ARC Review: Rachel Caine's Last Breath

Book 11 in Rachel Caine’s New York Times bestselling Morganville Vampire series is Last Breath – and boy did it take my breath away.  Before I begin, I’d first like to give a #shoutout to Rex Robot Reviews & her killer ARC tour! THANKS!!!

Last Breath begins with the planning of the impending nuptials of two of the Glass House Residents, Michael an Eve.  If these two aren’t star-crossed lovers, I’m not sure who is. She’s human and he’s a vampire and well, frankly…their relationship is inevitably doomed.  Humans in Morganville have been and always will be...food.  And according to one of the many unwritten vampire rules, one cannot have a real relationship with the cattle a.k.a. humans.  Michael and Eve, from the beginning were defending their relationship and now wedding against - not just the vampires - but the humans as well.

The humans have much animosity (more like bone-chilling hate) towards the vamps.  Now it’s ripe and boiling over with the pinnacle being the subsequent marriage to two lovers.  As lines are drawn and demands are made, something evil and sinister is lurking around the town of Morganville.  There’s a new predator in town – Magnus - and he’s hunting vampires and humans alike.  Oh, I promise you, it’s unlike anything you've read yet. *shivers*

Fear makes vampires, and humans behave insanely – and that’s putting it mildly when you think about Amelia’s decision-making.  Scary, to say the least.  In a fit, she makes a hasty decision that nearly ends Shane’s life which in return causes strife among the Glass House residents, especially Claire.


From there the tale takes a dark, delcious twist where murder and mayhem become a bit too literal for Claire, Shane, Eve and Michael.  I won’t tell you what happens, that would be WRONG – but it was enough to bring me to tears. (I’m such a sap sometimes.)  But, alas, dead or not, life goes in Morganville (the town of walking dead.)  With Magnus on the hunt, vampires on the run and human's rioting, will Morganville ever become somewhat civilized again? And despite the powerful bond the Glass House has with its inhabitants, will it be enough to save them in the end? The vampires and human will have to ally once more to defeat the ultimate evil or die trying. Can they do it? Can they win without anyone else from the Scooby gang getting killed?

I said it before; this book took my breath away. First half, I was laughing my a** off and then I was sobbing like a fool. This book was so wonderfully written it left me spellbound. My only comment was I didn't care for the perspective of Amelia and Michael. These are such strong characters – I wasn’t sure the book needed their perspective. Still, that didn’t take away from the book.  For me, Rachel Caine’s Last Breath was easily a 4.5.

Until next time...vampires, draugs, and humans, oh my!

Mina B.

ARC Review: Rachel Caine's Bite Club

Book 10 in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire series, Bite Club, is set to release in early May.  An insane amount of fans are waiting patiently for the series latest installment.  I used to be one of those fans too, that is until I got my hands on an ARC copy.  Before I begin my review, I must give a GINORMOUS thanks to Rachel Caine and her team for providing me with an ARC copy of this coveted book, Bite Club.  I was beyond fortunate to read it earlier than most.

First off, if you are unfamiliar with the series, I’m listing a few of my previous Morganville reviews, specifically the last two, Book 8/Kiss of Death and Book 9/Ghost Town.  As always, I will do my best not to mention any spoilers, even though it's nearly impossible.

Something is always brewing in Morganville or Nowhere, Texas.  In Bite Club, Claire’s having an unusually ordinary day on campus until she witnesses her lab partner steal vials of vampire blood and then later finds him dead. The mystery starts there and then quickly unravels into chaos.

Bite Club delves wonderfully into Claire’s boyfriend, Shane Collins, and all his dark, misunderstood and repressed tendencies.  He’s a bit of ticking time bomb and woven brilliantly into the plot, Caine –who normally writes in third person – switched over and wrote first person, from Shanes’s perspective.  And it was awesome!  I know some people don’t like this.  But I did.  I loved getting a glimpse inside Shane’s head. On the surface, he comes off as a total slacker, but if you’re a fan, then you know he’s far more complex and smarter than that.  And reading his voice, you know he’s all heart.

