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Alexandra Sabian #1
Blood Law
To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.
A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.
A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.
400 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2010
About the author
Jeannie Holmes
7 books160 followersJeannie Holmes is a native of southwest Mississippi. Before receiving her Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of South Alabama, she worked in a variety of interesting fields, including medical records, independent auction houses, and owned a small handcrafted jewelry business. In addition to working on the sequel to Blood Law, she received her Master of Arts degree in English in December 2008 and lives in Mobile, AL with her husband and four neurotic cats.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
October 14, 2011
Alexandra Sabian is an Enforcer - a vampire federal agent - in a small southern town, and when vamps start turning up dead, it's her job to solve the case. This would be easier if humans were more accepting of the vamp population, but prejudices and tensions abound. The arrival of her ex-fiance and fellow Enforcer, Varik, with whom she shares a painful past, doesn't make things any easier. Alexandra and Varik have to put aside their differences to find a killer before more lives are lost.
There's more to the story, of course, but that's the main premise. People are dying, and it's up to our hero/heroine to save the day.
My biggest beef with this book is Alexandra herself. I simply didn't like her. Too much stomping, yelling, and tantrum-throwing for my tastes. Her idea of interrogating someone was to charge into a room and growl/shout, "Tell me what I want to know, damn it...or else!". She didn't work well with others, didn't listen to warnings or advice, and consistently threw herself into danger without any thought for the consequences. I'm all for acts of selfless heroism, but she wasn't being selfless - she was selfish, inconsiderate, and at times, just plain stupid.
Other elements of the story were bothersome as well. The human/vamp conflict was overdone. I understand this is a small town, but really, do we have to portray EVERY human as small-minded and prejudiced? Even the human officer who started out on Alexandra's side - even she turned on her. Also, I had trouble with the flashback & dream sequences. Just didn't like the way those were handled - like random paragraphs, shoved into the text. And then there was Alexandra's abilities/talents - everything from visions, ghost sightings, psychically reliving a victim's death, even the blood-bond she unwillingly shared with Varik...it just wasn't explained well. Yes, I get that she's packing a cool bag of tricks, but WHY???? Alexandra doesn't seem to have a clue why these things are happening to her, and after reading the book, frankly I don't either. It just DOES, and I guess that's all I'm supposed to know.
Long story short, I wouldn't recommend this one.
There's more to the story, of course, but that's the main premise. People are dying, and it's up to our hero/heroine to save the day.
My biggest beef with this book is Alexandra herself. I simply didn't like her. Too much stomping, yelling, and tantrum-throwing for my tastes. Her idea of interrogating someone was to charge into a room and growl/shout, "Tell me what I want to know, damn it...or else!". She didn't work well with others, didn't listen to warnings or advice, and consistently threw herself into danger without any thought for the consequences. I'm all for acts of selfless heroism, but she wasn't being selfless - she was selfish, inconsiderate, and at times, just plain stupid.
Other elements of the story were bothersome as well. The human/vamp conflict was overdone. I understand this is a small town, but really, do we have to portray EVERY human as small-minded and prejudiced? Even the human officer who started out on Alexandra's side - even she turned on her. Also, I had trouble with the flashback & dream sequences. Just didn't like the way those were handled - like random paragraphs, shoved into the text. And then there was Alexandra's abilities/talents - everything from visions, ghost sightings, psychically reliving a victim's death, even the blood-bond she unwillingly shared with Varik...it just wasn't explained well. Yes, I get that she's packing a cool bag of tricks, but WHY???? Alexandra doesn't seem to have a clue why these things are happening to her, and after reading the book, frankly I don't either. It just DOES, and I guess that's all I'm supposed to know.
Long story short, I wouldn't recommend this one.
May 26, 2011
Where do I start? This was not horrible, by let's say, Fallen by Lauren Kate standards, but it wasn't good either. Sure, the storyline was intriguing at times and not devastatingly terrible but I just felt like there were so many things wrong with it that the editor should have caught on to.
Blood Law was certainly not a YA book but the writing could have been compared to a YA novel, although content wise, it is more for adults. These were the main problems for me in this novel:
1) The author was vastly repetitive with phrases (and I kid you not, she emphasized these phrases so many times that I could pick them out) like, "University of Louisville" "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony" "Vanilla and Jasmine"; and these are just a few. Heck, everyone had a scent to them. Holmes also felt the need to emphasize that the main character Alexandra's ringtone is 'Beethoven's Fifth Symphony' and that Varik's was some techno beat.
2) The storyline was confusing and too ambitious. There were way too many things going on at once and given the fact that none of the characters really stood out to me it became complicated at times. Also, certain "mysteries" remained that way, even at the end of the book. It was patchy, and even the world building was monotonous.
3) ALEXANDRA. Good lord, where do I even begin? She is one of the most vapid characters I've ever come across. She is not only reckless and irritatingly stubborn, she is angry and unlikeable 90% of the time. For a member of the FBPI, she sure is useless and does nothing except get injured or shot at. Even her cat has more of a use than her. Only in the last couple of chapters in the book does she magically get somewhat of a fighting power for a good three seconds. Other than that, a major demerit point in a series for me is when I am unable to even like the main character. For the other characters in the book, they were also plain and boring and their voices pretty much was insignificant. The only character that I semi-liked was Varik, who unfortunately has long hair.
4) Let's get things straight- this is a book about vampires. However, the vampires in this world apparently can't do much besides heal a teeny bit faster than humans, have psychic bonds and drink blood. I did not feel any "supernatural" element towards them and neither did the story showcase any special elements that they had.
To be fair, this is Holmes' first book. I give her props for trying to weave so many plot lines into one story. However, the overall feel I got from the book was that it was influenced by one too many TV shows and it had zero special or unique features to it. If this was a TV show, I wouldn't watch past the pilot. I certainly don't hate the book, but I didn't particularly like it either.
Blood Law was certainly not a YA book but the writing could have been compared to a YA novel, although content wise, it is more for adults. These were the main problems for me in this novel:
1) The author was vastly repetitive with phrases (and I kid you not, she emphasized these phrases so many times that I could pick them out) like, "University of Louisville" "Beethoven's Fifth Symphony" "Vanilla and Jasmine"; and these are just a few. Heck, everyone had a scent to them. Holmes also felt the need to emphasize that the main character Alexandra's ringtone is 'Beethoven's Fifth Symphony' and that Varik's was some techno beat.
2) The storyline was confusing and too ambitious. There were way too many things going on at once and given the fact that none of the characters really stood out to me it became complicated at times. Also, certain "mysteries" remained that way, even at the end of the book. It was patchy, and even the world building was monotonous.
3) ALEXANDRA. Good lord, where do I even begin? She is one of the most vapid characters I've ever come across. She is not only reckless and irritatingly stubborn, she is angry and unlikeable 90% of the time. For a member of the FBPI, she sure is useless and does nothing except get injured or shot at. Even her cat has more of a use than her. Only in the last couple of chapters in the book does she magically get somewhat of a fighting power for a good three seconds. Other than that, a major demerit point in a series for me is when I am unable to even like the main character. For the other characters in the book, they were also plain and boring and their voices pretty much was insignificant. The only character that I semi-liked was Varik, who unfortunately has long hair.
4) Let's get things straight- this is a book about vampires. However, the vampires in this world apparently can't do much besides heal a teeny bit faster than humans, have psychic bonds and drink blood. I did not feel any "supernatural" element towards them and neither did the story showcase any special elements that they had.
To be fair, this is Holmes' first book. I give her props for trying to weave so many plot lines into one story. However, the overall feel I got from the book was that it was influenced by one too many TV shows and it had zero special or unique features to it. If this was a TV show, I wouldn't watch past the pilot. I certainly don't hate the book, but I didn't particularly like it either.
June 18, 2021
This was something different from other vampire books I've read before.
I loved reading this. Murder, badass characters and siblings.
And I kind of loved the book just a little more then normal because the main characters name is Alexandra and so is mine.
So that made me happy and I can't wait to read book two.
I loved reading this. Murder, badass characters and siblings.
And I kind of loved the book just a little more then normal because the main characters name is Alexandra and so is mine.
So that made me happy and I can't wait to read book two.
