a spin-off series (maybe?) that is rumoured to be in the making.

Wicked Lovely Series

Book One – Wicked Lovely (see Amy’s review here)

Book Two – Ink Exchange (see Cels’ review here)

Book Three – Fragile Eternity

Book Four – Radiant Shadows

Book Five – Darkest Mercy

Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr
Published by Harper Collins
Paperback, 327 pages

ISBN: 978-0-00-736357-5

‘The first rule of Evernight is that any vampire who seeks sanctuary must be given a place.’

The Evernight series by Claudia Gray is one of the most recent young adult vampire series to hit our shelves. The fourth and final book, Afterlife was released earlier this year, winding up a series that’s been full of twists, turns and heart-stopping cliff-hangers.

In book one – Evernight – we meet Bianca, the star of the show. She’s not exactly thrilled to be starting at her new school, the creepy and deliciously gothic Evernight Academy. She figures she’ll never fit in with the other students. To make things worse, her parents are both teachers at the strange boarding school. Bianca hates it; the other students are strange, aloof and not at all friendly. She wishes she was back home with her old friends and even contemplates running away. It’s then she literally runs into Lucas, and suddenly, Evernight isn’t looking so bad after all.

I was warned when I started reading Evernight that there’s a twist in the middle of book one that will take your breath away. Still, I didn’t see it coming. I’ll just say OMG and move on… but seriously… OMG. It’s then that you realise this series isn’t the usual vampire / school / heartache / sappy romance kinda book. Evernight is different.

Book two – Stargazer – brings heartache and betrayal into the lives of Bianca and Lucas. They’re separated by (note, I’m being oh-so-evasive here…) forces beyond their control. With the help of friends Vic and Balthazar, the loved-up twosome find ways of being together, even if it means they risk running into enemies who seem to be hiding around every corner, and lying to those who are trying to protect them. Soon, everything is turned upside down when Evernight Academy is invaded by wraiths – and they seem to be targeting Bianca. Everyone is hiding something – the teachers, even Bianca’s parents. Why won’t they tell her what’s going on? Why are the wraiths after her in particular?

Book three – Hourglass – takes place away from Evernight Academy. Bianca and Lucas are on the run, and take refuge with a band of elite vampire hunters, The Black Cross. In this instalment, things between Lucas and Bianca definitely heat up, their relationship taking the next step. This is where things got a little strange for me – Bianca can be a bit of a Mary Sue character – that is, she’s a bit too perfect, a bit beige and boring. Lucas on the other hand, is a refreshing change in the world of Young Adult paranormal romances. He has strong convictions, is willing to actually get some (or a lot of) blood on his hands, and doesn’t turn into a soppy mess once the love thing comes along.

This one ends on a huge cliff-hanger – make sure you have book four ready and waiting to pick up the minute you’ve read the last page of Hourglass. Drama! Death! Yet more betrayal, and a very, very evil vampire named Charity.

Book four – Afterlife – not only tidies up all the loose ends from earlier books, but has some more twists and turns that keep the reader guessing right till the end. Now back at Evernight, Bianca and the gang have some seriously annoyed wraiths to contend with, along with some totally whacked-out vampires. Evernight is no longer the safe haven it once was (particularly for Bianca), and chances are, the love birds might become separated forever.

Evernight is a great series for anyone looking for a Vampire story with a twist. It’s funny, light and romantic (but not in the yikky sort of way). Claudia Gray has done a fantastic job of picking up vampire folklore and rewriting it for her own means. It’s what I’d call ‘modern’ vampire fiction – these vamps can tolerate a bit of sunshine, but travelling over moving water doesn’t bode so well for them. They assimilate with humans, but the gnawing hunger of true vampire nature never goes away… blood is blood, and when you’re a starving vamp, well, it doesn’t matter whose neck it comes from. The inclusion of the Black Cross – kind of a renegade bunch of Slayer-types – is refreshing, as is the legend behind the wraiths. It shows that even on the side of evil there is good, and in the darkest places hope can always be found.

I’d recommend Evernight to Vampire fans aged 13 or 14 upwards. Make sure you keep an eye out for BALTHAZAR – a spin off with one of the stand-out characters from Evernight, due out March 2012.

Evernight Series by author Amy Vincent, writing as Claudia Gray.

Published by Harper Collins.

Evernight – paperback, 327 pages. ISBN – 978 0 7322 8967 6

Stargazer – paperback, 332 pages. ISBN – 978 0 7322 8968 3

Hourglass – paperback, 339 pages. ISBN – 978 0 7322 8969 0

Afterlife – paperback, 360 pages. ISBN – 978 0 7322 8970 6

I’m a huge fan of a well-built world in the books I read. I love jumping in feet first, deep into an unknown culture, where everything is different; the language, the people, the clothing, the food, where a chair is not always just a chair and anything can and does happen.

All writers spend time and effort on building a believable world to set their story in, even if it’s a story set right here on earth in 2011 at your local high school. But it’s those worlds that are so different to our own that I admire so much. To pull a reader into their made-up world and suck us in, to want to be there as well-loved characters tell their stories – well, that’s a real skill, something not all authors are able to pull off successfully.

Burn Bright is an awesome example of successful world building. We can all imagine through Retra’s eyes the clubs, the churches, the landscape of Ixion. But that’s not all that goes into building a fantastical world. Think about the Gangs, the Night Creatures, the Ripers and the Uthers. So much goes into an author’s thought process, the linking of all these elements. Would Retra’s journey to Ixion touch our hearts in quite the same way if we couldn’t imagine what it would be like to grow up in the strict, suppressed Seal compound? Of course not. All these tiny pieces of the jigsaw puzzle fit together to build a world so many of us loved (and can’t wait to get back to again!)

Along with Burn Bright, some of my favourite worlds to get lost in between pages include Karen Brooks’ Venetianesque Serenissima in The Curse of the Bond Riders trilogy (Tallow book 1 and Votive, book 2 are both available now). It’s a place full of secrets and canals, danger and magic.

Alison Goodman’s duology EON and EONA are set in a land full of elemental magic in an alternative ancient China / Japan. Not only has Goodman given us the landscape and the magic, but characters that tell the beautiful (and sometimes horrific) story and history of her world.

In Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games trilogy, we’re faced with a dystopian world where teens are forced to fight to the death as entertainment for Big Brother and the masses.

And in Isobelle Carmody’s classic Obernewtyn Chronicles, we are thrust into a complex land of politics, religion, Misfits and heroes. Carmody’s world in particular is just incredible in its depth and attention to detail over many years and volumes.

What about those worlds that are just a step to the left, a little off centre? Think Melissa Marr’s Wicked Lovely series, where the Fey live among us, here and now in the contemporary world. The same goes for Holly Black’s White Cat and of course… JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books – it’s a world that exists right under the noses of us mere Muggles. These stories might be set in the ‘real’ world, but they also have their own mythology, their own rules that each author has to write, and then abide by. In turn, we, as readers, reap the benefits of all this hard work and wonderful imagination.

So tell me, what are some of your favourite fictional worlds to get lost in? Do you prefer the futuristic, the completely fantastical, the dystopian (the nightmare world) or the utopian (the ideal society)? Do you sometimes think: Huh? Where did that come from? Or do your favourite authors sweep you along for the ride, their worlds so well described and established that you can’t help wishing you were there too?