In Bite Club, Shane’s thinks he’s found his calling when he signs up for martial arts classes.  While Shane hones his fighting skills, things in Morganville start to change including Shane.  Claire does her best to support him plus meet the demands of Amelie and Myrnin.  Amelie, whose constantly under the threat of vampires –possibly even humans– revolting against her, remains the ice queen when it comes to ruling Morganville.  And Myrnin gets in on the action which I found thoroughly entertaining.  There were so many laugh out loud moments in this book with Myrnin, especially since Frank Collins– Shane’s Dad –is now literally hard-wired to Myrnin’s mystical computer. I think Frank and Myrnin are the new dynamic duo, they were so hilarious.

Caine’s a genius at creating loveable characters, even when their menacing ones.  A genius! The plot has so many twists that guess what…even ol’ *bleep* is back.  I won’t tell you who, but I can tell you I nearly dropped the book.  Our young hero, Claire, is forever the driving force behind these perilous plots.  And in Bite Club, with all the dead bodies, exploding tempers, brutalizing fights and impending hostile take-overs, Claire’s got her work cut out for her. Again.

Bite Club was a 4.5 for me. I loved it and I have no doubt you will too.

Until next time…Morganville Vampires – the thrilling adventure continues.

Mina B.

Book Review: Rachel Caine's Ghost Town

Rachel Caine’s Ghost Town, Book 9 in the Morganville Vampires series, was easily another thriller. I meant to review this some time ago, but then time slipped away from me.  That happens, you know.  It’s called life.  Anyway, the series was/is one of my favorite young adult series.  Despite targeting the youngsters, it has crossover appeal that continues to outlast most series.  If you haven’t read the series, take a moment to peruse my previous reviews. Glass Houses, The Dead Girls Dance, Midnight Alley, and Kiss of Death.

I’ll do my best not to mention too many spoilers, but it may just happen.  I apologize in advance if I go overboard.  Where to begin?  Ah…the town of Morganville.  Yes.  Morganville has its boundaries, you know.  And those parameters are watched/guarded against vampires and humans alike.  Like the roach motel, you can check in but you can almost never check out – thanks to the town’s mystical borders.  In previous books, we’ve learned just how those borders were kept; by some freakish “steampunky” device which used the brain of Myrnin’s former vampire assistant, Ada.  It needed a brain as its CPU, Myrnin insisted.  After Ada departed, he wanted Claire’s brilliant mind to fill that position.  Claire obviously declined that promotion.

In a bizarre twist, Claire fixes the machine/computer and in less than 48 hours, Myrnin screws it up, wiping 3 years worth of memories of Morganville residents (vamps & humans.)  The story starts out with mild hysteria building and quickly burst into full blown chaos.  Humans are losing it, crazed with amnesia and then worse, the vamps become afflicted too.  In fact, they become so enraged; they outright kill/maim anything that crosses their paths.

What I love best about this series are three things.  First, the books are always fast-paced thrillers.  Action. Action.  Action.  Need I say more?  Second, there’s a steady, frightening undertone of impending doom that permeates throughout Caine’s novels.  I for one would not want to visit Morganville, ever!  I mean who can Claire and her friends trust?  No one.  Even Michaels’s friendship is questionable at times because he is - after all - one of them…a vampire.   Lastly, the characters…I can’t say enough about the characters.  They are so beautifully complicated, vulnerable and imperfect that in short instances, you see the humanity in the vamps and the beastly nature of the humans.

This book was another 4 for me.  Now it’s your turn to get your Morganvill fix. Read Rachel Caine’s Ghost Town and hurry because this May is the release of Book 10 in the series, Bite Club.

Until next time…The Morganville Vamps are to die for.

Mina B.

Book Review: Rachel Caine's Kiss of Death

I finally finished Rachel Caine’s Kiss of Death.  And oh…it was soooo good.  Truthfully, I laughed out loud so many times…it was ridiculous.  Caine – like always - nails these Morganville characters so brilliantly that it made me enjoy Kiss of Death that much more.

