Razorhurst by Justine Larbalestier

Title: Razorhurst

Author: Justine Larbalestier

Release Date: 1st July 2014 (March 2015 in the US)

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:

The setting: Razorhurst, 1932. The fragile peace between two competing mob bosses—Gloriana Nelson and Mr Davidson—is crumbling. Loyalties are shifting. Betrayals threaten.

Kelpie knows the dangers of the Sydney streets. Ghosts have kept her alive, steering her to food and safety, but they are also her torment.

Dymphna is Gloriana Nelson’s ‘best girl’, experienced in surviving the criminal world, but she doesn’t know what this day has in store for her.

When Dymphna meets Kelpie over the corpse of Jimmy Palmer, Dymphna’s latest boyfriend, she pronounces herself Kelpie’s new protector. But Dymphna’s life is in danger too, and she needs an ally. And while Jimmy’s ghost wants to help, the dead cannot protect the living . . .

In A Nutshell:

A thrilling, danger-filled historical crime novel with all the glitz and grime you would expect, as well as a touch of the paranormal to add a new spin. Razorhurst sees 1930’s Sydney through the eyes of a couple of teenage girls, one from the streets and one from the fold, as the world went from the roaring twenties to the dirty thirties.

My Review:

I don’t usually read stories set in the past as I am a contemporary girl at heart, but I couldn’t pass up Razorhurst. Firstly, it’s Aussie YA (Yay!). Secondly, I love crime stories and I thought that since I unexpectedly loved The Diviners, which was set in the 20’s, I should really give Razorhurst a go.

Kelpie lives among the abandoned buildings of Surry Hills. Orphaned at birth, and her age unknown, she has been raised by the kindness of strangers and ghosts. You see, Kelpie can see and talk to ghosts. She has no idea why she has this ability. She just knows that some ghosts ignore her while others actively try to get involved in her life.

Those that help Kelpie have taught her to read, found her places to hide and pointed her in the direction of food. But sometimes, others like to mess with her and that’s what happens the day she is directed towards a supply of apples and instead finds the eviscerated body of Jimmy Palmer, mob-boss Gloriana Nelson’s right-hand man.

As police descend on the building, Kelpie, and Jimmy’s girlfriend Dymphna (who also came upon the body as she arrived for a pre-arranged meeting), flee the scene, hiding in backyards until they can break away from the police patrols. Caught in the middle of an organised crime mob-war, Kelpie’s life just got a whole lot more complicated than hiding from the authorities and finding food.

With help from her friend Snowy and writer Neil, Kelpie and Dymphna attempt to escape the dangers of the city whose controlling powers, Mr Davidson and Gloriana Nelson (having watched a few episodes of Gotham on TV, my mind kept likening Gloriana and Mr Davidson to Fish and Falcone), have eyes and ears everywhere, as well as most of the city’s police force in one of their pockets.

Kelpie is forced to grow up quickly as she finds herself in far more unsavoury and unfamiliar places than she is used to. The events and revelations that occur around her have Kelpie musing over what makes a good person and realising that there is a blurry line between what is right and wrong.

I have some unanswered questions that lead me to hope there will be a sequel to follow Razorhurst. Certain things are alluded to so maybe the reader is supposed to be left to make their own assumptions. But I really would have liked to know more details, especially about the mythology surrounding the ghosts that Kelpie interacts with such as why do some people become ghosts and others simply die? And why can Kelpie see them? Also, if certain people survive the inevitable bloodshed as the mob-war threatens to consume the city.

Overall a thrilling, danger-filled historical crime novel with all the glitz and grime you would expect, as well as a touch of the paranormal to add a new spin. Razorhurst sees 1930’s Sydney through the eyes of a couple of teenage girls, one from the streets and one from the fold, as the world went from the roaring twenties to the dirty thirties.

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Title: The Diviners
Author: Libba Bray

Release Date: 1st September 2012

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:

1920s New York. A teen clairvoyant. An old evil. It has begun...

Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old home town and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City - and she is pos-i-tute-ly thrilled! New York is the city of speak-easies, rent parties, shopping and movie palaces, and soon enough Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfeld girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is that Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of the Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult - also known as 'The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies'.

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of it. Even Evie's new pals - hoofers, numbers runners and activists, but all swell kids - are drawn into the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer - if he doesn't catch her first...

