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Guest Post: Kindle-aholic’s recommended vampire reads

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Sunshine by Robin McKinleyI’ll be heading home from my Phoenix trip later today (did you see who I ran into?), but until then Kindle-aholic from Kindle-aholic’s Book Pile was kind enough to share her favorite, less talked about vampire books. Have another standalone or lesser-known vampire novel to share? Leave suggestions in the comments.

KINDLE-AHOLIC’S RECOMMENDED VAMPIRE READS
by Kindle-aholic

As this is the Vampire Book Club blog, I thought I would mention some of my favorite vamp books that don’t get as much love (maybe they’re a little older, a little different, but still awesome). If you are in the mood for something off the beaten path, give these beauties a try.

Sunshine by Robin McKinley – It took me a while to get into Sunshine, but I was so glad I stuck with it. It has some of the usual urban fantasy characteristics – a seemingly normal girl who uncovers her own power, an enigmatic vampire, a hidden paranormal community — but it’s not your traditional “team up, find a bad guy, big confrontation story” (although that’s all there, too).

A big difference is the book is more of a stream of conscious style – it’s about Sunshine’s thoughts as she processes all of the changes in her life (which is why it took so long to get into). It’s also a standalone. The end is a point of contention for some readers, but I think if you go into it knowing that this is it, and the point of the story is more coming to terms with oneself versus finding a mate and settling down, it becomes much more satisfying.

Moonshine by Alaya Dawn Johnson – YA paranormal with romantic elements. It’s the 1920s in New York, and Zephyr, “the singing vampire suffragette,” is spending every waking minute trying to atone for the sins of her family (her dad is a famed demon hunter and she learned to hunt Others before she could walk) by trying to save, educate and secure the rights for Others in America. Then she meets Amir, and agrees to work for him to track down a notorious crime boss. There are vampires, including a creepy kid-turned-vamp, a tainted blood supply, djinns and much ass-kicking. Book 2 is in the works.

Keturah and Lord Death by Martine Leavitt – OK, so he’s not a vamp, he’s Death. But he’s pale, cold and comes out at night so I’m throwing this one in here. It’s also a beautiful YA romance and I think fans of vamp romances will get this one. It’s similar in that the heroine is both scared of and intrigued by Death, and to be with him she needs to give up her mortal life. This one begins with a story, and stories are used again and again (I love themes involving the strength of storytelling – that stories are valuable and powerful).

Black Swan Rising by Lee CarrollBlack Swan Rising by Lee Carroll – This is unlike most of the UF I usually read – the main character is not a powerful ass-kicker and there aren’t a lot of fight scenes. This one was a very enjoyable change of pace. If you must have a lot of romance or a warrior-woman main character, then this one probably isn’t for you. If you are craving something different, then definitely check it out. Garet is a “normal young woman,” which of course means she is anything but “normal,” and after a chance meeting in a shop she never knew existed, the “real” world, the one populated by Fae, monsters and vampires starts to show itself.

Though there wasn’t a lot of fighting, there was still a lot happening in the book, a sense of increasing danger. It flowed well, too, as Garet begins learning about her own strength, encountering beings of myth, realizing the stories her mother told her as a child were all true. There is some romance (with the very handsome, chivalric vampire), but it isn’t really the focus. I suspect that will change with book 2.

11 Responses to “Guest Post: Kindle-aholic’s recommended vampire reads”

  1. Kristin says:

    Great post!! I adored Sunshine as well, and actually have a few Lee Carroll titles on the TBR. Adding the rest!

  2. Interesting post. I love that second cover.

    I was hoping cake would be served for the guest post. Dang it. Gonna have to make my own!

  3. Teawench says:

    Are these all young adult? The first & the last sound interesting but some people have marked then as YA. If that’s the case, I’m less interested. I just can’t get into the YA craze.

  4. @Teawench – the middle two are YA-ish (in Moonshine the heroine is in her early 20s and is a teacher). Black Swan is definitely not YA. I don’t think Sunshine is either (yes, the lead is a young ADULT, in her 20s); it is not in the same vein as the “YA craze” (and this is from someone who likes YA). 🙂

  5. Teawench says:

    Thanks. I don’t mind young leads as long as the story/plot/whatever is adult. Definitely keeping those two on my ‘Must buy ASAP’ list.

  6. Missie says:

    This is the perfect recommendations post for me. I’m addicted to vampire novels like nobody’s business.

    Thanks

  7. Lexi says:

    I don’t like YA and I LOVE Sunshine. It’s just a well told story, not heavy on the sex so maybe that is why some label it YA. Great characters and interesting lines that form between them.

  8. Mari says:

    Sunshine is easily my favorite vampire book ever. I’m still not sure how McKinley made Constantine so sexy while at the same time comparing him to mushrooms every other paragraph, and I’ve still read the book six or seven times trying to figure it out.

  9. Denise Z says:

    These all sound like great reads. Thank you for sharing today:)

  10. Read Phoenix says:

    I heard Sunshine is a great read. It is on my to be read list. thanks for the review. New Follower

  11. Amy says:

    I just read Sunshine myself this year and it too took me a little while to get into it, but once I was I really didn’t want to leave. McKinley really created a great world.

    I’ve been eyeing “Black Swan Rising” in the bookstore for a while now, and I just couldn’t determine if I wanted to read it or not. I’ll defintely have to add it to my TBR pile. It does sound interesting.

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