REVIEW, old school #2

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The Secret Garden

Series: Classic Tales

Pub: 1992, Modern Publishing Group (au)

     Originally published: 1909

Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett

Genre: fiction

Format: hardback (lar); 184pp w/ 27 chapters

Age Group: Middle grade

            Synopsis

After the death of her parents, Mary is brought back from India as a forlorn and unwanted child, to live in her uncle’s great lonely house on the moors. Then one day she discovers the key to a secret garden and, like magic, her life begins to brighten in so many ways.

REVIEW, Bullet

If I had ever wanted to give in to hysterics, it was then. How do you fight something with no body to kill? How do you fight something that can possess the most powerful vampires in the world and use them like puppets?

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Bullet

Series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, book 19

Pub: 2010, Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Cat: paranormal fiction

Format: paperback (lar); 355 pp w/ 48 chapters

Age Range: adult                                             

            Synopsis

My name is Anita Blake and I am back in St Louis and trying to live a normal life—as normal as possible for someone who is a legal vampire executioner and a US Marshal. In the midst of such ordinary happiness a vampire from my past reaches out. She was supposed to be dead, killed in an explosion, but the Mother of All Darkness is the first vampire, the dark creator, and it’s hard to kill a god.

The Mother of All Darkness believes that the triumvirate created by master vampire Jean-Claude with me and the werewolf Richard Zeeman has enough power for her to regain a body and to emigrate to the New World. But the body she wants to possess is already taken; I’m about to learn a whole new meaning to sharing my body, one that has nothing to do with the bedroom. And if the Mother of All Darkness can’t succeed in taking over my body for herself, she means to see that no one else has the use of it, ever again. Even Belle Morte, not always a friend to me, had sent word: ‘Run if you can...’

REVIEW, Three's Company

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Three’s Company

Series: Anthology

Pub:  2009, Samhain publishing _LTD

Author: Lorelei James / Jess Dee / Jayne Rylon

Genre: contemporary romance

Format: paperback (lar); 306pp

Age Range: Adult

            Synopsis

A QUESTION OF TRUST by Jess Dee

Gabriel fulfils every one of Madeline’s sexual fantasies. Until he introduces her to his best friend, Conner. Suddenly Maddie’s horizons are expanding in a whole new direction that breaks all the rules.

NICE AND NAUGHTY by Jayne Rylon

Alexa limits her adrenaline rushed to boardroom negotiations—until she indulges in a high-octane encounter on the hood of her sports car. Justin is supposed to be just a refreshing summer affair, but he’s called for the kind of backup that shifts the odds in love’s favour.

WICKED GARDEN by Lorelei James

Billy ran out on Eden the night of prom. Now he’s back and she’s hoping a fling will finally untangle him from her past. She hadn’t counted on his wicked side—or the return of old lover Jon—to appeal so strongly to her dark, hidden desires.

REVIEW, Vampire Beach 5&6

Seductive and supernatural....

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High Stakes & Hunted

Series: Vampire Beach, omnibus 5 & 6

Pub:  2009, Red Fox (Random House)

     [Individually published, 2008]

Author: Alex Duval

Genre: paranormal romance

Format: paperback (mid); 477pp w/ 39 chapters

Age Range: YA

            Synopsis

Malibu had been very, very good to him. Even if the place was bursting with vampires. Or maybe because it was. there was one vampire who’d definitely made his life more intense and more exciting – Sienna. Being with her made him feel more alive, even though entering her world had nearly made him dead. He’d been attacked by crazed vampire, consumed with bloodlust, and shot with a crossbow by a vampire hunter... And yet in spite of all the near-death experiences, Jason wouldn’t have had his life any other way. Sienna was worth it all.

     

It doesn’t matter to Jason that his beautiful girlfriend isn’t human – they are made for each other. But Sienna and her fellow vampires hide dark, dangerous secrets and Jason’s relationship – and his life are at risk...

REVIEW, Revelations

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Revelations includes Genesis

Series: Heaven Sent, book 5 & 6

Pub:  2010, LooseId

Author: Jet Mykles

Genre: erotic romance (LGBT contemporary)

Format: paperback (lar); 396pp

Whose: Gretchen, Archer & Owen

Age Range: Adult

            Synopsis

GENESIS

The week before Heaven Dent’s New Year’s performance, Brent fractures his hand, which puts him out of commission for the show. Fortunately, it’s not permanent, but it leaves him and Hell dealing with the “what if,” not to mention Brent’s jealousy of the guitarist taking his place. as the band members and their partners struggle to adjust, the stress brings their personal issues to light. Heaven Sent needs more than a miracle to find their happily ever after. It needs...a new beginning.

