Customer Reviews

First Blood

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is a paranormal anthology containing 4 stories by 4 authors about vampires, demons, werewolves and a few others.

Cave Canem by Suzanne Sizemore - Someone has stolen a hellhound. A vampire enforcer and a witchy werewolf team up to find the dog.
This story is part of a series and I admit to being a little lost and confused at times. It wasn't written so a newbie could easily follow along.
3 Stars

Russian Roulette by Erin McCarthy - Once a vampire slayer, newly turned vampire, Sasha, finds herself in trouble in New Orleans. She is rescued by a vampire named Alistair and together they try to keep Sasha safe.
This is a story that is linked to a series, Vegas Vampires, but written in a way that the reader would not be lost. I am a huge Erin McCarthy fan and I was loving every minute of this story...until the end. The ending was extremely rushed and very anticlimactic.
3 stars

Double the Bite by Chris Marie Green - Trying to find answers to his brothers death, police deputy Ben Tyree finds himself in New York city and at the mercy of two twin vampires, one good and one a little evil.
This is also apparently part of a series, but written in a way that I was not lost at all. A dark and sensuous tale, this sexy book was emotionally deep and very entertaining.
4 stars

Thicker Than Blood by Meljean Brooks - Annie is a vampire and is looking for a missing human child that is in her care. She finds unexpected help from the man she had to leave behind when she was made vampire.
Definitely the highlight of this book, this story was by far my favorite. The characters are well developed and the storyline captivating. Watching Annie come face to face with the human life she had to leave behind was heartbreaking and very real.
5 stars

Erin McCarthy is the reason I bought this book as I have never read anything by the other authors. The book was good, not great, and the last two stories were the best of the bunch, to me. There weren't any stories that I didn't enjoy but like all anthologies definitely stories I enjoyed a lot more than others. This is a decent collection of stories about our blood thirsty friends.

Cherise Everhard, August 2008

This quartet of vampire `quickies' take advantage of the authors' established universes. My favorites were the stories by McCarthy and Brook. I admit I might be a bit biased because I follow both McCarthy's Vegas Vamps and Brook's Guardian series, but I thought that they did the best job of telling their stories in the novella length space.

"Cave Canem" - when two Hellhound pups are stolen, Dan, who for centuries has been the protector of the Hellhounds after making a vow to their mother, will need his skills as vampire enforcer to find the pups. Werewolf Tess' duty is also tied to the missing hounds, it is the job of her clan to make sure their full demonic potential is never unleashed on the world. Though at odds on how to resolve the hellhound problem -- at least one of the pups is living up to its evil potential and killing humans and drinking their souls -- Dan and Tess experience an unexpected connection even though werewolves and vampires are normally not attracted to each other and they do not become mates. 3.5 stars - This was an okay story, the hellhound history was interesting though some readers may find it squicky. But Dan and Tess' hookup and a secondary romance worked into the story really would have benefited from a bit more space than what's allotted here. I haven't read Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series, but I suspect that fans may recognise Valentine and Olympias who have cameo roles -- they have the feel of characters that the reader is expected to know -- which will likely make this story more fun for you if you follow the series.

"Russian Roulette" - New Orleans vampire musician and bar owner Alistar, takes a risk to rescue a kidnapped newbie vampire Sasha from certain death. A vampire slayer before her turning, Sasha is slated to be given over to her former allies. Alistar soon discovers that he's not getting any gushing gratitude for his efforts to save Sasha. Sasha has not had a easy or pleasant life and doesn't trust easily but Alistar is a truly nice and decent guy and takes care with this damaged, attractive, intelligent survivor. 4.5 stars - A spin off from Erin McCarthy's Vegas vampire series, I really liked this story. The relationship between the pair is grown nicely and I loved both Sasha and Alistar. But I do wish it had been a bit longer because the extremely short time frame, only two days, is really too short for Alistar to have overcome the weight of Sasha's abusive past.

