More positive (and shorter) book reviews
Reviewing Susan Hubbard's The Society of S and Charlaine Harris' first 2 installments in her Harper Connelly series
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
A really compelling novel that manages to be eerie but not scary. I think it has definite Gothic overtones. Her take on vampirism has its own spin, particularly the notion that a vampire can not only sire a child but genetically pass on vampirism to his offspring. Hubbard's vampires are also quite able to eat a meal of mixed green salad with wild salmon and a glass of cabernet. In other words, her vampires are quite able to blend in with our society and exist without detection among us. The novel ends with the possibility of a sequel, though I almost hope she doesn't go that route. This is one of those novels that might be better left as a stand-alone. Well worth reading!
A Grave Sight and A Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
I'm a huge fan of Ms. Harris' Sookie Stackhouse vampire novels (well, more paranormal than strictly vampires at this point), but I hadn't yet succumbed to her other more traditional mystery fare until this weekend. I picked up these first 2 books (projected series of at last 4) this weekend and literally gulped them down. Harris is a very character-driven author, which draws me in every time. This series borders on paranormal in a sense in that heroine Harper Connelly has a unique gift of finding dead bodies and ascertaining cause of death, a power she developed after surviving a lightning strike as a teenager. So, there is certainly an element of the other spiritual world explored, though the main characters are all mortal. I will also confess that part of her appeal to me is that Harris writes romance so very convincingly. I have another pairing to cheer for in this one. :) 4.5 stars to them both ---- these are a great read! Thankfully, I have only 2 weeks to wait for the 3rd in the series, and Ms. Harris has a Sookie story in an anthology titled "Many Bloody Returns" due out ..... *tomorrow!* So happy.
The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
A really compelling novel that manages to be eerie but not scary. I think it has definite Gothic overtones. Her take on vampirism has its own spin, particularly the notion that a vampire can not only sire a child but genetically pass on vampirism to his offspring. Hubbard's vampires are also quite able to eat a meal of mixed green salad with wild salmon and a glass of cabernet. In other words, her vampires are quite able to blend in with our society and exist without detection among us. The novel ends with the possibility of a sequel, though I almost hope she doesn't go that route. This is one of those novels that might be better left as a stand-alone. Well worth reading!
A Grave Sight and A Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
I'm a huge fan of Ms. Harris' Sookie Stackhouse vampire novels (well, more paranormal than strictly vampires at this point), but I hadn't yet succumbed to her other more traditional mystery fare until this weekend. I picked up these first 2 books (projected series of at last 4) this weekend and literally gulped them down. Harris is a very character-driven author, which draws me in every time. This series borders on paranormal in a sense in that heroine Harper Connelly has a unique gift of finding dead bodies and ascertaining cause of death, a power she developed after surviving a lightning strike as a teenager. So, there is certainly an element of the other spiritual world explored, though the main characters are all mortal. I will also confess that part of her appeal to me is that Harris writes romance so very convincingly. I have another pairing to cheer for in this one. :) 4.5 stars to them both ---- these are a great read! Thankfully, I have only 2 weeks to wait for the 3rd in the series, and Ms. Harris has a Sookie story in an anthology titled "Many Bloody Returns" due out ..... *tomorrow!* So happy.