January 10, 2011
Summary: As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, Harvey Manser, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up beheaded, crucified, and defanged. The same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father, Bernard, was in the spring of 1968. They all connect to a cold case that has symied Alex for 5 years.
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right. *I really didn't much care for Varik myself, but what do I know? He's pushy, he's totally arrogant and thinks he's all that and a hamburger helper meal. ::shiver::
Review: This is actually a pretty interesting story. You have a writer who is telling the story from all sorts of angles; Alex, Varik, Tasha Blackwood, the liasion between the vamps and humans, Darryl Black the ultimate villian of the story, and Harvey Manser, the sheriff who hates vampires with a passion, but hasn't actually killed anyone.
This story is more like a murder mystery novel with vampires as main characters, rather than romance novel. If you have 2-3 pages of would be sex, it doesn't make it a romance novel.
Alex, has some serious issues staying out of trouble. She is headstrong and impetuous (her mothers words); she has the ability to see ghosts due to her psychometry ability. She gets shot by a sniper, she touches a dead body and almost dies, she sees her dead father in Shadowland (the place between the physical world and spirit), she gets beaten to a bloody pulp and nearly burned alive with her cat Dweezil (Love the name, seriously!) She runs into her ex-Varik after he is unretired and told to replace Alex and ends up re-establishing their blood-bond after almost dying. Then there is the fact that her own boss, Damian Alberez doesn't trust her, and ends up suspending her after she really goes off the reservation in search of her brother Stephen.
I had actually grown to like the character of Tasha, until she really lost her way and strayed into the mists of being an egghead like Darryl Black and Harvey. I can't say I blamed her for acting out like she did when she was pushed aside so rudely by Damian, but, I can't say I want to see anymore of her in the next book either. She really didn't offer anything substantial in the end. She had the culprits right under her very roof, but refused to open her eyes. Nicely done.
The story with Alex and her father needs more explaining I think. Sure, he gives her access to the Hall of Records, as it were. But, why did he give up his chance to move on? What in tarnation is he protecting Alex from?
Last word: This novel was set in Mississippi. Mississippi has a bad reputation for treating non whites with hatred and malice. Was this the writers intention to say something about the overall about race relations? Or, was this a misnomer and nothing more? Someone interestingly connnected the Human Seperatist Movement with the Fellowship of the Sun in True Blood. Which is interesting to say the least.
The next book Blood Secrets releases June 28th 2011
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right. *I really didn't much care for Varik myself, but what do I know? He's pushy, he's totally arrogant and thinks he's all that and a hamburger helper meal. ::shiver::
Review: This is actually a pretty interesting story. You have a writer who is telling the story from all sorts of angles; Alex, Varik, Tasha Blackwood, the liasion between the vamps and humans, Darryl Black the ultimate villian of the story, and Harvey Manser, the sheriff who hates vampires with a passion, but hasn't actually killed anyone.
This story is more like a murder mystery novel with vampires as main characters, rather than romance novel. If you have 2-3 pages of would be sex, it doesn't make it a romance novel.
Alex, has some serious issues staying out of trouble. She is headstrong and impetuous (her mothers words); she has the ability to see ghosts due to her psychometry ability. She gets shot by a sniper, she touches a dead body and almost dies, she sees her dead father in Shadowland (the place between the physical world and spirit), she gets beaten to a bloody pulp and nearly burned alive with her cat Dweezil (Love the name, seriously!) She runs into her ex-Varik after he is unretired and told to replace Alex and ends up re-establishing their blood-bond after almost dying. Then there is the fact that her own boss, Damian Alberez doesn't trust her, and ends up suspending her after she really goes off the reservation in search of her brother Stephen.
I had actually grown to like the character of Tasha, until she really lost her way and strayed into the mists of being an egghead like Darryl Black and Harvey. I can't say I blamed her for acting out like she did when she was pushed aside so rudely by Damian, but, I can't say I want to see anymore of her in the next book either. She really didn't offer anything substantial in the end. She had the culprits right under her very roof, but refused to open her eyes. Nicely done.
The story with Alex and her father needs more explaining I think. Sure, he gives her access to the Hall of Records, as it were. But, why did he give up his chance to move on? What in tarnation is he protecting Alex from?
Last word: This novel was set in Mississippi. Mississippi has a bad reputation for treating non whites with hatred and malice. Was this the writers intention to say something about the overall about race relations? Or, was this a misnomer and nothing more? Someone interestingly connnected the Human Seperatist Movement with the Fellowship of the Sun in True Blood. Which is interesting to say the least.
The next book Blood Secrets releases June 28th 2011
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2010
Blood Law is the first installment in the Alexandra Sabian series by Jeannie Holmes. When I found out we were going to be reading this for the Traveling Book Gnome, I was super excited. I did like the book, but I found myself straying at times. It wasn't because of poor writing, it was written very well. I just think the storyline sometimes dragged on(in my opinion). It is, in fact an original book. I just found something missing...
Alex is a vampire who works as an Enforcer for the FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations) in small town in Mississippi called Jefferson. This world is aware of vampires, but not all loves them.
When Vampires are murdered in the area, all in a similar way, and the humans suspicion regarding the vampires get out of control, Alex needs help. Although, the help she get's isn't what she wanted.
Alex's Ex, Varik, shows up on the scene with directions to take over her investigation. Making it look like she can't handle the case. As if she didn't have enough to worry about.
I did in fact, love the characters. Alex is a strong heroine. I liked her from the start, and found I liked her even more throughout the book. She cares about the people in her life, and she's a tough enforcer.
Varik is my favorite of the book. He's a handsome, protective male with a big heart. I will be reading the rest of the series, mostly for him. One character I couldn't stand was Harvey, Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff. I know he was supposed to come off that way, but ugh, what a guy!
I do recommend this book to urban fantasy lovers. It was a good read, paced with action, suspense and romance. I found something lacking in the book, but I still liked it. It was a good read while camping, and I have a feeling the series will get better with each new book.
Alex is a vampire who works as an Enforcer for the FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations) in small town in Mississippi called Jefferson. This world is aware of vampires, but not all loves them.
When Vampires are murdered in the area, all in a similar way, and the humans suspicion regarding the vampires get out of control, Alex needs help. Although, the help she get's isn't what she wanted.
Alex's Ex, Varik, shows up on the scene with directions to take over her investigation. Making it look like she can't handle the case. As if she didn't have enough to worry about.
I did in fact, love the characters. Alex is a strong heroine. I liked her from the start, and found I liked her even more throughout the book. She cares about the people in her life, and she's a tough enforcer.
Varik is my favorite of the book. He's a handsome, protective male with a big heart. I will be reading the rest of the series, mostly for him. One character I couldn't stand was Harvey, Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff. I know he was supposed to come off that way, but ugh, what a guy!
I do recommend this book to urban fantasy lovers. It was a good read, paced with action, suspense and romance. I found something lacking in the book, but I still liked it. It was a good read while camping, and I have a feeling the series will get better with each new book.
April 12, 2011
"Why can't we all just get along??"
Alexandra Sabian is a vampire who works for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations as an Enforcer. She's in charge of making sure the vamps don't break any laws and when they do, she's on the case.
Vamps have been out of the closet for 40 years. There are people who don't seem to care either way, people who mingle with them and people who hate them.
The main feel of the book, for me unfortunately, was more of a hate-crimes story. But, it's basically a murder mystery with vamps.
There were some interesting twists on the vampires in her world, including the relationships between Hunters and Talents. I hope the next book focuses more on that and the "library" that Alex now has access to vs. the hatin', bigoted asses. LOL! I'm hopeful that it will, since, in the end, the murder mystery was solved.
Overall, I liked it enough to check out the 2nd one. But, if the feel of the story doesn't change, I'll probably skip the rest. There's enough hatin' goin' on in the real world, IMO.
December 29, 2010
I admit it, I love Vampire novels almost as much as I like cozies. LOL Yes it's a dichotomy. Blood Law is the first book in a new series by Jeannie Holmes. In her world Vampires live, love, and have children, work regular jobs just like everyone else. Granted they are a bit sensitive to light (making sunglasses a necessity) and yes, they are stronger and faster then normals but hey, there's room for all kinds of people as long as it's not your neck being chomped.