"Double the Bite" - Disillusioned police detective Ben heads to the Big Apple to try and get closure on the exsanguination murder of his idealized older brother. Ben is haunted by the final image of his dead sibling and the blissful expression so out of sync with the violent death. Ben's search for the killer leads him to twin vampiresses and knowledge of a world that he never expected existed. Ben fascinates the eldest twin Ginny who is drawn to his noble core as she invades his innermost thoughts and he is equally enchanted by her and the dark promise of her bite. But her twin Geneva won't tolerate any one challenging the bond with her sister and Ben may not survive her jealousy. 3 stars - This was my least favorite of the stories. The twins are refugees Green's Vampire Babylon Hollywood and though these books are in my TBR pile I haven't gotten to them yet. I didn't really care for the stereotypic debauchery of the vampires in this universe and the darker undertones of Ben's desire kept me from being pulled into his relationship with Ginny, though I liked the ending.

"Thicker than Blood" - Annie and a Jack were in love and on the verge of being lovers before Annie's death. But Annie didn't stay dead, she became a vampire but her shame with the unavoidable side effects of her blood hunger kept her away from Jack until she follows a stranger that reminds her of her beloved and the broken man actually turns out to be Jack. Jack lost everything when he lost Annie, and now that he has her back he will let nothing neither her bloodlust or the demon who is try to wipe out every vampire in the city keep him from Annie ever again. 4.5 stars - Meljean Brook's Guardian series tie-in was my favorite of the four stories. Her story actually makes the most effective use of this short format mostly because she takes advantage of an established connection between her leads. This one works so well because of the depth of Annie and Jack's previous history and love they already had for each other. I am not sure whether a reader new to the series will pick up on everything that the fans bring to the story, because Annie lets Jack figure out her secrets for himself. Fans will also appreciate the cameos by Lilith and Guardian Jake (who's up next in Demon Bound).

Before I go any further let me just say that I purchased this anthology because it featured four authors I had not yet read but had an interest in sampling before commiting to buying their series books. I know many other readers purchase anthologies for that same reason and because of that I have given this one a pretty low rating. Why? Because every one of these stories fell into a series that the author already writes without offering enough info about said series to be helpful to someone in my never-read-it-before situation.

Fans of these series will probably love these stories as all were well written and though I've not read these authors outside of other anthologies I feel confident saying these are decent examples of what one can expect in their work.

[CAVE CANEM] by Susan Sizemore is set in the world of her Laws of the Blood series. When a hellhound pup is stolen a vampire and a werewolf partner up to get it back -- I'll admit... after a couple of chapters I had to skim a lot of this one because I didn't understand who the characters were and what was going on half the time. It was intriguing but impossible to enjoy without knowing more about this world/series. 3/5 stars

[RUSSIAN ROULETTE] by Erin McCarthy is a Vegas Vampires tale... set in New Orleans. Sasha Chechikov has had a really unpleasant life made worse by being a newly turned vampire. When she is rescued by Alistair Kirk she's ready to keep on running but her safety depends on his protection. -- I might have liked this one if I had liked the characters even a little bit. They felt one dimensional and that really took away from the story since they spent most of the story dancing around their attraction to one another. 2/5 stars

[DOUBLE THE BITE] by Chris Marie Green is stated to take place in the scope of her Vampire Babylon series. When Ben hits NYC in search of the truth about his brother's mysterious death he tangles with a pair of beautiful twins who seem to know information he needs. Ginny and Geneva might look alike but they give a whole new meaning to the concept of good twin and evil twin. -- I did like the general idea of this story but it was really weak and didn't play out in a fashion that was particularly entertaining. 2/5 stars

[THICKER THAN BLOOD] by Meljean Brook doesn't actually state that it ties into her Guardians series but I'm pretty sure it does loosely as Guardians make a cameo. Annie is a vampire in search of a missing young girl she has sworn to protect but when her need for blood leads her back to the man she deserted six years ago things get more complicated before they get better. -- I liked this one best of the four because it didn't feel as series oriented as the others. I didn't really care for the characters much but the story moved along decently enough I didn't hate it. 3/5 stars

Overall this one just doesn't work for a reader looking to get to know a new author as I was trying to do. The stories all have good potential to entertain but unfortunately seem to all require some knowledge of the series they tie into. Fortunately I'm still interested in these authors based on the quality of writing so I hope that fans of these series will find the stories to be a treat.

