Thirst (Ava Delaney #1) [Kindle Edition]

Claire Farrell (Author)

Book Description

Ava Delaney calls herself a hybrid - a living, breathing human who happens to have vampire poison running through her veins. The only thing greater than her thirst for human blood is her capacity for guilt. She does her best to avoid the human world, for everyone's sake.

When Ava accidentally enslaves a human while saving him from a vampire, she realises she has to look for help setting him free. Despite her misgivings, she expands her world but finds herself dragged into a possible vampire civil war. With the help of some new friends with ambiguous loyalties, she tries to find a way to keep her human, and herself, alive.

At approx. 45,000 words, Thirst is the first in a series of paranormal novellas. Now comes with preview chapters of Taunt (Ava Delaney #2).

Complete series info:
Thirst
Taunt
Tempt
Taken
Taste - Available March 2013
Traitor - Available June 2013

Product Details

• File Size: 343 KB
• Print Length: 153 pages
• Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B004E9U9AY
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,468 Free in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Free in Kindle Store)
  • #23 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Genre Fiction > Horror > Occult
  • #24 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Literature & Fiction > Fantasy > Fairy Tales

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars A cozy little bloodbath December 3, 2010

By Joseph

Format:Kindle Edition

Ava Delainey is not a vampire, she's a hybrid (a daywalker created when her pregnant mother was bitten by a vampire, like Blade). But one night she stumbles fully into the paranormal world of psychic enslavement, magic spells, and clan wars. And everyone wants a piece of her.

The novella is well-written with plenty of action and several interesting characters, but the story could use a bit more focus. Too often the characters stand around to recap what just happened and argue about what to do next.

Thirst ends on strong note. Ava has a dark and twisted future ahead of her. I think Thirst will read better in a compilation with its inevitable sequels.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An Enjoyable Read: Old School Vampires with a Twist July 12, 2011

By Brown Thumb

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I'll admit it. I downloaded this book when it was a free read, but I purchased the next book in the series, Taunt, because I enjoyed Thirst so much. It's so much fun to read about "old school vampires" who have fangs and don't sparkle. The main character, Ava, is a troubled and flawed vampire hybrid who just wants to lead a "normal" human life. She comes from a dysfunctional family, something many of us can relate to, and tries very hard throughout both books to balance who and what she is, and still be a good person. I think Claire Farrell's work is a refreshing change from the typical vampire story that's out there. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing! September 29, 2011

By The Biff

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This was a surprisingly good story that I read in only a few hours; the kind where, after I finished, I immediately jumped on Amazon to buy the sequel (and leave a review). Unlike so many paranormal books these days, this didn't have even a hint of the Twilight taint. Well done, Claire Farrell! Ava is a believable character with a good sense of humor and a few quirks that make her unique, plus she isn't always A) the damsel in distress, or B) the supernaturally strong/brilliant/beautiful/wonderful/insert-fabulous-attribute-here, non-human arse-kicking heroine that makes men quiver with lust and bad guys quail in fear. Instead, she's a nice blend of the two, and that makes her a whole lot more relatable to us sort-of-brave average-looking people. The story itself is fast-paced, going back to days of yore by putting an unromantic spin on the whole vampire thing. Speaking of romance, if you're looking for sex, you won't find it here. Nary a lip-lock is found, which is refreshing for this genre. I highly recommend giving the book a go, particularly since it's currently free on Kindle.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not Sure What to Say March 24, 2013

By M. Anderson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Overall, the story is 3-star worthy because of the combination of 4-star characters, the 2-star plot, and the 2-star literary structure.

Individually, I was very interested in the characters. I think Ava is well thought out, her relationship with Peter well defined, and her place in the story is made clear and precise: She's a danger to everyone, even herself because of her self-imposed isolation and, later, her sudden immersion into the very world she previously cringed from. I get it, and I appreciate it- to an extent. The heart strings are effectively tugged on with Ava's telling of her childhood trauma. The naivete is duly noted and understood. But I think because the story is written in first-person and Ava is so... innocent and conflicted?... It made it difficult for the story to keep my attention. It is such a very self-centered perspective we get from Ava it borders on esoteric.

Which brings me to the plot. Goodness me, the plot. Of course every story is going to have a "one thing led to another" type unfolding because that is how things happen in real life: Nothing happens unless something does, in which a ripple effect occurs and everything happens in all different directions. But the events that happen, one after the other, seem too staged, and in some places seem too far-fetched. A guy as heart-hardened and determined as Peter is not going to drop all his plans and go get so drunk he incapacitates himself, no matter how stressful things are. Just doesn't seem plausible for someone with a raging Type-A personality. But Peter goes and does it and I don't get it. The inconsistency between the character's personalities and their decisions and actions bother me enough that I gave the plot 2-stars.

The literary structure was another big issue with me.... I've been an avid reader for close to 2/3rds of my 28 year-long life, and so I understand and appreciate authors who have their own voice, their own way of saying/expressing/wording things. I also understand not every author is going to write in the exact style or structure I prefer. With all this in mind, I have to say, I found myself more concerned with critiquing the structure and sometimes the word choice to stay focused on the story. I was so distracted by this, I had to stop several times and tell myself out loud to just keep reading-- because I wanted to know how the story goes. Uncomfortable and clunky wording and structure aside, the story was interesting enough I wanted to know how Ava managed to survive her first trip into the Vampire world, but not enough to gloss over the awkward structure and wording throughout the story.

Overall this is a good story and the characters are likable, even the creepy Eddie, but I would suggest to the author a better editing and peer review before I'd recommend this to anyone. I get that first books are sometimes awkward and only provide a glimmer of the author's true talent because even though there is talent, it is still raw and usually unrefined. But I cannot reconcile that knowledge with this short story enough to be willing to pass it on to a friend. Sorry. Read more ›

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars The Story as Entertainment July 30, 2011

By Bruce J. Blanchard

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Some novels are never meant to be indepth layers of plot and character. Some of these novels are, in fact, preferable to those so deep you peel away like the layers of an onion. They are simply meant to be stories starting from Point A to Point ___ with action as the main component and more mysteries abounding that you can count on one hand. You either like that kind of story or you don't - a lot of people do. We don't want to think; we want our escape. Claire Ferrell's Ava Delaney #1: Thirst does just that.
Ava Delaney is doing everything she can to stay under the radar of everyone, especially those in the vampire world. Through a fluke of her birth, she is both human and vampire - a hybrid that is not supposed to exist. The vampire gives her problems, the main one is dealing with a thirst for blood (hence the title). She exists alone, keeping away from everyone. Storywise, this is not going to happen. She plays the good samaritan and saves a human from another vampire's drinking and ends up with a minion named Carl (call him a slave, a volunteer).
In order to extricate the problem of the unwanted Carl, her world will be expanded with others of uncertain motives and powers which will push her out into the very world she wished to avoid.
Ava Delaney #1: Thirst is the beginning of a series planting the heroine smack dab in a world of undead movers and shakers who have the ability to take her down at any time. She will have learn to survive with the help of questionble allies and the family situation she ran away from and mysteries yet to be reaveled. This review is meant to inform on what to expect. The rating of three stars means the novel held true to its original intent.

More About the Author

Claire Farrell is an Irish author who spends her days separating warring toddlers. When all five children are in bed, she overdoses on caffeine in the hope she can stay awake long enough to write some more dark flash fiction, y/a paranormal romance and urban fantasy.