Customer Reviews

Staked

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Eric is a vampire. A vampire who owns a strip club, drive a '64 1/2 Ford Mustang, and has persistent short-term memory problems thanks to having been embalmed. Unfortunately, that werewolf that he killed while defending himself had connections--and now the pack's coming to collect payment (and did I mention they're holy rollers on top of it?). On top of it, his girlfriend, who convinced him to turn her into one of the undead, suddenly just isn't doing it for him any more. And his partner in the strip club business may not be the best friend Eric thought he was. What's an undead guy to do?

One would think that a novel featuring a vampire-owned strip club would be pretty predictable. Same goes for vampires vs. werewolves, and, of course, the physiology of the vampires themselves. Lewis manages to not only avoid being predictable, but displays an excellent talent at worldbuilding and characterization. Eric is anything but the seedy, smarmy stereotypical strip club owner. Despite being a vampire, he still deals with very human problems, from love to paying fines and tickets. Additionally, because he's still relatively young, dying in the mid-20th century, he doesn't have the "I've been dead for so long that my culture of origin no longer matters" copout going on. Instead, the reader is treated to odd cultural references from the 1950s and 1960s, and Eric's life is still punctuated by reminders of his human life--including his would-be wife, Marilyn, who stays with him even after his undeath.

The plot is fast-paced, too, especially for a not-quite-400-page book. Rather than focusing only on the mystery at the center of the story, Lewis brings in several plot threads and fleshes them out enough to keep them interesting. He wraps them up well, though he leaves a few cliffhangers at the end--which makes me really, really want to read the next book! He has a good grasp of dialogue, too; the characters speak believably and have distinctive voices. The changing first-person perspective brings added depth to the story as a whole, and Lewis has a good sense of when to change narrators.

Overall, this is one of the most entertaining and well-developed novels I've read in a good long while. Highly, highly recommended.

J. F. Lewis writes vampires so engagingly that I found myself breezing through the sex scenes to get to the juicy undead bits. I'm a guy. This is not normal behavior. Don't get me wrong - I'm not saying that the sexy stuff was bad. It simply paled in comparison to J. F. Lewis's fascinating interpretation of vampirism.

"Staked" is written with an easy, enjoyable style. There's a tongue-in-cheek element throughout the entire book that will keep you laughing before, during, and after the horrific elements. Most importantly, there's a character for everyone to like.

J. F. Lewis has a bright future ahead of him. One morning, I found myself reading this book while shaving with a straight razor. I don't think that's ever happened before. I'm sure if it was waterproof, I would have read it in the shower.

Nicely done!

This book was a lot of fun. Reminds me of a good cross of say Dresden Files and some of the other paranormal/urban fantasy (mostly female) authors out there. So basically the male lead is a little more well-rounded/thought out than usual. Some predictable plot twists, some not. It's hard to be completely original these days, but he still makes it seem fresh and interesting. Several laugh out loud moments.

I was skeptical when I first started reading this book. I thought I was in for a let down, but I was pleasantly surprised. My first impression of all of the characters was that they were rude, sarcastic, and annoying. Eric has no backbone. Turns his girlfriend that he doesn't love into a vampire when he knows he will want no more to do with her. She thinks being a vampire will bring them closer together, which is not the case at all. Shortly after that things pick up. Eric, our main character, is being framed for werewolf killings. His girlfriend and his friend go out to find the magical gun that killed the werewolves. There is treachery, betrayal, sex, attitude, and even some funny moments. As sarcastic and caustic as Eric is his memory lapses and care for his friends redeems him a bit. His girlfriend is a bit nicer, and is more interesting as a vampire than she was as a human. I enjoyed this book, and even laughed a few times. The ending does come out of nowhere and twists and turns happen one after another for the last 20 pages that will make you crave more. If the second book actually explains some things and doesn't drag the plot out then explain everything in the last few pages then I will be happy. Interesting new series with a major attitude.

The action doesn't stop from page one till the end, and I was left wanting more. Eric is that guy, the one that we all know at least one of, and he's a vampire, with memory problems, woman problems, and even best-friend problems.

JF Lewis is a hot new origional voice in the urban fantasy market. I'm looking forward to the next installment of this series! A gritty, down-to-earth telling of what it might really be like to be a vampire, and have to deal with all the everyday problems we all encounter as-well-as the not so everyday ones, like a whole pack of werewolves out to get you!

Just finished reading "Staked," and it is --hands down -- one of the 5 best novels in the Dark Urban Fantasy genre, and easily the finest vampire novel ever written (BTW, I utterly despise vampire novels).

Highly original concepts, intricate plotline, sympathetic characters, and a few surprising twists make for a great read. Certainly not for everyone, though . . . the fluffy bunnies can stick to Kim Harrison, as the graphic bloodshed might be a little much for their tender sensibilities. The gore is integral to the plot, however, and is artistically rendered without ever going over the top.

Brilliant conclusion. This book stands on its own, or it could even be developed into a series. I hope to see more from this author.

This is not your average vampire novel; it is a well written urban fantasy where the main characters just happen to be vampires. Mr. Lewis doesn't shy away from the gritty reality of life as a vampire and thus creates a very intriguing anti-hero in Eric Courtney. Eric has issues, the least of which is his 'dinner' choices; there is his business to run, his 'swiss cheese' memory to deal with and everyone he meets seems to want to kill him or make his life miserable or both, including his girlfriends!