In A Nutshell:
The Diviners is an intricately woven story of superstition, old magic, religious zealots and race relations. It also portrays the different ways love and family can take shape, how meaningful those relationships become, and what people would do for the ones they love. Although the novel is a about a serial killer, there are many other aspects to it and you’ll find that amongst the suspense and superstition, there is an exploration of what drives cults and religions, but this is also balanced out at the same time with fun, light-hearted frivolity. I loved it!

My Review:

I "pos-i-tute-ly" loved The Diviners. Libba Bray’s storytelling abilities continue to blow my mind. The first chapter is amazing and sets the scene for the rest of the book. We are thrown right into the belly of the beast which is Manhattan in the 20’s and we get an insight into all the different boroughs of NYC and how it was then.

Right from the beginning we know the murderer is Naughty John, but we follow the characters as they are introduced to us and as their lives become affected by Naughty John’s actions. John is a fantastic and truly creepy villain and you never know who he is going to go after next, sometimes it’s a stranger, other times it is one of the characters already known to us. Each chapter I was worried one of my favourites was about to be killed. I dare say I wouldn’t read parts of this at night when you are home alone cos you may just get a little too creeped out!

There are lots of characters to keep track of but this isn’t hard as they are all given plenty of page-time as their lives and secrets are discovered. Our main character Evie likes to have a good time and sometimes forgets to think before she acts. Arriving in the Big Apple from Ohio with her clairvoyant abilities a secret, her pending new lifestyle has her brimming with excitement. She’s sassy and at times selfish, but she has a good heart and if you don’t like her at the beginning, she will definitely grow on you. Staying with her Uncle Will, Evie joins forces with her New York pen pal Mable, who lives in her uncle’s building. Mabel is often the voice of reason but her complaints sometimes fall on deaf ears, particularly when Evie gets together with the theatrically divine Theta and Henry. Together, Manhattan is their playground.

Evie’s Uncle Will, curator of the occult museum, has a few secrets of his own, as does his assistant, Jericho, and the pickpocket Sam Lloyd, who wrangled his way into Evie’s life and won’t entirely disappear. There’s also the charming Memphis, a poet with a lot on his shoulders, his brother Isaiah whose unusual talent catches the interest of the mysterious Miss Walker and Blind Bill. There’s trumpet player Gabe and attention seeker Daisy, Will’s old friend Detective Malloy and annoying reporter T.S Woodhouse. Let’s not forget Evie and Will’s old neighbours, Miss Adelaide and Miss Lillian, spinster sisters who appear to be losing their marbles. Pretty much everyone has something to hide and as many of the characters meet and their story-arcs cross over, these secrets are slowly revealed.

It is obvious how much research went into The Diviners and it was well worth it as there is so much detail to every scene. The reader is able to fully immerse themselves in the story, feeling as though they are right there with Evie, or in the same room as Naughty John (not always a good thing!), or sitting in the cemetery with Memphis. The story feels so authentic and I could really picture what the 1920’s was like in New York City. The setting is woven so well into the story that readers won’t feel as though they are having descriptive details thrown at them, you just become enthralled with what is going on.

I spent much of the novel reading it as though Libba herself was narrating it after she read aloud at Reading Matters last year. It made it so much fun imagining her theatrically voicing Evie and Theta and the 1920’s slang really helped set the atmosphere.

If you’ve seen The Diviners sitting on a bookshelf, you've probably noticed that it is quite a brick of a book. At 578 pages, my arms did occasionally get sore, but the length was by no means a detriment to the novel. If anything, I am glad it was so long as I didn’t want it to finish. I’m pleased to know there will be a sequel out in late 2014 but until then, make sure you savour all 578 pages!

The Diviners is an intricately woven story of superstition, old magic, religious zealots and race relations. It also portrays the different ways love and family can take shape, how meaningful those relationships become, and what people would do for the ones they love. Although the novel is a about a serial killer, there are many other aspects to it and you’ll find that amongst the suspense and superstition, there is an exploration of what drives cults and religions, but this is also balanced out at the same time with fun, light-hearted frivolity. The Diviners also only scratches the surface of a bigger picture, one which I am sure will be unravelled in the sequel.

This is Libba Bray’s signature storytelling at its best!

Indigo Awakening by Jordan Dane

Title: Indigo Awakening

Series: The Hunted #1

Author: Jordan Dane

Release Date: 1st December 2012

My Rating: 2/5

Blurb:

Voices told Lucas Darby to run. Voices no one else can hear. He's warned his sister not to look for him, but Rayne refuses to let her troubled brother vanish. On her desperate search, she meets Gabriel Stewart, a runaway with mysterious powers and far too many secrets. Rayne can't explain her crazy need to trust the strange yet compelling boy — even though he scares her.