REVELATIONS

For years, Gretchen’s main objective has been taking care of the boys of Heaven Sent. When her boys decide to take a hiatus, she decides to do the same. Before she can begin her summer off, Gretchen has one last public commitment. There, she meets tall, mysterious, and wickedly handsome Archer Thanos. Archer’s company has a video game based on Heaven Sent and he’s been trying to get in touch with her to discuss it. Their first meeting quickly turns into a discussion of another type...in a nearly hotel room, sending Gretchen headlong into a whirlwind affair she hadn’t anticipated.

Only, someone isn’t exactly thrilled about Gretchen and Archer’s romance. Gretchen’s adorable new assistant, Owen, has been pining for his boss since he started working for her but he hasn’t had the courage to assert himself and tell her he wants her. As a result, Gretchen is completely blind to his feelings for her. And after meeting Archer, Owen knows he has no chance against the handsome devil. Besides, his own attraction to the older man is instant and overwhelming.

Owen thinks he’s not enough for Gretchen. Gretchen thinks Owen is far too young for her. Archer thinks they’re both ridiculous. He knows the three of them are just right for each other, if they can survive the revelations.

In Motion 2.8

Starting paragraph

She is just so beautifully hot, and every feeling that concerned her wrapped itself around his lust and fuelled it into a need so strong Jo had trouble thinking straight around her.

Body of Darkness, b1, page 35

REVIEW, the Darkest Lie

...Gideon, keeper of the demon lies, fights to uncover the truth....

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The Darkest Lie

Series: Lords of the Underworld, book 6

Pub: 2010,

Author: Gena Showalter

Cat: para romance

Format: paperback (sm); 436 pp w/ 30 chapters

Whose: Gideon (keeper of Lies) & Scarlet (keeper of Nightmares)

Age Range: adult                                             

            Synopsis

Forced to his knees in agony whenever he speaks the truth, Gideon can recognize any lie – until he captures Scarlet, a demon-possessed immortal who claims to be his long-lost wife. He doesn’t remember the beautiful female, much less wedding – or bedding – her. But he wants to...almost as much as he wants her.

    

But Scarlet is keeper of Nightmares, too dangerous to roam free. A future with her might mean ultimate ruin. Especially as Gideon’s enemies draw closer – and the truth threatens to destroy all he’s come to love...

REVIEW, With Reservations

Sometimes love just catches you by the tail....

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Without Reservations

Series: With or Without, book 2

Pub:  2006, Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

Author: J. L. Langley

Genre: Gay Erotic Paranormal Romance

Format: paperback (lar); 262pp w/ 24 chapters

Whose: Clayton & Keaton

Age Range: adult

            Synopsis

Chayton Wiston is a veterinarian. He is also a werewolf. Much to his Native American parents chagrin, he has always dreamed of a fair-haired, Caucasian mate. however, he never imagined his mate would be male. As a heterosexual man, he’s not quite sure what to do with a male mate, but more than willing to find out.

Keaton Reynolds wakes up, in wolf form, and finds himself with a mate. He’s instantly attracted, but not so thrilled to find out the man is straight. Having been in a relationship once before where his partner professed to be “Not gay” left a bad taste in his mouth. Keaton wants to make a break for it and pretend he never set eyes on Chay—but Chay is not ready to let him go.

Together the two work solidify their shaky relationship and battle the prejudices against homosexual. Chay must deal with not only his mother’s prejudices against gay men but also her hatred of white people. When a power struggle in Keaton’s pack threatens Keaton’s life, the two men learn to depend on one another and their relationship to get them through it.

Warning, this title contains the following: explicit sex, graphic language, violence and hot man-love.

Posted # 10

Without Reservation by J.L. Langley

Retribution by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore

Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning

Three's Company by Jess Dee, Jayne Rylon & Lorelei James

Revelations by Jet Mykles

REVIEW, Fire

Fire is more than attractive, Fire is mesmerising. 