I loved the book and I would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy novels full of action, intrigue and dark humor. It will keep you turning the pages till the very end...and send you right back to the bookstore for the next volume in the series.

Staked - J. F. Lewis


I am not the biggest reader. I have a moderate form of dyslexia. This makes reading a long & difficult process. Most books I've ever read take me anywhere from 8 months to 2 years to read. I have to read & re-read sentences' and paragraphs over and over again to make sure I comprehend it right. This fact discourages me from reading allot.

Just over a year ago a friend loaned me Jim Butcher. Within a year and 2 months I read all of his books, that's 11 books in total. His writing was comfortable for me. It made me want to read more. So I stuck with this genre: Urban Fantasy.

The same friend told me about Staked, so for $7.99 I picked up the Paperback. 'Staked' revolves around a couple: Eric, a Vampire who has a very bad memory that owns a Strip Club and an old Movie House; his girlfriend, Tabitha, a human who works at the club & is desperate to be turned. They live in Void City, Alabama, which isn't ran so much as under the protection of the High Council of Magic and all that live there can basically do what they want as long as they are willing to pay off the right people. When Eric was human, he died in a car wreck in 1932. He was embalmed and 3 weeks later turned into a vampire by an old friend, who was turned not long before.
Eric is attacked by a werewolf, who he disposes of quickly. Come to find out later the wolf he killed is the younger brother of the local wolf pack's Alpha, William. Thus making Eric the top target for this pack of wolves. Eric has to try and diffuse the situation and convince William that it's all a misunderstanding. With lots of detailed action scenes, some nicely written sex scenes; Vampires, changelings & werewolves Oh My. Best of all the Vampires Do NOT Sparkle, they combust. I think it's written well and flows nicely and that makes it easy for someone with reading troubles. I enjoyed it so much I went out on my next paycheck and bought the sequel 'Revamped'. I recommend it for anyone who likes Jim Butcher's Dresden series.

I give it an
8 out of 10

Plot Summary: Eric is a powerful, lazy vampire who owns a strip club on the seedy side of Void City. He turns his stripper girlfriend Tabitha into a vamp after she nagged him for years, just because it was easier than arguing. When Eric kills a werewolf, their entire pack swears revenge, and Eric is more annoyed than anything when his beloved vintage Mustang is totaled as collateral damage. Meanwhile, Tabitha's sister, Rachel, is tempting Eric with her cinnamon-scented flesh, and Eric can't bring himself to dump Tabitha, or cool things down with Rachel. Yeah, he's a jerk, but what's new?

This was one of those rare, impulse grabs that paid me back in spades. Ignore the generically sleazy cover art, because this will be a urban fantasy series that's worth following. J. F. Lewis has created a wonderfully sicko vampire world, where the creatures kill without conscience, and yet somehow they remain sympathetic characters. Add in a heavy dose of dry gallows humor (the first sentence had me snorting), and I say here's my ticket, I'm on board for more.

Eric is an indifferent friend, lover, and father, but he admits it so freely that I can't hold it against him. He's one of those rare guys whose flaws actually become charming after a while, and he reminds me of a classic alpha male, like Humphrey Bogart, who is rough, rugged, and supremely unapologetic. You know these guys are gems, but they won't let anybody polish off their sharp edges. Now mix in Eric's psychotic vampire instincts, and we've got one scary bastard to watch.

The story flows so effortlessly that it's easy to overlook the quality of the writing, which is very snappy, and laced with the kind of irreverent humor and profanity that I'm happy to gorge on. What really surprised me was the depth that Lewis managed to give all his secondary characters, particularly Tabitha. I have to say that I didn't like her one bit in the beginning, and I assumed she was just another weak stereotype, but I completely changed my mind by the end.

I'd say this book is perfect for fans who love rich, meaty urban fantasy, with some screwed up vampires, a fair bit of gore, a twisted romance, and some rude attitude. I liked it a whole lot. The second book, "ReVamped," was released in March of this year, and Void City book three is already in the works according to the author's website.

This book was recommended on the Barnes and Noble discussion group, and I wasn't disappointed. Jeremy Lewis' debut novel has characters that deserve a sequel, and a setting that leaves ample room for exploration in subsequent offerings.

There are no "woe is me" vampires here. One of the main character's selling points, in fact, is that even though he cannot remember how, when, or why he became a vampire, there isn't any moping about it. It's just a fact of his life (or unlife), and he goes from there.

The novel had a lot of action, and is told through dual narratives by Eric and his girlfriend Tabitha, who starts out as human and ends up being turned by Eric when he finally gives into her demands.

Even though Eric and Tabitha are the two main characters here, the supporting cast is just as interesting. Talbot, Eric's employee, has a tale that's just begging to be told, and an exploration of exactly why Eric's former fiancee, Marilyn, chose to stay with him after his death and subsequent undead resurrection, also has a backstory that I would love to see fleshed out more.

Lewis adds some original elements to the standard vampire fare: an undead caste system determined by undead strengths and abilities (which, in turn, are dependent upon the individual's mental and emotional character); vicarious eating; and even some graphic bits where readers are informed that yes, every single fluid in a vampire's body becomes blood after death.

This is definitely not a book for the faint of heart, or for those who lack a bit of black humor in their souls. But for everyone else, take a little trip to Void City. It's definitely an interesting place to visit.