The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness

* * * *

The highly anticipated finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Discovery of Witches

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

With more than one million copies sold in the United States and appearing in thirty-eight foreign editions, A Discovery of Witches and Shadow of Night have landed on all of the major bestseller lists and garnered rave reviews from countless publications. Eagerly awaited by Harkness’s legion of fans, The Book of Life brings this superbly written series to a deeply satisfying close.

I always joke with one of my friends that reading these books is a commitment. Case in point, I received Shadow of Night, book two in the series, for Christmas 2012. I desperately wanted it but waited until the timing was right to finally read it. That ended up being around Christmas 2013. There’s just so much detail and history infused into each page that you really need a comfy, quiet spot so that you can happily lose yourself in it. So I was both thrilled and worried about reading 600+ pages in a timely manner to post a review. But the thing is, once you’re in this carefully mapped out world, you’re in it completely.

Diana and Matthew return to the present after their timewalk to the past to discover more about her abilities and the precious Ashmole 782 document that may hold all the answers. However, they’re returning to unhappy circumstances and unwanted changes. Everyone has to adapt and be on the offensive in order to protect Diana’s newfound secret and the family that remains.

I thought the start was a bit slow but I think that could just have been me slowly getting back into the book’s rhythm. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this story which is so heavily immersed in history and science, managed to incorporate some current pop culture references - that being Buffy for example - that allowed for hilarious quips and moments between a few characters. It threw me off guard but was very welcome.

The Book of Life gathers momentum and urgency as some new characters are introduced leaving you wondering on which side of things they will stand as they face down tradition and hierarchy. The tension is heightened when Matthew and the family have to finally confront their most despicable and horrifying enemy – an enemy that they’ve known about for many centuries and who has been keeping tabs on them from afar. As a vampire, Matthew’s protective instincts towards his mate and wife Diana are always on high. Now with this new threat, they’re in overdrive. 

Much of the story is about Matthew learning to find control especially when it comes to Diana. She is as self-sufficient and headstrong as ever and understands her husband well. She herself is occupied with her own research which could lead to finding some help for Matthew. But Ashmole 782 is something that all the creatures want to get their hands on. Time’s a ticking and everything is carefully moving into place for the final moment of truth.

The Book of Life is just as thought-provoking and suspenseful as the previous two books in this series. Past and present collide plenty in this too, often complicating things before becoming an advantage. I did feel that this book had more movement than Shadow of Night which I liked.  The best part is that this is about family, a strange mix as it may be, and redefining what exactly that is.

~ Bel

Alex Van Helsing: The Triumph of Death by Jason Henderson

****

 

 

 

From HarperTeen:

Within months of discovering he's next in a long line of vampire hunters, Alex Van Helsing has already defeated two powerful vampire leaders. Not bad for a fourteen-year-old.

But when a newly risen vampire queen threatens the fate of the world, Alex faces his deadliest challenge yet. Teaming up with a motorcycle-riding witch, Alex jets between Switzerland, the UK, and Spain in a frantic race to prevent the queen from unleashing a curse that will plunge the world into darkness.

With the clock ticking, Alex barely has time to breathe, let alone see his friends, and he's beginning to wonder if being a vampire hunter is worth all its sacrifices. In this thrilling finale to the action-packed series described as "James Bond meets Dracula," everything—Alex's future and, ultimately, that of the world—hangs in the balance.

This third installment of AVH has Alex and a mysterious new friend, Astrid, trying to stop the “Triumph of Death” a spell which would create darkness and allow vampires to essentially take over the world.  While Alex discovers his magic half, races to save the world, and defies his superiors in the Polidorium, he struggles with how to be a friend and yet protect his friends at the same time.  And is it even possible to have friends or a personal life when you are fighting to save the world?

If I had to come up with one complaint about The Triumph of Death, it would be that we did not get enough time with Paul, Minhi and Sid.  They are such great characters and were such a huge part of the first two books, I missed them while reading Triumph. 

As with the rest of the series, The Triumph of Death was fast-paced action-adventure and completely irresistible.  Alex is such a lovable character and the world created by Henderson is so much fun.  Probably the most mature 14 year old I can think of Alex's adventures are great for all ages.  I've recommended this series to people from age 6 to adults in their 50s and 60s.  Whenever I recommend the AVH series to someone, I tell them to think of modern day Hardy Boys with high tech gadgets and vampires. 

I know the book description says that this is the final installment in the series, but I really hope that isn’t so.  I would hate to say goodbye to Alex and friends!   I have been thinking all day that I cannot be the only person who thinks AVH would make a great movie or tv series...