Alexandra Sabian is a Federal Agent for an agency that watches over the Vampire population and does its best to protect Humankind from criminal vamps. She is stationed in a small Mississippi town where she and the other half of the town (the Vampire half) are accorded a less then cordial welcome. When a spate of murders start showing up it makes life a challenge for Alex. She eventually comes to realize that she is the central character in these events since they all lead to her and her past.
I can't wait for the next book in the series and I hope you can't either.
Alexandra Sabian is a Federal Agent for an agency that watches over the Vampire population and does its best to protect Humankind from criminal vamps. She is stationed in a small Mississippi town where she and the other half of the town (the Vampire half) are accorded a less then cordial welcome. When a spate of murders start showing up it makes life a challenge for Alex. She eventually comes to realize that she is the central character in these events since they all lead to her and her past.
I can't wait for the next book in the series and I hope you can't either.
May 28, 2011
A new series which has an interesting heroine, the plot felt similar to the Sookie Stackhouse books in the sense of it being located in a small southern town with the anti-vampire feelings. The book though is much darker and has a lot less fluff to it.
There's an over-arcing plot mystery which has a small revelation at the end and which will probably continue over the next few books. The heroine isn't a throughly likeable one but she has some redeeming features to her. Most likely her character will be developed more in the sequels.
This was a good book with some faults to it, but the author has introduced some cool elements and there's definitely the over-arcing mystery of what has happened in the past which will continue to be slowly resolved in the future, will definitely be reading the sequel to see what direction the author takes.
November 2, 2012
at the moment I obviously have bad luck with picking up good books or I am tired of urban fantasy. as I can't believe it is the second I have to work on my book pickings.
I started this book after reading the first chapter and decided it is worth a try. I really liked the beginning, I could connect with Alex, I liked the tension and the suspense. I also liked Varik even if he is a little bit hollow as a character in my opinion.
but at the middle I lost the connection. Alex started acting strange for the character she was described in the beginning.
the story is quite good and there is a lot of suspense in there. Although I normally prefer first person stories to multiple point of views, the inside on the characters was quite good.
therefore I think I am rating this one with 3,5 stars - and I will decide in the long run if I want to give the second book another try
I started this book after reading the first chapter and decided it is worth a try. I really liked the beginning, I could connect with Alex, I liked the tension and the suspense. I also liked Varik even if he is a little bit hollow as a character in my opinion.
but at the middle I lost the connection. Alex started acting strange for the character she was described in the beginning.
the story is quite good and there is a lot of suspense in there. Although I normally prefer first person stories to multiple point of views, the inside on the characters was quite good.
therefore I think I am rating this one with 3,5 stars - and I will decide in the long run if I want to give the second book another try
November 14, 2023
An interesting premise - a blend of vampire fiction and agent/investigation fiction.
I liked the heroine's personality, but what kept it from a great read for me is that she spent very little time actually investigating while her ex swept in for the rescue (and took over).
Then, there were unexplored subplots of her supernatural abilities and her family's past history - both were interesting but really had very little to do with the story.
I liked the heroine's personality, but what kept it from a great read for me is that she spent very little time actually investigating while her ex swept in for the rescue (and took over).
Then, there were unexplored subplots of her supernatural abilities and her family's past history - both were interesting but really had very little to do with the story.
August 21, 2011
Review originally posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/08/book-review-blood-law-alexandra-sabian.html
Blood Law is about a world, our world, which is aware of the existence of vampires. Now like humans, vampires need their own policing. This is where Alexandra Sabian comes in. She is an FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation) agent. She works along with humans to in vampire related murders. But this investigation hits close to home with Alex when the murdered vampires hold a strange resemblance to the way Alex’s father was murdered. It has been about 40 years since his death and his murderer was never found, so Alex is more determined than ever.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was pretty good. It sort of reminded me of the second season of True Blood, just from the cops’ point of view. I love how the story builds up. From the first chapter, it is dark and gruesome. Alex finding out that the man possibly responsible for her father’s death might be in Jefferson, sends her into a world spin. Not only does she have to put up with a town that is split on vampires, including the town sheriff who might know more about the crimes than he is letting on. Alex also must face the reinforcements, her ex-fiancée Varik. Things between them ended brutally and he was supposed to be retired, so seeing him is a big shock.
Like plenty of other reviews I have seen, I too couldn’t believe this was Holmes first book. This is just so intricate and layered, I couldn’t believe it. The way she writes almost reminds me of J.R. Ward’s or Adrian Phoenix’s style. We get everyone’s point of view, from the main characters to the villains and those in between. I love that. I like that we can follow what everyone is doing and trying to get an understanding as to why they are doing it.
The characters in the book were all incredible. Alex was a great heroine. She actually reminded me a lot of old Anita Blake. She is tough, takes no bullshit, and she will find her man no matter what while still trying to rescue those close to her. I love Varik, he and Alex may be in a six year patch, but he never gives up on her no matter how piss she is. I love finding books where the characters already have a history, it is rare and it adds more depth to them. Love others characters like Alex’s brother, Stephen, who hates Varik’s guts because of what he did. Then there is Tasha, she is Alex’s partner whose loyalty is really tested in this book. She definitely has some demons to face and Holmes wrote it in a way that she will have an even bigger part in things to come I believe. I truly can’t wait.
The only thing I liked and disliked about this book was the actual vampire aspect of the book. Weird, I know, but let me explain myself. I love that the world knows about the vampires and they are fitting in well with society. But in effect, the vampires are quite humanized. I mean, I love they aren’t the dark and cold beings we are used to seeing, but they have powers. Problem is if they use them, they will be punished for it. This couldn’t be truer for Alex who can sometimes see and feel the last few moments of someone’s life (and she can see ghosts). But I think because she has to try and keep her vampire self in check, she can’t do more with them. But I believe that we will see more of her powers in play.
Like I said, this is an amazing debut by Holmes. Again, can’t believe this is the lady’s first book. This was a page turner for me. The twists and surprises will leave you in a state of awe. There are two characters in particular (neither are the actual killer who is very disturbed) who do and hide things that I would not have seen coming. I recommend this even if you aren’t a fan of Urban Fantasy. It is still a great Thriller.
Blood Law is about a world, our world, which is aware of the existence of vampires. Now like humans, vampires need their own policing. This is where Alexandra Sabian comes in. She is an FBPI (Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigation) agent. She works along with humans to in vampire related murders. But this investigation hits close to home with Alex when the murdered vampires hold a strange resemblance to the way Alex’s father was murdered. It has been about 40 years since his death and his murderer was never found, so Alex is more determined than ever.
I really enjoyed this book. The plot was pretty good. It sort of reminded me of the second season of True Blood, just from the cops’ point of view. I love how the story builds up. From the first chapter, it is dark and gruesome. Alex finding out that the man possibly responsible for her father’s death might be in Jefferson, sends her into a world spin. Not only does she have to put up with a town that is split on vampires, including the town sheriff who might know more about the crimes than he is letting on. Alex also must face the reinforcements, her ex-fiancée Varik. Things between them ended brutally and he was supposed to be retired, so seeing him is a big shock.
Like plenty of other reviews I have seen, I too couldn’t believe this was Holmes first book. This is just so intricate and layered, I couldn’t believe it. The way she writes almost reminds me of J.R. Ward’s or Adrian Phoenix’s style. We get everyone’s point of view, from the main characters to the villains and those in between. I love that. I like that we can follow what everyone is doing and trying to get an understanding as to why they are doing it.
The characters in the book were all incredible. Alex was a great heroine. She actually reminded me a lot of old Anita Blake. She is tough, takes no bullshit, and she will find her man no matter what while still trying to rescue those close to her. I love Varik, he and Alex may be in a six year patch, but he never gives up on her no matter how piss she is. I love finding books where the characters already have a history, it is rare and it adds more depth to them. Love others characters like Alex’s brother, Stephen, who hates Varik’s guts because of what he did. Then there is Tasha, she is Alex’s partner whose loyalty is really tested in this book. She definitely has some demons to face and Holmes wrote it in a way that she will have an even bigger part in things to come I believe. I truly can’t wait.