They discover Lucas is running from the Believers, a fanatical church secretly hunting psychic kids — gifted 'Indigo' teens feared to be the next evolution of mankind. Now Rayne's only hope is Gabe, who is haunted by an awakening power — a force darker than either of them imagine. A force that could doom them all.

In A Nutshell:

Not for me. Too little in some areas, not enough in others.

My Review: 

I’m sorry to say that Indigo Awakening really didn’t do it for me. There are a lot of characters involved and we are shown what is going on from all of their perspectives, at least nine different points of view. There were lots of characters to ‘follow’ and I got to the point where I really wasn’t caring about what was going on. At times, I found the descriptions of what was happening, what the characters were thinking and their reasons for doing things, over explained or repeated and I felt these could have been edited down quite a bit.

In terms of the storyline, the abilities of the Indigo Children are not really explained. After finishing the book, all I really understood about them is that they can communicate telepathically with each other, but I don’t really understand what else it is that they can do. Gabriel’s abilities were both under-explained and over-explained. When he uses his abilities, there is lots of detail about what is going on and the process that leads to the manifestation, but it’s not really clear exactly what it is he is doing.

While I’m sure there are plenty of people who enjoyed Indigo Awakening (see second opinions below), it wasn’t what I was expecting. I spent most of the novel wanting to skip past the other characters and just focus on the developing relationship between Rayne and Gabriel.

Second Opinions
The Eclectic Reader
I Heart YA Books
Books With Bite

Reaping Me Softly by Kate Evangelista

Title: Reaping Me Softly

Author: Kate Evangelista

Release Date: 30th October 2012

My Rating: 3/5

Blurb:

Ever since a near-death-experience on the operating table, seventeen-year-old Arianne Wilson can see dead people. Just as she’s learned to accept her new-found talents, she discovers that the boy she’s had a crush on since freshman year, Niko Clark, is a Reaper.

At last they have something in common, but that doesn’t mean life is getting any easier. All while facing merciless bullying from the most powerful girl in school, Arianne’s world is turned upside down after Niko accidentally reaps the soul of someone she loves. This sends them both into a spiral that threatens to end Arianne’s life. But will Niko break his own Reaper’s code to save her? And what would the consequences be if he did?

In A Nutshell:

Reaping Me Softly is about the things people do for love, loyalty, strength and the ability to overcome the terrible things that can happen in life. An enjoyable read but be prepared that the ending may not be your cup-of-tea.

My Review:

Reaping Me Softly is about the things people do for love, loyalty, strength and the ability to overcome the terrible things that can happen in life.

I liked Ari. I thought she was strong and while I was annoyed with her for putting up with the bullying, I admired her ability to do so and her values that prevented her from exposing why she was getting bullied by Darla in the first place. I liked the relationship between Ari and Ben. It was nice to have a boy-girl friendship without the usual romantic tension that tends to show up in YA novels as a love triangle. Theirs was a true friendship, one of honesty and loyalty and I’m glad that this dimension was included in the novel.

I liked the reaper world and the hierarchy that Death created. The different personalities of all the reapers made Niko’s world ‘real’, rather than him being part of a world we knew nothing about, and in their weird way they were family to each other. I even liked Death. His character was quite amusing, as were Niko’s minions (Ha! ‘Minions’ still makes me laugh, maybe I’ll just call them his helpers?).

Ari and Niko’s relationship was sweet and predictable. What was not predictable was the ending! Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil anything. What I will say is that I loved the whole book, until the ending. Suddenly, I was in tears. It just felt so…extreme. I mean, I know we are dealing with Death but I kinda got to the point where I liked the guy, and then BAM, he went all brutal!

Don’t let my shock at the ending deter you though. I know some people think it was a fantastic ending and I really did love the rest of the book. So I suggest you give it a go.

I also highly recommend Kate’s first novel, Taste, which was really, really awesome. Read my review here.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This review has been part of the Reaping Me Softly Blog Tour, hosted by AToMR Tours. There are 10 ebooks of Reaping Me Softly to win so enter below.a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are lots of other people participating so click here to see what others thought of Kate Evangelista's latest book.

Links

Reaping Me Softly on Goodreads
Kate Evangelista on Twitter
Kate Evangelista's Website
AToMR Blog Tours Website
AToMR on Twitter

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson

Title: Hunting Lila
Author: Sarah Alderson

Release Date: 1st September 2011

My Rating: 5/5

Blurb:
Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever.