First off…so much has happened to Claire, Shane, Eve and Michael. Claire and Shane’s relationship seems to be going to the next level.  Her parents aren’t that happy about it, but what parents of a 17 year old would be?  Naturally they want what’s best for Claire and hardly think Shane's the guy for her.  But with all his slacker tendencies, he still kind, gentle, and loving.  Maybe not all the time but at least when it counts.  On the other hand, Eve and Michael’s relationship is somewhat in question.  The strain in the relationship is only natural of course, since he’s undead and she’s still breathing.  It’s not like they can be together forever – unless she’s turned.  And if we know anything about the Morganville series – no one gets turned that easily.

All romance aside, Kiss of Death was all about a road trip. Specifically, Michael, Eve, Shane, and Claire were given free passes to exit Morganville so that Michael could record with a music producer in Dallas.  There’s one small caveat…Oliver was their assigned escort.  Part of my laugh out loud moments were from the visuals Caine descibed of the Glass house bunch driving in a car with Oliver.  You see…I’m from Texas and no one can appreciate the literary descriptions of flat lands, endless pavements and po-dunk towns more than a Texan.  Add in set of loveable Morganville characters and you have one hell of a road trip.  Just about everything you think could go wrong does – and that added to the hilarity.  Oliver was a pisser. I just adored the way initially (in book 1) he pretended to be a fun-loving hippy/coffee shop owner when deep down he was a sadistic, power hungry bloodsucking lunatic.  And did I mention he’s the road trip escort.  Hah Hah! Oooh he so vile at times it’s delicious.  I love how Claire goes toe-to-toe with him. Her character is growing too. Finally, I think she’s earned some respect from Oliver among others.

Even though the book ended on a somber note, there were those feel-good moments that just made the insane trip worthwhile. You can’t help but feel bad for Michael, Eve, Claire & Shane. I won’t tell you what happens because that would be wrong.  Go out and get it, read it and revel in another one of Rachel Caine’s riveting Morganville tales.  It’s classic Morganville so I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

On my KilloMeter, I give Rachel Caine's Kiss of Death a 4.

Until next time…read the killer Morganville Series. You’ll be glad you did.

Mina B.

Book Review: Blue Parker's Bite Me

I had the pleasure of finishing a book I picked up some time ago, Bite Me by Parker Blue.  This YA tale had a unique twist on vampires and slayers.  Bite Me is the first book in Blue’s Demon Underground series.



Valentine Shapiro (Val) is an 18 year old loner, human girl and 1/8th of a succubus demon.  A succubus demon is a female lust demon that thrives on her victim’s desire.  Val has spent her whole life suppressing her demon side who she calls “Lola”.  She learned early on how deadly Lola could be, nearly sucking the life out of the first boy she kissed. Val had to find a release for Lola or else.  And so she found the one thing that sated her demon need: vampire slaying.

The notion of this book was kind of cool, I have to say.  When the book starts out, we learn about Val’s family and how crappy they treat her. Man, I couldn’t help but feel bad for the chick.  Val’s mom is a pitiful excuse for a mother. Her step dad is pretty worthless too.  And her sister, Jennifer, in my opinion, is a pain in the ass.  Thanks to her meddlesome sister, Val gets kicked out of her house at 18. WOW, that was intense.

Anyway, Val went on to bigger and better; getting herself a new place to stay, a dog, some friends (finally)…oh and a job too. Apparently she’s built up some kind of a reputation for slaying vampires.  The SCU (a police paranormal unit) sees the need to hire someone with her skill set, especially since San Antonio is running ramped with vampires.  Her boss partners her with a yummy copy named Dan.  Things are finally looking up for Val at least it seems so until she brought back down to reality.  Vampires are on the loose and are killing innocent people.

As Dan and Val investigate the increased vamp activity, they meet a new wave of vampires – all a part of the nonviolent movement. A small set of vampires are desperately trying to integrate themselves within the human population. But let’s face it…Vampires are blood suckers, plain and simple. Right? Maybe…maybe not. Their movement is about using blood banks, recruiting high school volunteers and of course mind-control. Val’s annoying sister, Jennifer, gets wrangled in the whole mess, along with her step dad, Rick. Val’s doing her best to be the supporting daughter/sister, despite her family treating her poorly.