I enjoyed all the stories in this book. Some of my favorite authors are in it and they never fail to entertain with a great read and lots of action.

i is a book from the vampire society, the books read by the young, unmated vampires. written fiction style it is more a vampire space story, lol. i very refreshing spiel on the series. a keeper!

"Cave Canem" by Susan Sizemore

When hellhound pups are stolen from under Dan Conover's nose, an unlikely alliance is made. Vampire enforcer Dan is bound by a promise to guard the hellhounds. Werewolf Tess Sirella is charged with making sure no hellhound is trained to tap into its evil, murderous potential. Vampires and werewolves aren't supposed to be attracted to one another...but for every rule, there's an exception.

"Cave Canem" is part of Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series. I found the story to be entertaining and the world Ms. Sizemore has created to be interesting. However, Tess and Dan's love story seemed rushed and much of the story was dominated by the subplot. I feel Tess and Dan's love story would have been stronger and more believable in a longer format; there simply was too much going on in the novella and not enough time for the romance.

For a newcomer to the series, such as myself, it was easy to follow the main plotline of "Cave Canem." However, there was clearly too much history in the series for the subplot involving Valentine and Yevgeny to have an impact at all, which is perhaps part of the reason I found them to be so distracting. All in all, I think the story will be enjoyable to fans of the Laws of the Blood series.

"Russian Roulette" by Erin McCarthy

Alistair Kirk is a bar owner, a musician, and a vampire. When he hears that a fledgling vampire is being held captive and faces certain death, he rushes to the rescue. Sasha Chechikov, once a vampire slayer, now a vampire herself, is on the run from her former associates. Sasha's past leaves her wary of trusting anyone, but she can't deny the sparks that fly between her and her sexy savior. Will Alistair be able to protect Sasha from her enemies? And will two vampires who seem so different from one another learn what it means to truly love?

"Russian Roulette" is the first story I've ever read by Erin McCarthy and I will definitely be buying more of her books in the future. I believe the novella is connected to Ms. McCarthy's Vegas Vampires series, but having never read the books I had no problems following the story at all. Alistair was interesting, patient, protective, and sexy as all get out; in other words, the ideal hero. Sasha was vulnerable, yet had a spine of steel and I found her to be endearing. A fast-paced story with truly likeable characters made "Russian Roulette" a highly entertaining read.

"Double the Bite" by Chris Marie Green

On a hunt to find the cause of his brother's mysterious death, Ben Tyree finds himself at the infamous Studio 54, and soon in the path of two preternaturally beautiful women. Ginny and Geneva aren't just twins, they're vampires. Their connection is put to the test when Ginny falls for Ben, much to Geneva's anger. How can Ginny choose between the man she's falling in love with and the sister who won't let her go?

"Double the Bite" is part of Chris Marie Green's Vampire Babylon series, but there was enough background given that the story was able to stand on its own. The story was interesting enough, but I found myself inexplicably unmoved. I liked Ginny and Ben, but didn't feel attached to them. Though the story was not for me, I believe fans of Ms. Green's Vampire Babylon series will likely enjoy "Double the Bite."

"Thicker Than Blood" by Meljean Brook

Six years ago, Jack Harrington was in love with Annie Gallagher, until her sudden death turned his world upside down. But when an intruder breaks into his home one night, the former FBI agent can barely believe his eyes - Annie's alive...and a vampire.

After her sudden transition, Annie couldn't bear to let Jack see all that she had become. One night she gives into temptation and decides to feed off a man who resembled Jack, only to find herself face to face with the man himself. Now that they're together again, Jack's not about to let Annie go, vampire or no. And Annie needs Jack's help to find a missing girl named Cricket. Danger swirls around the pair as they search for Cricket while a demon bent on destroying all vampires closes in on the pair. Will love lost and found be able to overcome supernatural odds?

By far the strongest story in the anthology, I absolutely loved "Thicker Than Blood." Meljean Brook has delivered and engaging, thrilling, romantic tale that both seduces and satisfies. From the first page, I was hooked. Annie and Jack were both interesting, intelligent, and likeable - they felt real. I couldn't put this story down, rooting for them to get their happily ever after and not being able to move until I was certain they would.

