Short Review: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book One)

Title: The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire Book One)

Author: Clay and Susan Griffith

Genre: Steampunk

Published: November 18th 2010 by Pyr

Blurb:

Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions.

The Greyfriar has everything I love about a book. It really breathes new life into the genre vampires and undead. The vampire society in this book is really extraordinary and stellar, just like the rest of the world building. Based on a richly woven alternative history, Clay and Susan Griffith have made up a world that sucks you right in. This is only my second Steampunk book after The Iron Duke, but I enjoyed them both very much.

The relationship between the princess and Greyfriar and Adele and Gareth was captivating and bitter sweet. I´m a huge fan of relationships that develop slowly over the course of more than just one book so I really enjoyed to see the small steps the respective relationship took throughout the book. Gareth is definitely one of my favorites heroes as of now. His character in contrast to the other vampires of this book was amazing.

There were so many moving, exciting and at the very end even heart-breaking scenes in this book that I can´t start to tell whoch one was my favorite. It´s one of those books that gets a special place in my bookshelf and Clay and Ssan Griffith are on my auto-buy list from now on. Can´t wait for book two!

Five stars for The Greyfriar!

 

By the way, does anybody know anything about book two in the series? I´ve done a little research but I can´t find anything. :(

Review: Double Cross by Carolyn Crane

Title: Double Cross

Author: Carolyn Crane

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Published: September 28th 2010 by Spectra

SOME SECRETS COME BACK TO HAUNT. OTHERS COME TO KILL...
Justine Jones has lived her life as a fearful hypochondriac until she's lured into the web of a mysterious mastermind named Packard. He gifts her with extraordinary mental powers-dooming her to fight Midcity's shadowy war on paranormal crime in order to find the peace she so desperately craves.
But now, serial killers with unheard-of skills are terrorizing the most powerful beings in Midcity, including mastermind Packard - and his oldest friend and worst enemy, Midcity's new mayor, who has the ability to bend matter itself to his will.
As the body count grows, Justine faces a crisis of conscience as she tests the limits of her new powers and faces an impossible choice between two flawed but brilliant men . . . one on a journey of redemption, and the other descending into a pit of moral depravity.

 

OMG. This book was awesome beyond imagination.

I seriously enjoyed the first book in the series, Mind Games and was really excited to read the next.

I can´t even begin to describe in how many ways I loved Double Cross. I totally admire Carolyn Crane for her imagination and writing talent. With Midcity and the Disillusionst gang, she has created a world so unique it´s simply stunning. Never have I read about a crew that is so dysfunctional as individuums but work so good together as team.

Justine sometimes feels to me like a moral compass, trying to questions the right or wrong of actions and orders when no one else does. In my opinion, her character really grows in this book. I really enjoyed that other members of the team are also part of the story again.

Otto and Packards characters are stunningly multi-layered. Just when you think you´ve figured one of them out, they do or say something that changes your opinion of them completly. I was so excited that we learned more about them and their relationship, even though the episodes of the past are quite violent.

Add a creepy villan or two with some secret tech that threatens all highcaps, you get a story that is absolutly unique and second to none.

My only question: when is the next book released?

5 out of 5 stars for Double Cross.