~Shel

The Immortal Rules: Blood of Eden Book 1 by Julie Kagawa

* * * *

My vampire creator told me this:

“Sometime in your life, Allison Sekemoto, you will kill a human being. The question is not if it will happen, but when. Do you understand?”

I didn’t then, not really.

I DO NOW.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep human as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked – and given the ultimate choice. Die … or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allis becomes what she despises most.  To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend – a possible sure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what – and who – is worth dying for.

I’ll admit that I’ve been over the whole vampire genre for a while. With so much out there, it’s kind of hard to imagine that there's something different enough to capture my attention. Julie Kagawa had me devouring each page of this addictive and thrilling saga, showing that she can most definitely create another world as brilliantly as she has done with the Iron Fey series.

Allie is a survivor – hardcore with an abrasive personality. She is fiercely independent so don’t mess with this chick because she will literally cut you down!  One day, after leading a small group out to scavenge for food, they are attacked by rabids. A stranger comes to her rescue and offers her the choice of eternal life or a quick death. She chooses eternal life. And thus begins her journey as a vampire, a species she once abhorred and has now become. Her mentor, the one who turned her, is the master vampire, Kanin. He takes her on as his responsibility teaching her everything he can about being a vampire. He gives her routines to follow and has her studying as well. Yes folks, this vampire is learning her reading, writing and arithmetic. Discipline is how he has survived and he imparts this wisdom to her before they’re separated.

She meets up with a wandering group led by Jeb and his son, Zeke who are searching for Eden, a place they believe exists without vampires. Jeb, a former preacher, is certain that Eden holds all the answers to humanity's salvation. The book does have some religious undertones but it’s not overwhelming. While with this group, Allie becomes close to Zeke, Jeb’s second in command. His innocence and generosity stand in stark contrast to Allie’s eternal cynicism.  Being welcomed into a group who live and work together as a family, is new to her. So she tries to adapt the best she can though her Fringer past is hard to shake. She constantly finds herself at odds with Jeb’s strict rules. She doesn’t stand down which makes for very tense and heated moments. 

There are also many suspenseful moments but none to me are more spine chilling than when Allie has to fight her dual nature. Several times she’s overwhelmed by the Hunger and comes close to feeding off an innocent. The far-reaching ramifications hang heavy around her. The “will she? won’t she?” moments as she struggles to keep the monster at bay are intense. Tugging at her rational side is her new found friendship with Zeke. His gentle nature and naiveté help to anchor her human side. It’s how Allie has to work hard at holding on to her humanity that’s the most absorbing part of this story.

The book is divided into four parts marking the developing phases of her life. As she moves on with the group and grows attachments, she learns of a far bigger battle that must be waged leading her to unexpected encounters. As horrific as some of the situations can get, it's also exciting to watch Allie in action because simply put, she is bad ass!


The Immortal Rules pulses with never ending suspense. You truly get the feel that they are living in a broken world that's dangerous and unforgiving at every turn. And Allie, who begins the book looking out for herself, learns a bit about family and loyalty and also about what it is to be human.


~ Bel

Alex Van Helsing: Vampire Rising

By Jason Henderson

Fourteen year-old, Alex Van Helsing has been sent away to a boarding school in Lake Geneva, Switzerland by his parents in an effort to escape difficulties he had at his previous school.  And trouble likes to follow Alex.

Early on it turns out that Lake Geneva has seen some strange unexplained deaths that have become more frequent.  Alex encounters one such bizarre death but can’t quite believe what he’s seen.  Unsure of what to make of it, he keeps it to himself as he continues to witness strange occurrences around him.

Pretty quickly, Alex comes to learn whom he is – that he is a descendent of the original Van Helsing and that his family has been part of a secret vampire-hunting community known as the Polidorium. His literature teacher, Mr. Sangster, befriends him and becomes a mentor to him. Alex also gains plenty of help from his school friends Sid, Paul, Minhi who all get pulled into a world where vampires do exist.  With their help, the Polidorium investigate why Lake Geneva has all of a sudden become the destination to be for vampires.   In the process they come face to face with head vampire, Icemaker. 

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein also becomes a critical part of Alex’s world.  The premise of how the story of Frankenstein came to be serves as an invaluable roadmap for the Polidorium.  I love how the author intertwined the historical characters behind it into this story adding suspense and just enough creep factor.  (Bram Stoker's Dracula is also mentioned a few times.)

I have to admit that this was a different kind of book for me and I’m glad I read it.  Alex and his friends are likeable characters who are smart and fun and they don’t come off as helpless.  I'm looking forward to seeing where their next adventure takes them.  

So if you’re looking for something quick and action-packed, this is a great book to start with. And if you're so inclined, the second book in the series, "Voice of the Undead" comes out July 26.

Bel