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Fire

Series: Seven Kingdom, book 2

Pub: 2009, Gollancz

Author: Kristin Cashore

Cat: fantasy (romance)

Format: paperback (full size); 340 pp w/ 40 chapters

Age Range: YA

            Synopsis

Fire’s exceptional beauty gives her influence and power. People who are susceptible to it will do anything for her attention, and for her affection. If she wished, they would abuse their power, crush nations and even destroy their own kingdom to please her.

     

But beauty is only skin deep, and beneath it Fire has a human appreciation of right and wrong. Aware of her ability to influence others, and afraid of it, she lives in a corner of the world away from people – not only to protect them but also to protect herself from their attention, their distrust, and even their hatred.

     

Yet Fire is not the only danger to the Dells. If she wants to protect her home, if she wants a chance to undo the wrongs of the past, she must face her fears, her abilities, and a royal court full of powerful people with reason to distrust her.

     

Beauty is a weapon – and fire is going to use it.

     

With a cast of astonishing characters, a dangerous world and a captivating, elegantly written story, Fire is a powerful tale of intrigue, death-defying adventure, monsters and unexpected love.

REVIEW, Flirt

I’ve earned my reputation, but if you really did your research on me then you also know that I don’t raise zombies for kicks, or thrill seekers, or tormented relatives unless they have a plan....

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Flirt

Series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, series, book 18

Pub: 2010, Headline

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Cat: paranormal fiction

Format: paperback (mid); 156 pp w/ 9 chapters

Age Range: adult                                             

            Synopsis

I am Anita Bake, vampire hunter and necromancer, and when I meet with prospective client Tony Bennington, who is desperate to have me reanimate his recently deceased wife, I feel sympathy for his loss. After all; I know something about love, and I know everything there is to know about loss. But what I also know, thought Tony Bennington seems unwilling to be convinced, is that the thing I can do as a necromancer isn’t the miracle he thinks he needs. The creature that I could coerce to step out of the late Mrs. Bennington’s grave would not be the lovely Mrs Bennington. Not really. And not for long.

I have been relaxing just a bit with the men in my private life. The affectionate warmth of being with them seems to bring out something softer in me, a sense of safety I can almost trust. They do love me; that part is forever and for sure. But flirting with feeling safe is a dangerous thing....

MANGA REVIEW, One Piece vol 62

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One Piece series, Vol 62 

Pub: SHUEISHA Inc, Tokyo

Author & Art: Eiichiro Oda

Cat: pirates

Format: graphic novel, paperback; chapters 604 to 614

Age Range: YA

    Synopsis

NEW WORLD Part 2

As a child, monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally gained the power to stretch like rubber...at the cost of never being able to swim again! Years later, Luffy sets off in search of the “One Piece,” said to be the greatest treasure in the world....

ADVENTURE ON FISH-MAN ISLAND

Luffy and the Straw Hat crew board their trusted ship and head under the sea towards Fish-Man Island. However, getting in their way will be fierce pirates, underwater volcanoes, and a humongous sea creature!

REVIEW, Bites of Passion

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Bites of Passion

Series: anthology of vampire erotic

Pub:  2010, Red Silk Edition (ravenous romance)

Edited By: Cecilia Tan

Genre: paranormal erotica

Format: paperback (lar); 191pp

Age Range: adult

            Synopsis

What does it mean to love a vampire? Does it mean nights of pleasure, tempered with sweet pain? There is no more sensuous figure in dark fantasy than the vampire. Whether a powerful seductress who harnesses the night to her will or a mysterious and handsome demon lover who demands surrender in exchange for passion, Bites of Passion presents many incarnations of the ancient myth. Eight top authors explore themes of immortal love, the lust for blood (and other things), and the eternal struggle between light and dark. Sink your teeth into these stories of “the hunger,” of need that can only be slaked after sundown, of the rush of blood and the scent of skin.

POST # 9

Deadlocked, Charlaine Harris
Insurgent, Veronica Roth
One Piece vol 62, Eiichiro Oda

REVIEW, vampire beach 3&4

Seduction and supernatural

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Ritual & Legacy

Series: Vampire Beach, omnibus 3 & 4

Pub:  2008, Red Fox (Random House)

     [Individually published, 2007]

Author: Alex Duval

Genre: paranormal romance

Format: paperback (mid); 465pp w/ 39 chapters

Age Range: YA

            Synopsis

He’d seen her look this gorgeous once before, when she had first told him that she was a vampire. She’d let him see her true beauty then and it was just as mesmerizing now. Her black hair glimmered in the dim light, her skin was sheer golden perfection and, all of a sudden, Jason felt like the biggest idiot in the world. Why had he ever let himself think that Sienna would want to be with him? She was one of them. He wasn’t. End of story. Then she turned. Her dark eyes met his across the sea of faces, and she smiled. A sizzle raced through Jason’s body and all his doubt disappeared, it didn’t matter what she was or what he wasn’t. They were made for each other.

