Home of the Alpha Showdown, and one-stop shop for urban fantasy, paranormal romance and fantasy news and reviews.
With so many readers participating in the Vampire Academy series re-read challenge, we’ve been talking about Richelle Mead’s young adult series more than usual. Yesterday, we chatted with a few of you on Twitter about favorite lines from the series and the like, but we were surprised when more than one person said they aren’t looking forward to re-reading Blood Promise, the fourth book. This was crazy, as... 
Today we discovered a great video on the Amazon page for the final Vampire Academy installment Last Sacrifice. Looks as though our friends at Amazon got two of our favorite authors — Richelle Mead and Charlaine Harris — together to talk new books. Mead gives us a couple little bits about Last Sacrifice, including promises to tie up all the story lines but no word on how she’ll resolve the... 
Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) Richelle Mead Published: 2007 Purchase at: Book Depository or Amazon Rating (out of 5): 4 stars The first time I read Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy, I devoured it and immediately leaped into the second book Frostbite. But I wasn’t so sure about the book when I started it. The first 40 pages felt clunky and a bit confusing, but once past them the visuals exploded and... 
Early on in the first Vampire Academy book we learn about the different types of vampires in the VA world. First we have the moroi, who are the living vampires. They don’t kill to feed, but do drink human blood to survive. Moroi are slender and very pale. Think model-like with boyish figures. Also, these living vampires can wield elemental magic. Then we have the dhampirs, who are half vampire, half...
It’s no secret we love Richelle Mead’s books. Both her adult and YA titles are on our shelves. She knows how to build a unique world and her characters are so developed. I joke about how she likes to break my heart, because all her series take you on an emotional rollercoaster ride. (It’s a good thing, we swear.) Typically we have a poll inviting you to vote for the next group read. This month, though, we... 
We may have hit all the marks this week. Giveaways we’ve found online include books focusing on vampires (both adult and YA), werewolves, the undead and even some stellar steampunk. First and foremost, we need to remind you we’re giving away signed Heather Brewer goodness. A comment is all it takes to get yourself entered to win a signed copy of Twelfth Grade Kills and a bookmark. Enter by Oct. 3.... 
This is Banned Books Week, an annual event where we celebrate our right to read, access to information and revisit those “controversial” classics that shaped our world. Some books show up on the Banned Book List each year. (The list is put out by the American Library Association from the challenges they receive, requesting books be pulled from library shelves or removed from classrooms.) Classics that can... 
We’re looking to the release of Last Sacrifice, the final book in the Vampire Academy series, with excitement and apprehension. We want to complete this journey with Rose, but it will be hard to let go of our favorite YA series. To get the most out of it, we’ve decided to re-read the series before the Dec. 7, 2010, release. We invite you to relive Rose’s journey of love, responsibility, friendship and... 
This week we’re bringing the heat — books from both Demonica and the Dark Hunter are being given away — and a bit of fun that includes picking your classes at St. Vladimir’s Academy. The Qwillery has three copies of Rob Thurman’s second Trickster novel The Grimrose Path up for grabs. A comment on the giveaway/interview post will earn you an entry (bonus entries available, too). This one is open... 