I really liked the notion of Val’s demon side. I also enjoyed how Blue used “Lola” (Val’s demon side) to test the boundaries of her relationship/crush with Dan. Despite all the talk about lust, the book is total age appropriate. I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

On my KilloMeter scale, I give Parker Blue’s Bite Me a 3.5.

Until next time….Demon Underground, anyone?

Mina B.

Book Review: Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy

My review today is for Kiersten White’s Paranormalcy. This is the author’s debut novel and what a YA ride it was. There are spoilers in this review. So beware. After reading a plethora of reviews on the book, I was definitely intrigued but also guarded. Initially, I had concerns about the similarities to Whedon’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer covert military operation episodes. Still, I remained open minded and was without a doubt pleasantly surprised.


Evie works for IPCA, a covert operation called the International Paranormal Containment Agency. With no parents, this orphan was picked up by IPCA, who then raised her and trained her for strictly bagging and tagging paranormals. This 16 year old beauty is gifted with seeing through paranormal glamour’s. That might not sound very exciting to most, but when she’s surrounded with paranormals that constantly hide under elaborate glamour, one can see Evie’s allure.

With all the paranormal activity in her life, she begs for a simpler kind of life, a normal one. I was sucked in throughout this novel, feeling Evie’s loneliness. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Poor thing really never fit in anywhere. In her paranormal world, she’s being stalked by an ex-boyfriend, Reth (a faerie) with ulterior motives. Her boss, Raquel, is the only mother figure she’s got. And her best friend is a mermaid, Lish. Yep, you know the girl’s got issues when she refers to the IPCA as being her only family.

In walks Lend, a paranormal teenage boy with a cool power. He’s a shape shifter that can appear as pretty much anyone. And Evie busted him because she saw right through his disguise. How perfect were they made for one another! As empty as Evie is, she was desperate for love, craving attention often. When she first met Lend, she gravitated towards him with curiosity. Why? Because he lives on the outside and goes to a real life high school. Lend lives a normal life and Evie can’t get enough of the detainee.

The two formed a friendship that blossomed into much more. While they begin unraveling the secrets of one another, strange happenings are occurring: paranormals are being killed everywhere. The who, what, where and why are so intriguing, up until the very end of the tale.

I loved Evie and her plight for normalcy. She’s positively refreshing when it comes to characters. Paranormalcy had a unique take on paranormals with an exciting plot. Its true blue young adult and I really liked it. There were way too many unanswered questions at the end and I totally wanted more. Bring it on Book 2, 3, 4? Possibly more? I hope so.

On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give Keirsten White’s Paranormalcy a 4.

Until next time…try something normal. Try Paranormalcy.

Mina B.

Remember...

my Free Book Contest

for Paranormalcy ends Oct. 12th eod.

Click here for details!

Is Today’s Fang Market "Vamp Overkill"? $7 Bil Says No

OK, so...I LOVE this article that The Hollywood Reporter recently reported on:   Vampires bring $7 bil to Hollywood economy by Jay A. Fernandez and Borys Kit. According to THR estimates, Vampires generated billions of dollars in revenues within the last two years. (Thank you Twilight.) The areas tallied were Film, Publishing, TV, DVDs and Other/Misc. WOW, that’s a whole lot of blood money.

Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer,
FYI:  "Nightmares" is one of favs in the series.  

I love this topic because frankly, I’m sick of all the “vampire bashing.” Sure, the movie Vampire Sucks is funny and all – who doesn’t love a good spoof - but these folks aren’t dumb. They’re cashing in on the hanging fruit (or dollars) of this monstrous vampire money tree. I understand for some people the entire notion of “immortal beings” is overdone. Yet for people like me, who thrive on cryptic creatures, you can never have enough.

Now that I’ve said that, I have to own up. I personally wrote a couple of vampire novels that I am attempting to get published.  And...true story...when I wrote my novels, I wrote them not because people liked or disliked vampires. I wrote them because I love the topic. They say to write what you love and so I did.

It looks like vampires might be around for a bit longer, thanks to a different kind of dead economy. And for me, as a writer, reader and everything in between…that’s a bloody good thing.

What do you think about this topic? Is today’s fang market “Vamp Overkill” or…Do you have an insatiable appetite for bloodsuckers?