The only thing I liked and disliked about this book was the actual vampire aspect of the book. Weird, I know, but let me explain myself. I love that the world knows about the vampires and they are fitting in well with society. But in effect, the vampires are quite humanized. I mean, I love they aren’t the dark and cold beings we are used to seeing, but they have powers. Problem is if they use them, they will be punished for it. This couldn’t be truer for Alex who can sometimes see and feel the last few moments of someone’s life (and she can see ghosts). But I think because she has to try and keep her vampire self in check, she can’t do more with them. But I believe that we will see more of her powers in play.
Like I said, this is an amazing debut by Holmes. Again, can’t believe this is the lady’s first book. This was a page turner for me. The twists and surprises will leave you in a state of awe. There are two characters in particular (neither are the actual killer who is very disturbed) who do and hide things that I would not have seen coming. I recommend this even if you aren’t a fan of Urban Fantasy. It is still a great Thriller.
July 4, 2016
I discovered Jeannie Holmes through a couple of degrees of social networking (and it’s gone a step further as Mel tells me she’s ordered a copy for her mother after reading my first post).
Hooray for social media then, because I’ve found a great new author to follow. And, even better, there are only two books out so far, so I don’t have too much catching up to do. Instead, I get to look forward to more books in a new world without worrying about a huge backlog. (For example, I sure wouldn’t want to be starting J. D. Robb’s Eve Dallas series now, without 40-odd stories published already.)
There’s a nice new take on vampires in Ms Holmes’ book – they’re a different species rather than something into which humans can be turned, they’re not all powerful even if they are stronger than humans and it’s relatively easy for one to “pass” as human. There is a real thread of anti-vampire hatred in the book that surprised me as I wasn’t expecting it. True, this is also seen in other vampire books, but it had a depth and reality here that really made me quite uncomfortable. I guess it was a good kind of uncomfortable, since it came from high quality world building, which meant I could easily believe in it. There’s not going to be any easy peace between humans and vamps here and the hostility was painful to read. One thought that went though my head was that the “coming out” of the vampires must have done great things for race relations in this world as now there were non-humans to aim all that hatred and vitriol at.
The characters are well developed and I look forward to learning more about them in future books. I suspect there’s a lot we don’t know about Alex yet (or about Varik for that matter), and I can’t decide if her bad judgement as shown in this book was endearing or frustrating. She did some dumb things, but I think they came more from her personality than from any required plot stupidity. At the end, she knew she was doing something dumb, she recognised there would be serious consequences, but she did it anyway. And if it was me, I can’t say that I’d have done differently (assuming I was a strong and confident vampire and not the weak and wimpy human I actually am). As a spectator I can see what she “should” have done, but I’m not sure that the character as introduced to us would have done that. So I guess my feeling is that yes, I was convinced by Alex.
She will be facing those consequences in the next book and I look forward to seeing how she does.
I really rather do like Varik too. While I’m sure he’s not, he was portrayed as a simpler character in this book, but going on the blurb, I rather suspect his turn will come next time. He had aspects of the standard handsome, alpha vamp, but there’s a feeling of a lot more under the surface as well. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
Despite the presence of vampires, I was expecting something along the lines of a police procedural – I’m not quite sure why – so the supernatural element (beyond vampires) that showed up rather surprised me. I wasn’t sure I liked it at first, but now I’ve finished I can’t wait to learn more.
Hooray for Google+ and Dave’s work connections, because I’ve found a good author here and I’m looking forward to more good stories from her. There are just so many paranormal books out there these days that they all start to look the same. I’m generally not going to give something a try without a good reason. I’m so glad I did this time. I found a winner.
Thanks Jeannie, 8/10 to you.
Hooray for social media then, because I’ve found a great new author to follow. And, even better, there are only two books out so far, so I don’t have too much catching up to do. Instead, I get to look forward to more books in a new world without worrying about a huge backlog. (For example, I sure wouldn’t want to be starting J. D. Robb’s Eve Dallas series now, without 40-odd stories published already.)
There’s a nice new take on vampires in Ms Holmes’ book – they’re a different species rather than something into which humans can be turned, they’re not all powerful even if they are stronger than humans and it’s relatively easy for one to “pass” as human. There is a real thread of anti-vampire hatred in the book that surprised me as I wasn’t expecting it. True, this is also seen in other vampire books, but it had a depth and reality here that really made me quite uncomfortable. I guess it was a good kind of uncomfortable, since it came from high quality world building, which meant I could easily believe in it. There’s not going to be any easy peace between humans and vamps here and the hostility was painful to read. One thought that went though my head was that the “coming out” of the vampires must have done great things for race relations in this world as now there were non-humans to aim all that hatred and vitriol at.
The characters are well developed and I look forward to learning more about them in future books. I suspect there’s a lot we don’t know about Alex yet (or about Varik for that matter), and I can’t decide if her bad judgement as shown in this book was endearing or frustrating. She did some dumb things, but I think they came more from her personality than from any required plot stupidity. At the end, she knew she was doing something dumb, she recognised there would be serious consequences, but she did it anyway. And if it was me, I can’t say that I’d have done differently (assuming I was a strong and confident vampire and not the weak and wimpy human I actually am). As a spectator I can see what she “should” have done, but I’m not sure that the character as introduced to us would have done that. So I guess my feeling is that yes, I was convinced by Alex.
She will be facing those consequences in the next book and I look forward to seeing how she does.
I really rather do like Varik too. While I’m sure he’s not, he was portrayed as a simpler character in this book, but going on the blurb, I rather suspect his turn will come next time. He had aspects of the standard handsome, alpha vamp, but there’s a feeling of a lot more under the surface as well. I’m looking forward to seeing it.
Despite the presence of vampires, I was expecting something along the lines of a police procedural – I’m not quite sure why – so the supernatural element (beyond vampires) that showed up rather surprised me. I wasn’t sure I liked it at first, but now I’ve finished I can’t wait to learn more.
Hooray for Google+ and Dave’s work connections, because I’ve found a good author here and I’m looking forward to more good stories from her. There are just so many paranormal books out there these days that they all start to look the same. I’m generally not going to give something a try without a good reason. I’m so glad I did this time. I found a winner.
Thanks Jeannie, 8/10 to you.
October 20, 2014
I hate to sound like Negative Nancy but really, where to begin...
Let's start with Varik since he was probably the least annoying character. Despite his and Alex's bumpy past and his inability to stop apologizing to/for her, he seems like a decent guy with horrible hair. Seriously. Unless he plans to make an appearance in an Anita Blake novel it needs to go.
Next up, Stephen. The jury's still out on him. He might have been ok but what kind of brother . Seems a bit extreme to me though really not unlike most of the other characters in this book.
Aaand Tasha. Really?! I thought she was going to be the most interesting of the bunch but all I could think by the end of the book was Boy, that escalated quickly!. Her annoying turnaround was probably the most disappointing since I could tell from the beginning that Alex was not going to be a character I liked.
Ah Alex. She has a knack for making bad situations worse. I don’t need an uber-vamp hero but Jesus, get your shit together woman! Alex is a hothead and isn't very good at her job even though it seems to be all she has going for her.Most of her time is spent being hurt or unconscious and it’s hard for me to take a woman seriously who’s as old as she is and constantly is crying out for her “daddy”.
I can't remember the last book I read with so many jerks (trying to keep it clean here) in one storyline. Emily seems ok, for what little we read about her, and I couldn’t understand why Alex was so bitchy towards her. For that matter, there were several things going on in the book that I thought may have been explained in a short story prequel that should have read first but that was not the case. There were a many points in the story where it felt like I should have know what was going on but didn’t.
I’ll end my rant here. I know this may be hard to believe but I didn’t hate the book-—just most of the characters, hence the two stars instead of one. What I did like about the book is what many other readers didn't--that they were just kinda normal. Alex didn't get a new superpower every time she blinked which was refreshing I thought. I was going to give the series another chance to see if the backstory gets explained any better or if there was any character growth but it appears as though the series gets cut short anyway so most likely I will not put myself through it.
Let's start with Varik since he was probably the least annoying character. Despite his and Alex's bumpy past and his inability to stop apologizing to/for her, he seems like a decent guy with horrible hair. Seriously. Unless he plans to make an appearance in an Anita Blake novel it needs to go.