After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust, her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them.

In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone, there are others out there just like her, people with special powers, and her mother's killer is one of them...

In A Nutshell:
Hunting Lila is an exciting, suspenseful novel that keeps you questioning if all is really as it seems.

My Review:
Lila is an impulsive and curious 17-year-old girl who has been on an emotional roller-coaster for the last five years after the death of her mother and separation from her brother, and it’s just gotten worse as she has somehow developed the ability of telekinesis. After arriving on her brother Jack’s doorstep, she becomes curious as to what it is his military unit actually does as he is cagey and extremely over-protective, as is his best friend Alex (and Lila’s long term crush).

As Lila gets more and more fed up with being kept in the dark and ‘babysat’ around the clock, she starts fishing for information about what their unit are investigating. She has no idea who to trust with her secret, especially because Jack and Alex are still treating her like a child. When the stumbles across the unit’s real mission she has to question what the real truths in her life are, and if she can still trust those closest to her. She also discovers she is not alone in her unique ability.

There are many twists and turns to the story, with the constant question of who is telling the truth, and what parts of the supposed truths are actually lies. It is fast-paced and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. While it doesn’t finish on a traditional style cliff-hanger, you will still find yourself desperately wanting the sequel, Losing Lila, which of course won’t be released until the second half of 2012.

I think Lila’s feeling and actions in regards to Alex are spot on. When faced with being in the company of someone you love but you can’t do anything about, it’s excruciating and I think it was appropriately portrayed. They are very real moments and feelings; not wanting to tell Alex how she feels for fear of rejection, the jealousy she feels when seeing the way other females look at him, how she makes up scenarios in her head and also jumps to conclusions on all manner of subjects.

This was the first book I have read in six weeks. After a family tragedy, I didn’t have the will to pick up a book, let alone review anything. Hunting Lila was the book I chose to ‘get back on the horse’ and I couldn’t have picked a better story to keep my mind occupied and be completely enthralled by the plot and characters.

Absolutely loved it!

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor

Release Date: 27th September 2011

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:
Around the world, black hand-prints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherworldly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that colour. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-coloured eyes on her in an alley in Marrakech, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

In A Nutshell:
Awesome title. Fantastic characters. Forbidden love. Magical and Mysterious locations. Unique mythology. Definitely worth reading.

My Review:
What can I say about Daughter of Smoke and Bone that hasn’t been said before? Just like almost every review I have read and everyone I have spoken to about it, I loved it.

First off, what a totally awesome title! It’s mysterious and conjures up so many images but you have to wait until almost the end of the story to find out what it means. Our main character Karou joins the YA rank of fantastic female lead characters as a loveable and kick-ass character, with her blue hair and humour, but she also has a vulnerable side.

Like many YA supernatural/paranormal books, Daughter of Smoke and Bone uncovers the blurry lines between good and evil, enticing us with a forbidden romance (although thankfully no love triangle!) that while is sudden in some ways, as the story progresses, we see that there is more to Karou’s story than meets the eye. While this format is commonly seen in YA these days, the story that unfolds takes your breath away and provides Daughter of Smoke and Bone with that something extra that sets it apart.

My enthusiasm did slow three quarters of the way through with my uneasiness with the direction the story was taking but it picked up again and I am excited for what its sequel will bring. I would love to share more with you but this is one of those books where the mysteries can accidentally be spoiled with the wrong (right) word! You’ll just have to check it out yourself.

I should also mention the setting. How many YA books are set in Prague? This is the only one I know of and, as someone who has spent time in Prague, I think Laini Taylor has done a fabulous job bringing this magical city to the masses.

My favourite quote? I was going to share with you my favourite quote but I realised it continues for almost two pages. In my ARC copy, it starts on page 69 and continues half way down page 70. It is a discussion between Karou and her best friend Zuzana about the different types of butterflies you can get in your stomach, and what kind of guy sets them off. It certainly put a smile on my face!

Bite Club by Rachel Caine

Title: Bite Club
Series: Morganville Vampires Book 10
Author: Rachel Caine

Release Date: 2nd May 2011

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:

Having survived a number of adventures with her new night-dwelling friends, college student Claire Danvers has come to realise that for the most part, the undead just want to get on with their lives.

But someone else wants them to get ready to rumble.

There's a new extreme sport being broadcast over the internet: bare-knuckle fights pitting captured vampires against one another, or worse, against humans. Claire soon discovers that what started as an online brawl will soon threaten everyone in Morganville. And if they want to survive, they'll have to do a lot more than fight...


