Customer Reviews

Heroes (Laws of the Blood, Book 5)

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

 

 

The Council makes the laws that govern vampire security and the Enforcers make sure that all Strigori follow the rules if they want to live (in an undead fashion). All Enforcers come from the Nighthawk line of changed nosferatu, but many other vampires feel that these are no longer of their species and must be destroyed.

Martina, a vampire who works at Vegas' Six Road Hotel and Casino, wants to see the Nighthawk line die out and she will use any means at her disposal to see that is happens. Nighthawk Enforcers Char McCairn, and her human lover Jebel Haven arrive in Las Vegas to attend the wedding of a former vampire companion to a mortal. Reclusive Nighthawk Valentine and potential Enforcer Geoff Sterling arrive in Las Vegas to check out their investment. All four of these people get caught up in the rogue vampire's scheme and know that if they survive each one will come away from the encounter changed in ways they can not imagine.

Susan Sizemore has created a believable vampire community participating yet hidden within human society. In that environs reside sympathetic characters that believe that it is possible to live a good life without harming mortals. LAWS OF THE BLOOD: HEROES builds on previous books in the series and has a fascinating cliff hanger ending that will make readers want to purchase the next book in this exciting series as soon as its published. This gripping chiller with a touch of romance will really sink its teeth into the minds of the audience.

Harriet Klausner

This is Susan Sizemore's fifth volome in what has become one of the more interesting vampire series. Her basic premise is that vampire 'culture' is ruled by a council with a set of behavioral laws. These are intended to control some of the innate violence in vampire kind, and to ensure the survival of a dwindling company of creatures who are both powerful and vulnerable. The council's 'enforcers' are a specialized line of vampires called nighthawks. These feed on vampires in the same fashion that vampires feed on use. Possibly with even less constraint.

All of Sizemore's books focus on these enforcers, but this is the first volume that is actually a sequel to the previous volume. Even so, most of the relationship is due to a common group of characters - Char McCairn and her lover Jebel Haven, Valentine and her childe Geoff Sterling, and verious others who have made appearances or honorable mention in previous volumes. For the most part this volume can be read independently of its predecessors.

The story takes place in Las Vegas, which has a large vampire population, including those who have become addicted to the neon light that is a permanent feature of Las Vegas life. Char is drawn by curiosity over a vampire owned hotel (Silk Road) that she has invested in. Valentine is drawn by many of the unique artifacts that are collected under a casino designed to imitate an ancient vampire city. What neither knows is that a revolution is brewing in the city - one that seeks to steal control from the enforcers. Throw in a dragon and a large group of vampires running amok and you have a fairly good picture of the plot.

While Sizemore isn't entirely original, she takes various components and builds an intriguing picture of what vampire society might actually be like. Despite also being a wirter of rimance novels, she keeps the love interest and sex play at a steady simmer rather than a full boil, which allows characters to develop unexpectedly. She has opened enought threads that it is difficult to predict what she will do from volume to volume. The books are quick reads with a good mix of mystery, intrigue, and violence. Dive in anywhere, I think you will find this series more than just acceptible.

I really liked the reunion of so many of the characters from her other books! For example, Valentine from the first book, Char and Jebel from others. The characterizations were exceptionally well done. Magic really does exist in this universe which even features a dragon. Wow! Keep up the good work! I look forward to the next one and am curious where it will take place!

Some other reviewers have complained that this book is "different" than the rest of the series, but I say Hurray! Heroes brings back characters from different books, which is a first (well, Jebel did make a guest appearance in Companions). It also reveals more about the world of the strigoi. I like the history, and I enjoyed learning about the tensions in vampire society. There's a feel of impending change in Sizemore's universe, and I look forward to finding out how it's going to come about.

I've enjoyed the other four books in this series greatly, but this one was too much of a jump. I'm not saying that it was not well writen and interesting, just a surprise for someone who was expecting a certain type of vampire.

In this book several of interesting characters come together in Las Vegas, which happens to be a very popular resting place for light-addicted vampires (wish she left that out, it was just too weird.) The group of three vampires and one human need to stop a crazed magician, as well as a fanatic who wants to kill all vampires.

This just wasn't as intersting and unique as the previous novels. I hope she goes back to her orginal format.

I have been addicted to this series from the begining, and I love the way things seem to be slowly coming together for some monumental change for the strigoi and the Nighthawks. Clearly some of the Laws are out of date, unethical or both.

Yes, Jebel and Char may deserve better than what happens to them in this book, but these books are not romances! Sizemore writes vampire romances; read those if you are set on happy endings. They are much better than the average paranormal romances, in fact. But the LotB books are darker and grittier and I like that. I like the idea of some problems being a little bigger and more important than whether or not the two main characters wind up married, mated or Bonded at the end of the book.

I really enjoyed this book! I liked the other books in the series just fine, but this one brings together the best characters from them, and in such a great place -- Las Vegas, where even a dragon isn't out of place. I enjoyed the interaction between the characters that had operated more isolated in the other books.

The plot was strong as well. The main characters had a lot at stake (pun intended) here. I recommend it to any reader of vampire fiction, or any reader of speculative fiction!

Susan's other Laws of the Blood books were much better and worth while reading. I was very disappointed to read this story after waiting for it to come out. Char deserved better, obviously we will be hearing more about her, Haven and Gregory in the next installment. I rather liked that each series was independent of each other.

I wasn't disappointed in this installment, but it could have been better. The ending leaves room for more action oriented tales in the series, which is the author's intended direction. I've said this in a review of another LotB book, but I really would like to read something that focuses entirely on Valentine's past.

This book was not like the rest of the series. First of all I think Valentine should be staked along with Geoffrey. Second of all i think Char should of had a better time of it in the book and actually bite her boy friend.This book was just way off track with the rest of the series. If your going to make this big of a change in the story line you should do it gradually. My advice is to read the first books but skip this one and read the next one to see if it is any better. The first books in this series were really good but this ones not even worth burning. Susan your way off with this one. Go Back to your original story line. That was really good.