Next up, Stephen. The jury's still out on him. He might have been ok but what kind of brother . Seems a bit extreme to me though really not unlike most of the other characters in this book.
Aaand Tasha. Really?! I thought she was going to be the most interesting of the bunch but all I could think by the end of the book was Boy, that escalated quickly!. Her annoying turnaround was probably the most disappointing since I could tell from the beginning that Alex was not going to be a character I liked.
Ah Alex. She has a knack for making bad situations worse. I don’t need an uber-vamp hero but Jesus, get your shit together woman! Alex is a hothead and isn't very good at her job even though it seems to be all she has going for her.Most of her time is spent being hurt or unconscious and it’s hard for me to take a woman seriously who’s as old as she is and constantly is crying out for her “daddy”.
I can't remember the last book I read with so many jerks (trying to keep it clean here) in one storyline. Emily seems ok, for what little we read about her, and I couldn’t understand why Alex was so bitchy towards her. For that matter, there were several things going on in the book that I thought may have been explained in a short story prequel that should have read first but that was not the case. There were a many points in the story where it felt like I should have know what was going on but didn’t.
I’ll end my rant here. I know this may be hard to believe but I didn’t hate the book-—just most of the characters, hence the two stars instead of one. What I did like about the book is what many other readers didn't--that they were just kinda normal. Alex didn't get a new superpower every time she blinked which was refreshing I thought. I was going to give the series another chance to see if the backstory gets explained any better or if there was any character growth but it appears as though the series gets cut short anyway so most likely I will not put myself through it.
September 20, 2010
In Blood Law by Jeannie Holmes, we see a small town under attack by a serial killer who’s MO mimics a case from the sixties. The problem is that his victims are all vampires, and the local law isn’t a big fan of them. In steps resident Enforcer Alex Sabian and FBPI to deal with a local Sheriff who hates vamps and the killer who seems to have his sites aimed squarely at Alex. This quickly becomes too much for her or the local law enforcement, so the FBPI send in back up. Alex’s ex-mentor and ex-fiancé Varik Baudelaire, is called in to “help” with the investigation. Will Alex give in to her painfully obvious lust for her ex? Will we find out who the killer is? By the time we do will we still care?
Blood Law is a decent book, not great, not terrible. The story itself is pretty solid, if a bit overdone. The characters were about what I expected them to be, nothing new here. The romance between Alex and Varik seems more like lust than love and could have been omitted with no real detriment to the overall story. Their history felt like something out of a soap opera, as did many of their scenes together. Alex devotes much of her time to being frustrated at others or doing something really dumb in the name of moving the plot along. One of the human characters suffered character derailment so hard I actually wondered if I had imagined them being relatable earlier in the book. Vampires, as is sometimes still the case, seem to be a stand in for every minority ever plus sick people, but seem to have some fairly original differences to the norm. The author also seems to have some kind of smell fetish just based on the number of times that the way a vampire smelled was mentioned out of nowhere. There were only two points in the book that unique scents among vampires was important to, so take those and maybe two tops to make it clear that the scent is a symptom of vampirism and you’re good. The author also seems to think that every time a cell phone rings she needs to describe the ring tone, but that she isn’t allowed to show use something about the characters by making it an actual song. Needless to say, I have more little issues with Blood Law than major positives, but as it is the author’s first book I am probably going to give the second book a shot just to see if it gets better.
Blood Law is a decent book, not great, not terrible. The story itself is pretty solid, if a bit overdone. The characters were about what I expected them to be, nothing new here. The romance between Alex and Varik seems more like lust than love and could have been omitted with no real detriment to the overall story. Their history felt like something out of a soap opera, as did many of their scenes together. Alex devotes much of her time to being frustrated at others or doing something really dumb in the name of moving the plot along. One of the human characters suffered character derailment so hard I actually wondered if I had imagined them being relatable earlier in the book. Vampires, as is sometimes still the case, seem to be a stand in for every minority ever plus sick people, but seem to have some fairly original differences to the norm. The author also seems to have some kind of smell fetish just based on the number of times that the way a vampire smelled was mentioned out of nowhere. There were only two points in the book that unique scents among vampires was important to, so take those and maybe two tops to make it clear that the scent is a symptom of vampirism and you’re good. The author also seems to think that every time a cell phone rings she needs to describe the ring tone, but that she isn’t allowed to show use something about the characters by making it an actual song. Needless to say, I have more little issues with Blood Law than major positives, but as it is the author’s first book I am probably going to give the second book a shot just to see if it gets better.
August 17, 2011
I liked the overall idea of the book, but there were a lot of elements that were off putting. I am used to sci-fi writers explaining their worlds to me through out the story and I don't feel like I ever got that in this book. There is a lot of established lore surrounding vampires and this book basically ignored all of it. Vampires in this universe have super strength, quick healing abilities, some have psychic ability and they require blood on occasion. That's the extent of their vampireness. They have beating hearts, produce offspring, walk in the sun, eat regular food, etc. I don't understand why these creatures are considered vampires other than it plays into the overarching plot of humans hating vampires.
I didn't find Alex to be an exciting or interesting heroine. I assume that being an FBPI agent gives you a certain amount of badass credibility, but I didn't get that at all in this story. She seems to pass out or get knocked out in every other chapter. She loses control a lot without first establishing a baseline of the cool, calm, collected, effective government agent. She's basically a dense damsel in distress from the get go.
Not a fan of Tasha's either. She went from respect for Alex, to ambivalence, to HATE!RAGE over
I liked Varik's characterization, but didn't understand the tension between the two.
There was a lot of telling in this book and very little showing. Characters were described one way, but acted drastically different. The exception to this was the villains; they were true to the crazy. It was hard to feel invested in these characters when their motivations were so hard to follow.
There were a number of interesting plot points, but the characters fell flat.
I didn't find Alex to be an exciting or interesting heroine. I assume that being an FBPI agent gives you a certain amount of badass credibility, but I didn't get that at all in this story. She seems to pass out or get knocked out in every other chapter. She loses control a lot without first establishing a baseline of the cool, calm, collected, effective government agent. She's basically a dense damsel in distress from the get go.
Not a fan of Tasha's either. She went from respect for Alex, to ambivalence, to HATE!RAGE over
I liked Varik's characterization, but didn't understand the tension between the two.
There was a lot of telling in this book and very little showing. Characters were described one way, but acted drastically different. The exception to this was the villains; they were true to the crazy. It was hard to feel invested in these characters when their motivations were so hard to follow.
There were a number of interesting plot points, but the characters fell flat.
May 15, 2012
Alexandra Sabian is a vampire Enforcer working in a little town called Jefferson where half of the 6000 population are vampires. Her brother, Stephen runs a blood bar to help feed this huge population.
Alex's job is basically that of a police officer for vampires and when a few vamps start popping up very dead with a stake in their hearts and decapitated it is up to her to find out who the murderer is. However it is not that easy in a town where a fair few of the humans actually dislike the vamps, so much so that the Human Separitist Movement will use any means necessary to get the vamps out their town once and for all.
Alex's ex-fiancee Valik, a retired vampire Hunter, is called in to help and whilst she still cares for him, the 6 year separation between the two of them has left things a little hostile between them. They need to work things out between themselves if they are going to move forward with this investigation.
When Alex's brother is attacked and kidnapped and his bar burnt down, with Alex inside, she turns rogue. She will stop at nothing to find out who has her brother and if needs be, she will kill him/them before he kills Stephen. Valik and the other Enforcers are supposed to stop her, but will they get there in time?
I loved Alex's character - another strong-willed, feisty female heroine, but one who knows her heart still belongs to her first true love. I think the progress of Alex and Valik's relationship was perfect - she knew she still loved him, but wasn't quite willing to forgive and forget what he had done, until she did the same thing to him. Not on purpose mind you, but only then and with a chat from her mother, did she realise she couldn't let him go again.
I'm looking forward to getting the next book in this series now to find out what happens to Alex next, after her turning rogue. Does she get the punishment she deserves? Or were her actions justified? Persoanlly I'm glad she did what she did, but not sure if the Chief Enforcer will see it that way!