Mina B.

(Note: I’m currently working on my website and will be posting a synopsis and sample chapters of my novels for review. Check back soon or if not…bite me.)

Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy Short Story, Kisses from Hell coming soon

I am indescribably excited about Richelle Mead’s upcoming Vampire Academy short story in an anthology book called, Kisses from Hell.The book is set to release on August 24th  from
 Harper Teen, and features other acclaimed YA authors including: Kristin Cast, Alyson Noel, Kelley Armstrong, and Francesca Lia Block.

Richelle Mead’s story is part of the smash hit, young adult vampire series, Vampire Academy and is called “Sunshine.”  The tale introduces us into the Dragomir dynasty, Lissa’s parents to be exact. This story highlights Eric and Rhea Dragomir’s royal romance, which no doubt should be intriguing. One can only wonder if this short tale is a must read in order to move onto Book 6, Last Sacrifice.  I’ll be reading it, of course, since I’m a sucker for the series. And when I’m done, you can rest assured I’ll be blogging about it to keep my mystic fans up to speed. To read an excerpt of “Sunshine” see Richelle Mead’s site.

Kisses from Hell comes out this week - August 24th.


Until next time, read a Vampire Academy novel and try Kisses from Hell while you’re at it.


Mina B.

A Paranormal Book Review: Rachel Caine’s Midnight Alley, Morganville Vampires

Book 3 in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire series is Midnight Alley. Warning…there are SPOILERS in this review. It’s kind of hard not to mention them because Caine loves to suspend her readers at the end of all her novels. So with that being said…

In Book 2, The Dead Girls’ Dance, Michael Glass has gone ahead and done the unthinkable and become a vampire. It’s not like he had a choice. Michael’s this ubber cool guy who in the beginning was mystically confined to his house, Glass House. Like a spirit, he’s stuck during the day, invisible to humans but at night, he materializes into flesh. His character is so damn cool; I actually wish I knew a guy like that. Anyway, he has this protective side and because of his “condition” he wasn’t much use outside the walls of his family estate. And so he gets Amelia – the Morganville Founder - to turn him so he could help save Shane. Now he’s the first vampire and the first to be created within the last 50 years. I swear Michael Glass could not be any cooler if he tried.

And to boot…Claire has pledge allegiance to Amelia. Poor thing. I’m sort of waiting for her to mature a bit more but oh wait…that may never happen since it is YA. (That’s not entirely fair since she does play the Morganville game well.)  Amelia wants more from her than just a pint of blood and to protect her. She wants Claire to train or become an apprentice to Myrnin, an ancient eccentric, delusional and mostly insane vampire. Myrnin is an old friend of Amelia’s. I can’t say enough about Myrnin. I wish to God he wasn’t so crazy in this novel but, oh well. Caine has a knack for introducing loveable characters in and out of her Morganville series. Now as to what Claire’s be groomed for…that’s another story. Could it be she’s meant to help the vampires?

A few sub plots have taken hold. Monica is seeking a cozy alliance with Claire of all people. Claire will have to watch her back as so will Eve. Not because of Monica though, but because Eve's brother is back and stalking her. He’s not as loveable as Myrne but with his creepy, dark nature he fits perfectly among the demented Morganville residents. Where the hell did any of this come from? Who knows but it’s delicious as hell. Read on, my friends. This book is fast paced and oh so good. Claire and Shane get heated at times but their romance continues to smolder, never truly igniting due to Claire’s age. Hell...she’s 16. Let’s not make her into a slut just yet. Bravo, Caine. Way to keep the novels so damn delectable that you don’t need the smut!

On the Mina Burrows Killometer, Rachel Caine’s Midnight Alley is a 4.

Until next time…read about the Morganville Vampires and especially...Michael Glass.

Mina B.

A Paranormal Book Review: Rachel Caine's The Dead Girls Dance, Morganville Vampires

Book 2 in Rachel Caine’s Morganville Vampire Series is The Dead Girls' Dance . I have to say that Caine is merciless when it comes to her cliffhangers. I swear I couldn’t put these series down when I first laid my eyes upon them. READER BEWARE: SPOILERS will be mentioned in this posting.