The fact that Jack and Annie had been in love before the story began made the romance work better within the anthology format. Their history was seamlessly intertwined with the present. Similarly, the romance and the "action" threads of the story wove together flawlessly.

"Thicker Than Blood" is the sixth installment in Ms. Brook's Guardian series, but newcomers are given enough information that there will be no problems following along. Fans of the series will undoubtedly enjoy seeing a few of their favorite characters appear in the story. Utterly perfect!

First Blood is a terrific anthology for fans of vampire romance. First Blood included four stories connected to or part of established series. I will definitely be checking out Ms. McCarthy's Vegas Vampire series now and Meljean Brook, already an autobuy author for me, has delivered another fantastic installment to her Guardian series. For these two authors alone I would buy this anthology. Dark and sexy, First Blood is not to be missed!

Shayna
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

FIRST BLOOD
SUSAN SIZEMORE, ERIN MCCARTHY, CHRIS MARIE GREEN, MELJEAN BROOK
Paranormal Romance
Berkley
Sensuality rating: Sexy

Overall rating 4 Enchantments

Cave Canem- Susan Sizemore 3.5 Enchantments
Dan Conover is the protector of the Hell hound pups. He made a promise to their mother that he would protect them years and years ago. This is a promise that he has kept even with their descendants. When someone comes and steals two of the pups it is his duty to find them before their power is used for evil. Tess Sirella is a witch werewolf whose duty is to clean up after the messes the vampires make and to keep the hellhounds from unleashing the evil on the world. Finding these pups is no easy task, and it is going to take the vampire, Conover, and the Werewolf, Sirella, to team up and put the hatred that each species harbors towards the other, behind them.

This was a hard story to follow. I have never read any of Susan Sizemore's books so I have no back history with any of the characters. I would say that this book does stand alone. I did not understand the relationship between Valentine and Yevgeny, nor do I understand why the feud between the vamps and weres. To be honest I was completely grossed out at how the hellhounds came into existence. It is possible that if I had the knowledge of the other books that my opinion would have changed but based on this story alone I would not read any other stories by this author.

Susan Sizemore is the author of the Laws of Blood, and Primes series. To find out more about her and her stories please visit her website at http://www.susansizemore.com/

Russian Roulette- Erin McCarthy 4.5 Enchantments
Alistair Kirk knew his ex was evil but he never thought that she would be so evil enough that she would kidnap one of their kind and sell them to slayers. Sasha Chechikov hates vampires, thanks to the abuse of her horrible late vampire husband. So when one of them kidnaps her and plans to sell her to the slayers, she thinks that she is doomed. That is of course until one of them sneaks in to rescue her. He acts like he is just trying to help, but they are all evil right?

I have never read anything by Erin McCarthy except for her YA series so this book shocked me. It was quite good. The story stood on its own and was a very great plot. The only thing I did not like was the end of the story. It felt a little rushed and I was quite disappointed that Cassandra just gave up. I felt that the whole story was leading up to a big encounter and then nothing. But if the other stories by Erin McCarthy are just as good as this one, then I will be definitely adding a new favorite author to my list.

Erin McCarthy is the author if the Vegas Vampires and The Seven deadly Sins series. She also writes a YA series under the name Erin Lynn. To find out more about her and her books please visit her websites http://www.erinmccarthy.net/ and http://www.erinlynnbooks.com/

Double the Bite- Chris Marie Green 4 Enchantments
Ben Tyree wants to find what happened to his brother. He was found murdered and everyone Ben has talked to has said that Nolan was last seen with a Liz Taylor look alike named Ginny. From the moment he sees Ginny moving so seductively across the floor he knows that he has to prepare himself for the spell she may cast over him with her looks. What is he not prepared for is what really happens in those backrooms and what secrets Ginny and her twin Geneva may be holding about the death of his brother.