Alex's job is basically that of a police officer for vampires and when a few vamps start popping up very dead with a stake in their hearts and decapitated it is up to her to find out who the murderer is. However it is not that easy in a town where a fair few of the humans actually dislike the vamps, so much so that the Human Separitist Movement will use any means necessary to get the vamps out their town once and for all.
Alex's ex-fiancee Valik, a retired vampire Hunter, is called in to help and whilst she still cares for him, the 6 year separation between the two of them has left things a little hostile between them. They need to work things out between themselves if they are going to move forward with this investigation.
When Alex's brother is attacked and kidnapped and his bar burnt down, with Alex inside, she turns rogue. She will stop at nothing to find out who has her brother and if needs be, she will kill him/them before he kills Stephen. Valik and the other Enforcers are supposed to stop her, but will they get there in time?
I loved Alex's character - another strong-willed, feisty female heroine, but one who knows her heart still belongs to her first true love. I think the progress of Alex and Valik's relationship was perfect - she knew she still loved him, but wasn't quite willing to forgive and forget what he had done, until she did the same thing to him. Not on purpose mind you, but only then and with a chat from her mother, did she realise she couldn't let him go again.
I'm looking forward to getting the next book in this series now to find out what happens to Alex next, after her turning rogue. Does she get the punishment she deserves? Or were her actions justified? Persoanlly I'm glad she did what she did, but not sure if the Chief Enforcer will see it that way!
July 25, 2010
I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice urban fantasy book.
The main character in the book is Alexandra Sabian, a vampire, and she is an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations. Her job is to keep the vamp population under control and crimes that involve vamps is Alex's territory. The world in this book is just getting used to vampires being real, vampires came out of the closet 40 years prior to the start of the book. When a couple of vampires end up dead, Alex is forced to call in for backup from the FBPI. Her request results in the arrival of Varik, her mentor and former lover. Varik and Alex have a complicated relationship that is brought to the forefront as Alex's hunt for the killer takes a dangerous and personal turn.
I loved Varik! He had an old world appeal with a heavy dose of sexiness to him. As soon as he showed up I was definitely hooked. The relationship between Alex and her brother Stephen was interesting. It provided some lighthearted comic relief to an otherwise dark plot. I'm conflicted on what to think about Alex. Some of the time she was a really cool character. She knew what she wanted and tried to go after it. But other time she came across as being whiny. Also, some of her abilities were a little confusing to understand.
In regards to the plot, I think it was well developed but overall the book was not very fast moving. Things unfurled at their own pace, and while I wasn't rushing to turn the next page I was still interested enough to keep going. The action really started to get moving by the middle of the book, and then it seemed to be nonstop.
I will definitely read the next book which is due out next summer called: Blood Secrets.
The main character in the book is Alexandra Sabian, a vampire, and she is an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations. Her job is to keep the vamp population under control and crimes that involve vamps is Alex's territory. The world in this book is just getting used to vampires being real, vampires came out of the closet 40 years prior to the start of the book. When a couple of vampires end up dead, Alex is forced to call in for backup from the FBPI. Her request results in the arrival of Varik, her mentor and former lover. Varik and Alex have a complicated relationship that is brought to the forefront as Alex's hunt for the killer takes a dangerous and personal turn.
I loved Varik! He had an old world appeal with a heavy dose of sexiness to him. As soon as he showed up I was definitely hooked. The relationship between Alex and her brother Stephen was interesting. It provided some lighthearted comic relief to an otherwise dark plot. I'm conflicted on what to think about Alex. Some of the time she was a really cool character. She knew what she wanted and tried to go after it. But other time she came across as being whiny. Also, some of her abilities were a little confusing to understand.
In regards to the plot, I think it was well developed but overall the book was not very fast moving. Things unfurled at their own pace, and while I wasn't rushing to turn the next page I was still interested enough to keep going. The action really started to get moving by the middle of the book, and then it seemed to be nonstop.
I will definitely read the next book which is due out next summer called: Blood Secrets.
October 7, 2010
Not bad for a first novel, although I must admit I found it slightly "sluggish" in places. Some have described it as a romance - not sure I'd agree with that, I'd say it's more of a murder mystery/crime novel...the fact that some of the characters are vampires and that two of the leads happen to have a romantic connection is almost secondary.
I found some of the descriptive language repetitive, especially when describing the vampire's scents, but I think this was deliberate - unortuantely, it did slow the pace of the book down a bit. I was also a little bit put off by our lead man Varik having really long hair! Not my personal preference, but each to his (or her) own I suppose!
The storyline itself was entertaining, with a nice little twist at the end, although I found it slightly unbelievable that the vampire/human liaison officer was so easily swayed in her opinion of vampires - it felt like this had been written in just to make the plot work, rather than it being a genuine way in which her character would behave. And I did find it slightly difficult to follow who all of the peripheral characters were, as well as a few subplots along the way...maybe I was just having an off week though, as I'm sure it wasn't that complicated really!
All in all, an enjoyable read and a very good first effort for a new writer, trying to find new ground in an already swamped genre. The slight plot cliffhanger at the end has meant that I will probably read the next book in the series.
I found some of the descriptive language repetitive, especially when describing the vampire's scents, but I think this was deliberate - unortuantely, it did slow the pace of the book down a bit. I was also a little bit put off by our lead man Varik having really long hair! Not my personal preference, but each to his (or her) own I suppose!
The storyline itself was entertaining, with a nice little twist at the end, although I found it slightly unbelievable that the vampire/human liaison officer was so easily swayed in her opinion of vampires - it felt like this had been written in just to make the plot work, rather than it being a genuine way in which her character would behave. And I did find it slightly difficult to follow who all of the peripheral characters were, as well as a few subplots along the way...maybe I was just having an off week though, as I'm sure it wasn't that complicated really!
All in all, an enjoyable read and a very good first effort for a new writer, trying to find new ground in an already swamped genre. The slight plot cliffhanger at the end has meant that I will probably read the next book in the series.
July 19, 2010
Loving urban fiction, unique vampire or supernatural characters, and forensics-heavy stories, I was thrilled to read this (and also because it was written by the wife of a friend). I'll say that this is an imperfect book, but it is a good start for a new voice.
The positives include interesting secondary characters, a decent plot, and a desire to know what's coming next in the sequel.
The criticisms I have are varied. Perhaps the biggest drawback for me is that the vampires are so watered down as for it not to matter that they are vampires. What's the point of them being vampires if they have no discernible vulnerabilities and no particular strengths that set them apart from humans? I kept waiting for something to pop up that would make me care that the main character is a vampire and thus is vulnerable to ___ and has superhuman ___, but nothing appeared to fill in the blanks.
Additionally, some tighter editing really should have been done to eliminate overusage of "caramel" to describe skin tone or "sandalwood and cinnamon" to describe a character's scent. It almost became comical.
There is definitely substance here, and it is worth reading, but I did find it a bit slow, and some of the loose writing took me out of the story.
The positives include interesting secondary characters, a decent plot, and a desire to know what's coming next in the sequel.
The criticisms I have are varied. Perhaps the biggest drawback for me is that the vampires are so watered down as for it not to matter that they are vampires. What's the point of them being vampires if they have no discernible vulnerabilities and no particular strengths that set them apart from humans? I kept waiting for something to pop up that would make me care that the main character is a vampire and thus is vulnerable to ___ and has superhuman ___, but nothing appeared to fill in the blanks.
Additionally, some tighter editing really should have been done to eliminate overusage of "caramel" to describe skin tone or "sandalwood and cinnamon" to describe a character's scent. It almost became comical.
There is definitely substance here, and it is worth reading, but I did find it a bit slow, and some of the loose writing took me out of the story.
November 4, 2010
DNF I *may* come back to it later. I just couldn't read it. I've had it since July and have only made it about 1/3 of the way in.
Too many characters. Or maybe not, but everyone I've been introduced to? Not interested in them at all.
More than one character is reading as a caricature.
Too much telling, not enough showing.
Purple prose. And some all around heavy handed writing.
Also, the lead female character's MOTHER is coming to town. Seriously? Maybe this is not unforgivable on the author's part, maybe there are some real life mothers out there that are completely delusional and come from OUT OF STATE to interfere in their ADULT children's lives. I just can not handle that in a story. It makes me want to grab a knife and get stabby.