     

Jason’s life in Malibu is looking up, especially now Sienna, the most beautiful girl in town, seems to be interested in him. Jason is learning to live with Sienna’s dark secret – that she and her friends are vampires – but is she more trouble than she’s worth?

MANGA REVIEW, Black Lagoon 001

Four hardcore heroes

One high-speed torpedo boat

Ten thousand bullets!

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Black Lagoon 001

Pub: Viz media

Story & Art: Rei Hiroe

Cat: mercenary pirates

Format: graphic paperback; chapters 0 to 4

Rated: M _{(for mature)}

      [Parental advisory explicit Content]

    Synopsis

Lock ‘n’ load with the baddest group of mercenaries ever to hit the high seas of Southeast Asia! Aboard their World War II torpedo boat, the Black Lagoon, Dutch the Boss, Benny the Mechanic, Revy Two Hand, and Rock, the salaryman from Japan, deliver anything, anywhere. In the dangerous underworld of the Russian Mafia, Chinese triads, Colombian drug cartels, crazed assassins, and ruthless mercenaries, it’s hard to know who to trust. But if you’ve got a delivery to make, and you don’t mind a little property damage along the way, you can count on the crew of the Black Lagoon!

Rokuro Okajima is just an average Japanese salaryman, living an average life. But when he’s taken hostage by the crew of the Black Lagoon, Rokuro finds himself thrown headfirst into a deadly world of outlawed heros, brutal villains, and blazing gunfights. Where he ends up is anyone’s guess, but one thing is for certain—he’s in for a wild ride!

NONESTOP EXPLOSIVE ACTION!

REVIEW, The Darkest Passion

Aeron, keeper of the demon of Wrath, finally meets his match....

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The Darkest Passion

Series: Lords of the Underworld, book 5

Pub: 2010, HQNbooks

Author: Gena Showalter

Cat: para romance

Format: paperback (sm); 438 pp w/ 31 chapters

Whose: Aeron (keeper of Wrath) & Olivia

Age Range: adult

            Synopsis

For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel – demon assassin – has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn’t bear to harm him. But trusting - and falling for – Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this “mortal” with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron’s darkest passion?

    

Now, with an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn’t.

Book Chat: Series or Trilogies in Full # 2

 

Where I talk about a series or trilogy as a full rather than individually

  

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Series: Wicked Lovely

Individual books: Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, Fragile Eternity, Radiant Shadows and Darkest Mercy

Pub between:  2007—2011, HarperCollin USA teen

Author: Melissa Marr

Genre: fiction (fairies)

How many I read: 4

Age Range: YA                                                 

 First book

       Synopsis

Rule 3: NEVER STARE AT INVISIBLE FAERIES.

Aislinn has always seen faeries. Powerful and dangerous, they walk hidden in the mortal world.

    

Rule 2: NEVER SPEAK TO INVISIBLE FAERIES.

One of them, a beautiful faery boy named Keenan, is trying to talk to her, asking questions Aislinn is afraid to answer.

Rule 1: DON’T EVER ATTRACT THEIR ATTENTION.

Now it’s too late, Keenan is the Summer King and is determined that Aislinn will become the Summer Queen at any cost. Without her, summer itself will perish...

REVIEW, Heaven Sent 2

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Heaven Sent 2 includes Hell and Faith

Series: Heaven Sent, book 3 & 4

Pub: 2007, Looseld

Author: Jet Mykles

Genre: erotic romance (LGBT contemporary)

Format: paperback (lar); 408pp

Whose: Brent & Hell / Darien & Chris

Age Range: adult

            Synopsis

HELL

Heaven Sent gets a hell of new keyboardist with a name to match. Hell Witting is an amazing musician and proves to be the answer to a sound that the band was missing. With lavender hair and big violet eyes, he captivates Brent Rose from the start, and not just with his music.