My Review:
In the latest instalment in the Morganville vampires series, trouble is afoot yet again but this time, we experience far more than the normal struggles of Morganville. Unlike all the previous books, the tight-knit Glass house occupants are suffering; the danger is coming from one of their own. Whenever there has been trouble in the past, they have always fought it together, but this time, it's up to the girls to try and save not just Morganville, but Shane and Michael too.

Bite Club mostly focuses around Shane. We actually get to see some of the events that unfold through his eyes which is unprecedented throughout the series. It also focuses a lot on his relationship with Claire and his conflicting feelings concerning Michael's vampire-ness. We see what really drives Shane and how his character has been influenced throughout his life by his father, and also the vampires he is forced to live side by side with. We really get to see the effect this has been having on his psyche, especially recently. After a little persuading from a vixen vamp (who could have given Ysandre from the days of Bishop a run for her money), Shane's past and present come crashing together to create a jealous, paranoid and anger-filled Shane. Oh so much anger!

Being book ten, we are already strongly connected to many of the characters and it is actually sometimes painful to read about all the things Shane is experiencing, as well as the hurt he inflicts on those around him, especially those he loves the most. Could this be the end of Shane's friendship with Michael? And what about his future with Claire?

There is less involvement from Eve, Michael, Oliver, Amelie, Monica, Richard and the local police. Claire, Shane and Myrnin make up most of the story, which is mostly fine with me. Oh how I love Myrnin :D

Bite Club returns to the darkness and brutality we had in Lord of Misrule. Some unexpected old foes return, Claire receives some surprising news, and there is major doubt as to what the future holds for Claire, Eve, Michael and Shane. Faced paced, surprising and satisfying. And no cliff-hanger!

Ministry of Pandemonium by Chris Westwood

Title: Ministry of Pandemonium
Series: Pandemonium Book 1
Author: Chris Westwood

Release Date: 1st May 2011

My Rating: 4/5

Blurb:

Another night shift, another lost soul - pray the good guys find it first...

When Ben Harvester meets the mysterious Mr October in Highgate Cemetery, nothing could have prepared him for the strange and dramatic turn his life is about to take. Soon Mr October is leading him towards his true calling - his work at the Ministry of Pandemonium, helping to guide the dead to the afterlife.

But Ben quickly discovers that there are terrifying forces keen to thwart the work of the Ministry and lead the newly-dead astray. And when Ben's mum suddenly becomes seriously ill, he questions whether he can continue with the important job he has been given.

My Review:
Thirteen year old Ben used to be a solitary kid who hung out in cemeteries with his sketchbook. But after his chance meeting with Mr October, he now helps protect the souls of the departed with his new friends Becky - who senses people, Sukie - who is clairvoyant, and Lu - a contortionist, from the Deathheads and the Mawbreed's. For every good guy there is a bad guy and as they travel the streets of London, looking for the next departed soul, they must keep their wits about them. With demons creeping behind every shadow, Ben and must use his gift to help protect others, if he can ever figure out what it is or how to use it.

Ministry of Pandemonium is a supernatural thriller that is fast-paced and filled with repulsive demons, confused souls and bizarre deaths. It can be funny, it can be sad, and it can be spooky!

It would be great for fans of Michael Scott, Derek Landy and Darren Shan and is aimed at the ten to fifteen age bracket.

My only criticisms are that I would have liked some more background on Mr October and how the Ministry came to be. I also thought there could have been a bit more throughout the book involving his mothers illness. But these are small things and and I'm probably nit-picking!

Thank you to Walker Books Australia for this review copy.

The Morganville Vampire Series by Rachel Caine

Some of you may have read my review of Glass Houses, the first book in Rachel Caine's hugely successful Morganville Vampires series. I've been wanting to review the rest of the series for a while now but have been torn with how to go about it since spoilers would be inevitable.

I've really enjoyed the whole series and am pretty pumped about meeting Rachel Caine in May when she comes to Perth (details for her Australian tour can be found below). The series is so easy to read and because they all flow on from the other, it feels like you are reading one big book. It's like a vampire/human soap opera with plenty of drama.

Morganville could never be dullsville for Claire and her misfit but loveable house-mates. There is always something happening, whether it be life threatening or life-changing. I can't fault the characters and I love reading about what they get up to in their down-time when someone isn't trying to kill them but also how they manage to tackle all the chaos of Morganville with such spunk and wit. They are characters you will become attached to and I'll be sad when the series comes to an end.