When I found myself skimming the book instead of reading it I threw in the towel (ok, I was also highlighting bad passages, another clue). In the future I may pick up another Jeannie Holmes, but she's going to have to redeem herself with a short story or something first.
But what do I know? There are books rated 4 & 5 stars by my friends (who I usually agree with) that make me shake my head and toss the book against the wall. (In all honesty - this isn't a high water mark in the paranormal/romance/urban/fantasy genre.)
Too many characters. Or maybe not, but everyone I've been introduced to? Not interested in them at all.
More than one character is reading as a caricature.
Too much telling, not enough showing.
Purple prose. And some all around heavy handed writing.
Also, the lead female character's MOTHER is coming to town. Seriously? Maybe this is not unforgivable on the author's part, maybe there are some real life mothers out there that are completely delusional and come from OUT OF STATE to interfere in their ADULT children's lives. I just can not handle that in a story. It makes me want to grab a knife and get stabby.
When I found myself skimming the book instead of reading it I threw in the towel (ok, I was also highlighting bad passages, another clue). In the future I may pick up another Jeannie Holmes, but she's going to have to redeem herself with a short story or something first.
But what do I know? There are books rated 4 & 5 stars by my friends (who I usually agree with) that make me shake my head and toss the book against the wall. (In all honesty - this isn't a high water mark in the paranormal/romance/urban/fantasy genre.)
February 26, 2011
Synopsis:
To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.
A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.
I tried really hard to get into this book, but just couldn't.
To stop a vampire killer, she’ll have to slay her own demons first.
A provocative and savvy vampire, Alexandra Sabian moves to the sleepy hamlet of Jefferson, Mississippi—population 6,000, half vampires—to escape the demons lurking in her past. As an enforcer for the Federal Bureau of Preternatural Investigations (FBPI), Alex must maintain the uneasy peace between her kind and humans, including Jefferson’s bigoted sheriff, who’d be happy to see all vampires banished from town. Then really dead vamps start turning up—beheaded, crucified, and defanged, the same gruesome manner in which Alex’s father was murdered decades ago. For Alex, the professional has become way too personal.
Things get even more complicated when the FBPI sends in some unnervingly sexy backup: Alex’s onetime mentor, lover, and fiancé, Varik Baudelaire. Still stinging from the betrayal that ended their short-lived engagement, Alex is determined not to give in to the temptation that soon threatens to short-circuit her investigation. But as the vamp body count grows and the public panic level rises, Varik may be Alex’s only hope to stop a relentless killer who’s got his own score to settle and his own bloody past to put right.
I tried really hard to get into this book, but just couldn't.
March 23, 2011
This book makes me angry. I feel like any mystery out there that contains vampires will be published, and a Pantera lyric comes to mind, "Is there no standard anymore?"
Vampires are being staked and beheaded and somehow that is shocking. Oh, and guess what, biased closed minded cops in a southern town don't approve of vampires! It's ok, you can close your mouth, I know you were really shocked there. But wait, there is more. The beheading and staking reminds the main character of how her father was killed. Obviously, no one in the history of civilization has ever wanted to behead and stake a vampire, it's only this one vampire killing that it could possibly be related to. So let's read 300 pages to find out who the killer is! Um, no, sorry, we get to hear from the killer right off the bat, and we even learn his motivation for killing the vampires. To make matters worse, an old super sexy vampire is in love with our boring plain main character. Surprised? Continue to wade through the inane conversations, the stupid ex-fiance drama, and the stereotypical cop bs if you'd like, but there is nothing unique or special here at all, and I for one am sick of books like these.
Vampires are being staked and beheaded and somehow that is shocking. Oh, and guess what, biased closed minded cops in a southern town don't approve of vampires! It's ok, you can close your mouth, I know you were really shocked there. But wait, there is more. The beheading and staking reminds the main character of how her father was killed. Obviously, no one in the history of civilization has ever wanted to behead and stake a vampire, it's only this one vampire killing that it could possibly be related to. So let's read 300 pages to find out who the killer is! Um, no, sorry, we get to hear from the killer right off the bat, and we even learn his motivation for killing the vampires. To make matters worse, an old super sexy vampire is in love with our boring plain main character. Surprised? Continue to wade through the inane conversations, the stupid ex-fiance drama, and the stereotypical cop bs if you'd like, but there is nothing unique or special here at all, and I for one am sick of books like these.
November 8, 2010
My rating: 4 1/2 stars
This book was unexpectedly awesome, and one of the few books to have reached my favorites list after only a hundred pages in.
Jeannie Holmes has created a very unique and lively world with her Alexandra Sabian series. The first book in the series is fantastic, and I can't wait to read on. All the characters have a very unique personality, and unlike most books where the side characters are almost as good as the main ones, the protagonists of this book outshone the other characters by a great margin. I loved Alex's personality, and it's a very nice change to read about a relationship that ended for a reason besides the typical "I did it to protect you" agenda.
The plot is also highly engaging, albeit lacking in the originality department. Nonetheless, the main characters and their love story more than make up for it. Holmes's writing style is splendid and I can't wait to read Blood Secrets.
This book was unexpectedly awesome, and one of the few books to have reached my favorites list after only a hundred pages in.
Jeannie Holmes has created a very unique and lively world with her Alexandra Sabian series. The first book in the series is fantastic, and I can't wait to read on. All the characters have a very unique personality, and unlike most books where the side characters are almost as good as the main ones, the protagonists of this book outshone the other characters by a great margin. I loved Alex's personality, and it's a very nice change to read about a relationship that ended for a reason besides the typical "I did it to protect you" agenda.
The plot is also highly engaging, albeit lacking in the originality department. Nonetheless, the main characters and their love story more than make up for it. Holmes's writing style is splendid and I can't wait to read Blood Secrets.
August 10, 2010
Decent new author and decent first novel. Every vampire story has it's own version of what the "facts" are about vampires - sunlight, holy objects, immortality, etc - and unfortunately, it took too long and was too vaguely parceled out in this novel. I get the impression the author knew what world she wanted to create but forgot to fully pass that info on to the reader.
Still, pretty good and I'll pick up the next to see where it goes.
Still, pretty good and I'll pick up the next to see where it goes.
June 23, 2011
I rattled along, quite liking this for quite a while, but the heroine spent a large proportion of the last third of the book acting with such monumental stupidity that I wanted to give her a quick slap. I know that she had good reasons at that point not to be thinking rationally, but her actions weren't so much impulsive as just moronic. I did like Varik, but I don't think I'll be keeping up with the series.
August 16, 2010
Total waste of time. I pretty much skimmed the 2nd half of it. Very generic.
September 9, 2011
Varik Baudelaire. Please be mine.
January 10, 2011
Hmm, what to say, what to say. I think I always enjoy these type of stories on a basic level. They're nice books to read when you have all day to waste and you want some decent supernatural/crime/sex entertainment. Are any of them truly that awe inspiring or highly original? Not so much. There are just so many books out there in the Adult Supernatural world and yet they all seem the same. Smart, savvy, sexy female heroine-check! Government agent of some sort-check! Psycho serial killer-check! Psycho killers motive somehow relating back to the smart, savvy, sexy female heroine-check! Smart, savvy, sexy female heroine being torn between her heart and her head-check! And last but not least...the incredibly hot, absolutely perfect, with a bad boy streak with a dark past, sexy beyond belief love interest-check! Oh and did I mention the incredibly long hair? Do you see what I mean? I haven't read all that much Adult Paranormal novels, but the few that I have tend to stick to that basic storyline. Plus can someone PLEASE tell me why older women find guys with outrageously long hair (usually longer than the female characters) so overwhelmingly attractive?! I. DO. NOT. UNDERSTAND! Please, just please, someone! Explain this to me! I just can't comprehend!