After Book 1, Glass Houses , Caine suspended her readers into pandemonium and we all fretted as to whether the beloved Michael Glass was dead and gone for good. And thank god she didn’t kill him off or else this past winter I would’ve used the novel for kindling. More unique characters were introduced that lit up this dark realm of Morganville. Shane’s psycho father (and former resident) is back with one plight in mind: vengeance on the vampires. Dealing with grief from losing his wife and daughter at the hands of the vampires, he and Shane have a score to settle.

The ever present issue of protection continues to loom for the once independent Glass house residents. Since Shane stands accused of a vampire’s murder, Amelia threatens to pull her protection. And Oliver, among other chess players, demands Shane’s blood as payment for supposedly killing one of his own. Claire and Eve have their work cut out for them in this book as they attempt to save Shane.

Monica’s still around and still bitchy as ever. If you recall, she’s that mean girl /“wannabe a vampire” and I promise you, when you read this book, you’ll be pleased to see her get a thrashing. A few other characters were introduced like Sam, a distant relative of Michael and old flame of Amelia’s. And, of course, there’s the two-faced frat boy, Ian. All I have to say is thank God for Sam or else Claire would’ve been faced with the reality of rape instead of just vampires.

This book was a thriller. Claire is a diehard hero who, despite her naivety, has the wherewithal to play the game, pick a side when needed while always remaining faithful to her friends, especially Shane. Like most series, you really MUST read Book 1, Glass Houses first. It’s a killer book too and you won’t be disappointed. See my review of Book 1 here. The downside, as usual, is another gut wrenching shocker at the end – which then beckons you to read on to Book 3, Midnight Alley . It’s a deadly addiction, these Morganville Vampires, but then there are such things as good vices.

On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter, I give Rachel Caine’s The Dead Girls' Dance a 4.

Until next time…read about Morganville's Vampires.

Mina B.

A Paranormal Book Review: Rachel Caine’s Glass Houses, Morganville Vampires

When I first heard about the YA series, Rachel Caine’s Glass Houses, Morganville Vampires,I wasn’t sure what to think about it. I always give books a try before I buy with my iKindle sample. And what a sample it was. Just a few short pages in and I was hooked. I guess for me the allure was the intensity at the beginning. Claire Danvers, a brilliant 16 year-old, graduates high school early to go off to a nearby college in a small town (Morganville, TX.) She encounters her first real taste of college life when she’s bullied and nearly killed by the campus mean girl – Monica- who ends up throwing Claire down the stairs. Poor thing. As a reader, you can’t help but feel bad for the girl.

That’s just the opening of the book. What I love best about this series is how dark and creepy it is. The kind of darkness you crave for when reading a vampire novel. Claire is naïve about life, let alone about vampires and now she doesn’t have place to live so she answers an ad for “room available”. And here is where she meets her cohorts: Michael, Eve and Shane.

The fearsome four some have a unique chemistry but Michael’s ghostly self is about the coolest thing I’ve read in a long time. Claire soon finds out about Michael’s mysterious presence and not too long after learns the entire town is run by vampires. As the rabbit hole deepens, humans are “protected” by certain vampires and in some creepy way, are kind of like slaves to the superior undead beings. When you’re an independent like Claire, you’re vulnerable and a target for the vampires. Being new, Claire has to pick a side and do it fast. And in town like Morganville, vampires are always jockeying for power, which makes for some killer storytelling on Caine’s part.

With 8 books total, this series is still hot. I’ve read 5 books within the series are they were riveting. I plan on reviewing the other 4 books, so check back for updated reviews. Caine takes a fresh and delicious approach to vampires which now have left me craving for more.  I promise, I cannot get enough of this series. My only complaint are the cliff hangers. Caine loves to suspend her fans, which pissed me off in most of her books. But, that didn’t stop me from reading at least 5 of her killer books. So what happened to reading books 6, 7 & 8? Simple: money. If anyone wants to let me borrow the last three, I’d be beyond grateful.

On the Mina Burrows KilloMeter I give Rachel Caine’s Glass Houses a 4.

Until next time…read something fangtastic, read the Morganville Vampire series.

Mina B.