So, I've decided to do a semi-spoiler-ish post with a quick run-down of what happens in the rest of the series (books 2-9).

I rate the entire series 4/5.

My review of Glass Houses can be found here.

**Please remember that there are spoilers below so read at your own risk**

2. Dead Girls Dance - Shane's mysterious absent father shows up with a bang, much to the dismay of Shane and other Morganville residents. As he causes chaos around the town, Shane and his house-mates get caught up in his father's vendetta and Shane's life hangs in the balance after being accused of his father's crimes. Claire is faced with non-vampire danger when she is drugged by some frat boys, Michael's strange situation takes another unexpected turn and Claire does the unthinkable and signs away her freedom.

3. Midnight Alley - As Shane struggles with the latest turn of events concerning Michael, Claire begins some unusual classes with the reclusive and unstable vampire Myrnin at the request of Morganville founder Amelie. There is a case of mistaken identity when one of the only good vampires, Sam, is staked and a new human enemy, Captain Obvious, threatens our friendly neighbourhood coppers Lowe and Hess, among others. Claire finds herself in trouble when she is kidnapped but is rescued by an unlikely source. A fight with Eve's psycho brother Jason lands Shane in the hospital and Claire receives some unfortunate news when her parents inform her they are moving to Morganville. On top of all this, an outside danger arrives in town threatening to ruin everything Amelie has created.

4. Feast of Fools - Outsider Bishop has everyone on their toes, even Amelie and Oliver, with the lives of the Morganville residents hanging by a thread. Claire and Shane's relationship is threatened as vixen vampire Ysandre takes a liking to Shane. Claire's parents discover Morganville's dark secret and Jason continues his violent spree by attacking a prominent member of Morganville.


5. Lord of Misrule - Bishops' reign over Morganville continues as the whole town becomes a war zone with residents turning against one another and forming lynching parties. An old foe returns, more people are injured and the death of a Morrell occurs as a building collapses. Myrnin's crazy level peaks to the unimaginable and countless vampires disregard the sun as they are unconsciously called to Amelie in the fight against Bishop. Claire lands herself in more danger when she finds herself under the control of uber-evil vampire Bishop.

6. Carpe Corpus - Morganville goes head to head against Bishop as the city reaches breaking point. Will Bishop's reign hold or will Amelie have one more trick up her sleeve? Myrnin's 'pet' Ada goes homicidal and a Morganville favourite will not survive the final battle.




7. Fade Out - As Morganville residents come to terms with the aftermath of Bishop and 'lick their wounds', Eve's life-long dream of being in the annual Morganville Theatre Production comes true when she is cast as the lead. But with it comes Kim, fellow theatre fan and ex-flame of Shane's. But Kim's not just interested in the local play, and when she goes missing, her other activities come to light, activities which could endanger everyone in Morganville. Michael meets a guy in the music business with an exciting opportunity for him, Claire is kidnapped (again?!) and we finally discover who is responsible for the multiple murders of young women in Morganville.

8. Kiss of Death - Amelie grants the four members of the Glass house temporary leave from Morganville to allow Michael the chance to record at a studio in the city but, only on condition that Oliver chaperones them. After leaving town, the five of them run into unexpected trouble that spirals out of control. When they happen upon another vampire 'settlement', the danger they find themselves in escalates and they discover an unlikely ally in wayward vamp Morley. Eve gets herself a new car and slowly begins to rebuild her relationship with her brother Jason while Shane presents Claire with a gift, one that leaves no doubt about how he feels about her. Amelie brings Michael, Eve, Claire and Shane back to earth with a veiled threat that they will never be allowed to leave Morganville.

9. Ghost Town - With the demise of Ada, Morganville's defences are non-existent. When Claire stakes a vampire in self defence, a crime punishable by death, Amelie presents Claire with an impossible choice. Forced into sleepless imprisonment until she repairs the town's barriers, Claire must fix Morganville's support system before she goes delirious from sleep deprivation. She successfully accomplishes the impossible but after Myrnin makes an adjustment of his own, the whole town is affected. As resident slowly lose three years worth of memories, Claire attempts to convince Amelie and Myrnin of the glitch, but runs into trouble when they forget who she is. With Myrnin more dangerous than ever before and Amelie and Oliver fighting over leadership, Morganville has never been more dangerous and Claire has never felt so alone.

Bite Club, book 10, will be released May 2nd 2011.

Update 2nd May 2011:
My review