Chris Marie Green is a new author to me. I have heard good things about her writing but I was pleasantly surprised at how much I did enjoy it myself. I am assuming that this story is in the middle or just flowing another story in her series Vampire Babylon series. I was not confused by the plot or the characters; the only thing that left me wondering was the ending. I just did not understand what fully happened between Ginny and Geneva or what happened in the very end to Ginny. I am sure if I read the other stories, my questions will be answered.

Chris Marie Green is the author of the Vampire Babylon series. To find out more about her and her stories please visit http://www.vampirebabylon.com/

Thicker than blood- Meljean Brook 4.5 Enchantments
Annie Gallagher is trying to save a young girl, Cricket Snow. All attempts to find the girl by herself have failed. So she gets the help of her ex love, Jack Harrington, and ex FBI. The two of them are trying to track down the girl and meanwhile trying to solve the deaths of all the vampires in Philly.

In my opinion this was the best story in the whole book. The story starts off strong and continues to the very end. I am wondering if Annie and Jack's story continues in another book. I also would love to see what becomes of Cricket. This is an author that I am naming as one of my new favorites. I would recommend Meljean Brook to anyone who likes the Urban Fantasy genre.

Meljean Brook is the author of the popular Guardian Series. To find out more about her books please visit http://www.meljeanbrook.com/

Jennifer
Enchanting Reviews
November 2008

Four authors take readers into their respective worlds as each story offers a glimpse of their ongoing series....

In "Cave Canem" by Susan Sizemore, two hellhounds are stolen and Dan Conover is determined to find them. He has protected and guarded the hellhounds throughout the centuries but how will he handle teaming up with Tess Sirella to find them? After all, vampire enforcers and werewolves don't belong together... or do they?

"Cave Canem" is part of Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series. Perhaps it would be a bit less confusing to fans of that series. Having only read one book in the Laws of the Blood series (and quite awhile ago as well), I found the plethora of characters and relationships to be quite confusing. The legend concerning the origin of the hellhounds is fascinating although Ms. Sizemore does push some boundaries in creating her mythology.

"Russian Roulette" by Erin McCarthy features the story of Sasha Chechikov from the Vegas Vamps series. Sasha is imprisoned and to be sold to the slayers, a fate worse than death for a vampire. Alistair Kirk cannot allow such an injustice, even to a woman he doesn't know. Will this rescue operation turn to romance?

"Russian Roulette" is a bit darker than the Vegas Vamps' books. Sasha has endured a lot of pain and she is reluctant to accept the help of any man. It's hard not to sympathize with Sasha despite her prickly exterior. Erin McCarthy ensures that readers unfamiliar with the Vegas Vamps series can easily follow along with Sasha's story. The ending is a bit abrupt but overall the story is quite interesting.

Chris Marie Green's "Double the Bite" is the story of twin vampires, Ginny and Geneva. The bond between them is strong, but is now being tested by Ben Tyree who is hunting for his brother's murderer. Will love for Ben conquer love for family? Ginny is going to have to choose one or the other....

"Double the Bite" is connected to Chris Marie Green's Vampire Babylon series. However, it is easily a stand alone. I couldn't help but like Ginny, especially as the story progresses. It's easy to understand her position, torn between her loyalty to her sister and her growing love for Ben. "Double the Bite" is captivating despite the very dark edges portrayed. Not for the faint of heart by any means!

Meljean Brook concludes FIRST BLOOD with "Thicker Than Blood". Annie Gallagher is desperately searching for Cricket, a young human entrusted in her care. Vampires have been killed mercilessly and Annie turns to a former lover for help. Jack Harrison thought Annie died years ago, but will he accept Annie's life as a vampire? And just where is the missing Cricket?

"Thicker Than Blood" is apparently part of Meljean Brooks' series, The Guardians. Despite being unfamiliar with any of the books in that series, the story in "Thicker Than Blood" is easy to follow. In fact, it made me want to read the series soon rather than allowing it to continue lingering in the TBR mountain. Meljean Brook does an excellent job at combining complex world building and phenomenal character building in "Thicker Than Blood". All I can say is I want to know more about this world now!