Okay... rant and heavy sarcasm is over now. Besides the cookie cutter plotline, I still found this story enjoyable. I liked the fact that the author really stressed the fact that vampires and humans were two different species living side by side. Ya, ya, somewhat evident right? But for some reason I always think of vampires as humans with a nasty parasitic disease that like to munch on normal people for a good midnight snack. She really stressed the fact that they were two separate species and were not in the slightest bit human, no matter what the physical similarities. As far as I inferred, humans can't be "turned" either. Vampires are born, not made. (I think! Don't quote me! That's the gist of what I gathered while reading) I really kind of liked this more separatist take on vampires. Fangs grow in at puberty and if pulled, they don't grow back. De-fanging is akin to losing a limb. I just really kind of enjoyed the slight spin the author put on it. Not quite the same old vampire novel. It had just enough originality to keep me interested.
As far as Alex went, I have rather mixed feelings on her. While I found her character, for the most part, enjoyable, there were still a few things that kind of bugged me. I liked her personality and her casual attitude. She seemed like a pretty laid back and likeable person. Did she seem like a Bureau worker? Eh... so so. I don't know, she just didn't really strike me as the cop type. I think it was because of her volitile emotions that kind of put me off. It's just hard for me to think of her having any type of authority. I don't know, I'm probably the only one that thinks this, but meh. Her reaction and emotions toward Varik? They were completely uncalled for. Ya the horrible incident in their past that caused them to break up was pretty out of line. Did he do it on purpose? No. Was it bad judgement on his part? Yes. Yet once again, he didn't do it on purpose. I would have forgiven the poor guy. He obviously felt horrible about it, and yet Alex still took off like a bat out of hell (there was no pun intended there). I just felt that for what happened, he didn't deserve the violent reaction from Alex that he got.
I actually ended up really liking Varik. Aside from that cursed long hair (shakes head) he was a very nice guy. I have no trouble what so ever thinking of him as a high up Bureau agent. He just radiates bad ass government guy. He just has this aura of authority about him, and a don't mess with me attitude. Plus he is an incredibly decent guy. He never once pushed Alex, and let her leave. He never contacted her, never forced himself onto her, and was the perfect gentleman. He wouldn't even have come to help with Alex's investigation if he wasn't on orders. He respects Alex's wishes and does everything he can in order to help her solve her case. And despite everything that has happened, and the fact that Alex left him, he still loves her. I just really liked his character.
Okay, so a slight mini rant again. Don't you just hate it when the author switches into the killers POV? I HATE that! What is the point of having a crime mystery when you know what the killer is thinking and his motive?! Where is the drama in that?! Gah! Drives me nuts! It's no fun reading about the heroine trying to figure out what the heck is going on when you already know. Do you see what I mean? I wish authors wouldn't do that. Totally ruins it for me. :/ I mean I guess I can see where authors are trying to come from. That whole "insight into a twisted mind" type deal. Well it's not insightful! It just proves that there are some sick people in this world who have the most twisted reasoning ever. We don't need to know what the killer is thinking to understand that he's nuts. Plus villains are always way scarrier when they have that element of mystery about them. Let's see what's scarrier. The killer who tells you exactly why he's going to submit you to a twisted horrible death, or the killer who just lets you wonder and then has fun with you just to see you squirm? Exactly.
Okay for real now, ranting done. While the plot did give me some pleasant surprises, it wasn't really all that wonderful. Will I continue reading this series? Maybe? Sometime... in the future. Uhm... ya. If you love this genre, then I guarantee you'll love this book. But if you're like me and generally dislike cookie cutter plots I would stay away. Not bad by any means, just not anything truly gripping or new.
BTW, this was The Traveling Book Gnomes latest pick. Sorry I have no pics to accompany my review. I was very happy to recieve Cedric as well! I just wish I got to keep him longer! :( Until next time my dear gnome!
Okay... rant and heavy sarcasm is over now. Besides the cookie cutter plotline, I still found this story enjoyable. I liked the fact that the author really stressed the fact that vampires and humans were two different species living side by side. Ya, ya, somewhat evident right? But for some reason I always think of vampires as humans with a nasty parasitic disease that like to munch on normal people for a good midnight snack. She really stressed the fact that they were two separate species and were not in the slightest bit human, no matter what the physical similarities. As far as I inferred, humans can't be "turned" either. Vampires are born, not made. (I think! Don't quote me! That's the gist of what I gathered while reading) I really kind of liked this more separatist take on vampires. Fangs grow in at puberty and if pulled, they don't grow back. De-fanging is akin to losing a limb. I just really kind of enjoyed the slight spin the author put on it. Not quite the same old vampire novel. It had just enough originality to keep me interested.
As far as Alex went, I have rather mixed feelings on her. While I found her character, for the most part, enjoyable, there were still a few things that kind of bugged me. I liked her personality and her casual attitude. She seemed like a pretty laid back and likeable person. Did she seem like a Bureau worker? Eh... so so. I don't know, she just didn't really strike me as the cop type. I think it was because of her volitile emotions that kind of put me off. It's just hard for me to think of her having any type of authority. I don't know, I'm probably the only one that thinks this, but meh. Her reaction and emotions toward Varik? They were completely uncalled for. Ya the horrible incident in their past that caused them to break up was pretty out of line. Did he do it on purpose? No. Was it bad judgement on his part? Yes. Yet once again, he didn't do it on purpose. I would have forgiven the poor guy. He obviously felt horrible about it, and yet Alex still took off like a bat out of hell (there was no pun intended there). I just felt that for what happened, he didn't deserve the violent reaction from Alex that he got.
I actually ended up really liking Varik. Aside from that cursed long hair (shakes head) he was a very nice guy. I have no trouble what so ever thinking of him as a high up Bureau agent. He just radiates bad ass government guy. He just has this aura of authority about him, and a don't mess with me attitude. Plus he is an incredibly decent guy. He never once pushed Alex, and let her leave. He never contacted her, never forced himself onto her, and was the perfect gentleman. He wouldn't even have come to help with Alex's investigation if he wasn't on orders. He respects Alex's wishes and does everything he can in order to help her solve her case. And despite everything that has happened, and the fact that Alex left him, he still loves her. I just really liked his character.
Okay, so a slight mini rant again. Don't you just hate it when the author switches into the killers POV? I HATE that! What is the point of having a crime mystery when you know what the killer is thinking and his motive?! Where is the drama in that?! Gah! Drives me nuts! It's no fun reading about the heroine trying to figure out what the heck is going on when you already know. Do you see what I mean? I wish authors wouldn't do that. Totally ruins it for me. :/ I mean I guess I can see where authors are trying to come from. That whole "insight into a twisted mind" type deal. Well it's not insightful! It just proves that there are some sick people in this world who have the most twisted reasoning ever. We don't need to know what the killer is thinking to understand that he's nuts. Plus villains are always way scarrier when they have that element of mystery about them. Let's see what's scarrier. The killer who tells you exactly why he's going to submit you to a twisted horrible death, or the killer who just lets you wonder and then has fun with you just to see you squirm? Exactly.
Okay for real now, ranting done. While the plot did give me some pleasant surprises, it wasn't really all that wonderful. Will I continue reading this series? Maybe? Sometime... in the future. Uhm... ya. If you love this genre, then I guarantee you'll love this book. But if you're like me and generally dislike cookie cutter plots I would stay away. Not bad by any means, just not anything truly gripping or new.
BTW, this was The Traveling Book Gnomes latest pick. Sorry I have no pics to accompany my review. I was very happy to recieve Cedric as well! I just wish I got to keep him longer! :( Until next time my dear gnome!
October 7, 2018
Mmmm. It was an unfortunate little novel, from start to finish: overuse of purple prose (forgivable in a debut novel), unlikeable characters (all of them) and several mysteries intertwined that not only failed to make sense OR be properly resolved...it wasn't gripping, it wasn't interesting, and boring long-haired exes who just can't manage to be professional while engaged on official business are irritating, not sexy. Also the super-special vampire powers irked me- and they were unfortunately explained very poorly.
(and I really don't care for her daddy issues, nor the frequency in which they were brought up)
(and I really don't care for her daddy issues, nor the frequency in which they were brought up)
November 6, 2019
This book was going good for me until Alex touches a dead body and all of a sudden unlocks a psychic ability and enters into a shadowland. It lost my interest then. Have read many vampire books and this one took took a turn into ghost and psychic abilities... then there were many characters, jumping back and forth from one to another. I lost track of who was who besides the main characters. Disappointing read, I skimmed threw the last 30%. You could figure out by then what was going to happen anyway.
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