Overall, FIRST BLOOD is an anthology that is more likely to appeal to readers already familiar with at least some of the series.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

First Blood by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy Chris Marie Green and Meljean Brook
**** 1/2 stars

Usually with anthologies the reads are uneven or do not maintain a consistent theme. All of the authors wrote stories which were well thought out and got this reader involved! In this anthology all these stories were good to excellent reads. The theme of each involves vampires in the Urban Fantasy genre.

Susan Sizemore's Cave Canem is a continuation of her vampire Enforcer series. This story mentions some of her previous characters but is really focused on the hero and heroine. Conover is a vampire and Tess is a werewolf. Since both groups have a history of animosity there is a lot of tension. To find a thief they must work together and they, of course, are strongly attracted to each other. Their relationship is very believable. This story was really interesting to read because it adds another layer to the history of Susan Sizemore's Enforcer series, back to Roman times when Conover was a gladiator. And for those who love the series, you won't be disappointed; it kinda reminded me of scenes of Russell Crowe in Gladiator. There are flashbacks to Rome and these glimpses of the past are always fascinating. In previous Enforcer stories between vampires the pairing is bittersweet but this one ends on a very high note. I enjoyed reading it and hope she continues writing more of this series!

Russian Roulette by Erin McCarthy
Erin McCarthy already has 2 vampire series out. This story is not as light-hearted like her Vegas series. Sasha is a beautiful woman who has been newly turned into a vampire. She has been abused by her vampire husband and being held against her will by more vampires. Suffice to say she really doesn't like them! However, who should come to her rescue her but another vampire that she is very attracted to.....These two have a very convincing relationship and Alistair (her rescuer) is very patient with her history of trauma. Both had a great chemistry but the ending seemed somewhat anticlimactic. I understand why the author wanted the heroine to stand up for herself but unfortunately it seemed somewhat tacked on.

Double the Bite by Chris Marie Green
This story is very solid read. I was a bit skeptical since I had read this author's previous book and not been able to involve myself in the storyline. In this book, that was not the case. Both characters are deadly hunters. Ginny is a vampire and Ben is part of a force determined to exterminate vampires. Ben is attracted to Ginny but doesn't know the human murders are not due to Ginny but her twin Geneva. They are able to overcome these misunderstandings during a fast and furious relationship. A very thrilling read. But as with many Urban fantasies there is always some plot twist that is unexpected. I won't give away the ending, it makes sense, but I had mixed feelings.

Thicker Than Blood by Meljean Brooks
Meljean Brook's books always have a lot of depth and insight. Since her books tend to be thicker than most authors I wondered if this short might too short for her. This was not the case, amazingly enough this had tons of back story which I loved! This story was my favorite of the bunch. Annie is a vampire who left her fiancée once she turned. I really felt the angst between the 2 characters. Jack has tried to move on with his live but without Annie he is lost. By chance Annie finds Jack and they team up to find a little girl. The joy I felt when both of the characters finally accepted each other.... All I can say is this was a wonderful, satisfying read.


Reviewed by Steph at Bookaholics Romance Book Club

Brook's story completely blew me away. You know how some 'romances' are more about superficial sex and how others are more about the emotional relationship connection? It was amazing in such a short amount of space she was able to create the relationship connection. I completely felt for the hero/heroine and engrossed in their story and their quest to find and save a young girl. EXCELLENT read! If I was rating just this story, I'd give it 5 stars. I've read one of Brook's other books Demon Angel, which was also very good. I plan to try some more of her books.

The challenge with anthologies is that the stories are shorter than a novel so it's harder for authors to turn out a high quality tale. The stories by Sizemore and McCarthy had this challenge. I thought the stories and characters could have been developed better. And notably missing from McCarthy's tale was the humor that I have come to love in her Vegas Vampires series. But that being said, I still enjoyed both of the stories. I love the Vegas Vamps series and will continue to look for those books and I liked learning what happened to Sasha, who was left hanging in the last book. And I will check out one of Sizemore's full novels, which I haven't tried yet.

In Green's tale, she did a better job creating a compelling story in the limited space. It wasn't quite on par with Brook's but was better done than Sizemore's and McCarthy's. (Which by the way is ironic, because the book markets Sizemore and McCarthy as the bestselling, leading authors.)