Brent knows better than to get involved with a member of the band. That just invites trouble and the last thing he wants is trouble for Heaven Sent. So he’ll just keep the attraction to himself. Doesn’t matter anyway. Hell couldn’t possible want him. After all, Brent’s not gorgeous and flashy like the other members of the band.

When Hell makes his interest in Brent all too obvious, Brent in unprepared and unable to stay away. So, fine, if they just keep it at sex, everything will be all right. won’t it?

FAITH

Darien’s best friends are the other guys in the rock band Heaven Sent. The three—now four—of them are closer than brothers to him and he’s happy that they’ve all found their life mates. He is. He doesn’t at all mind that each of those like mates are men. He doesn’t.

In fact, that’s just it. Maybe there’s something to this gay stuff. He’s never been particularly interested before, but after a short, failed marriage, he’s willing to open himself up to new possibilities. Especially if one of those possibilities is the gorgeous lawyer who handled his divorce, Christopher Faith.

Trouble is, Chris doesn’t seem to want to believe that Darien’s serious. Well, sure, Darien’s never slept with a guy before, but he’s allowed to change his mind. Isn’t he?

REVIEW, Graceling

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Graceling

Series: Seven Kingdom, book 1

Pub: 2008, Gollancz

Author: Kristin Cashore

Cat: fantasy

Format: paperback (lar); 340 pp w/ 40 chapters

Age Range: YA

                Synopsis

In a world where people born with an exceptional skill, known as a Grace, are both feared and exploited, Kasta carries the burden of a skill even she despises: the Grace of killing.

 As a Graced killer who has been able to kill a man with her bare hands from the age of eight, she’s forced to work as the king’s thug. Feared by the court and shunned by those her own age, the darkness of her Grace casts a heavy shadow over Katsa’s life.  Yet Katsa remains defiant, and when the King of Liend’s father is kidnapped she investigates, and stumbles across a mystery. Who would want to kidnap the old man, and why? And who was the extraordinary Graced man whose fighting abilities rivalled her own?

 

The only thing Kasta is sure of is that she no longer wants to kill. The intrigue surrounding the kidnapping offers her a way out – and little does she realise, when she takes it, that something insidious and dark lurks behind the mystery, something spreading from the shadowy figure of a one eyes king...

 

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world and a death-defying adventure that will captivate you and leave you wanting more.

REVIEW, Skin Tade

I’d worked my share of serial killer cases, but none of the killers had ever mailed me a human head. That was new.

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Skin Trade

Series: Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, book 17

Pub: 2009, Headline

Author: Laurell K. Hamilton

Cat: paranormal fiction

Format: paperback (mid); 594 pp w/ 78 chapters

Age Range: adult                                             

            Synopsis

My name is Anita Blake and my reputation has taken some hits. Not on the work front, where I have the highest kill count of all the legal vampire executioners in the country, but on the personal front. No one seems to trust a woman who sleeps with the monsters. Still, when a vampire searial killer sends me a head from Las Vegas, I know I have to warn Sin City’s local authorities what they’re dealing with.

Only it’s worse than I thought: several police officers and an executioner have been slain paranormal style. When I get to Las Vegas, I’m joined by three other federal marshals. Which is a good thing because I need all the back-up I can get when hunting a killer this powerful and dangerous.

POSTED #8

so here's what I got today (like just now)

Vampire Knight vol 10, Matsuri Hino

Black Lagoon 001, Rei Hiroe

Bites of Passion, edited by Cecilia Tan

Heaven Sent 2, Jet Mykles

Bought # (1/5)

Awaken at Dawn, C.C.Hunter
Royal House of Shadows, Gena showalter & Jill Monroe

Monthly read re-cap (april)

This is more for me then you, but why not come and see all that I have read, re-read/reviewed, for the month?!

                                     First Time read

 Her Vampire Husband, Michele Hauf

On a Dark Wing, Jordan Dane

Tempted by Blood, Laurie London

Just Surrender & long slow burn

The Shadow Wolf, Bonnie Vanak

Heaven Sent, Jet Mykles

Rough, Raw, and Ready, Lorelei James

Fat Vampire, Adam Rex

REVIEW, Vampire Beach 1&2

Seduction and supernatural....

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Bloodlust & Initiation

Series: Vampire Beach, omnibus 1 & 2

Pub:  2008, Red Fox (Random House)

     [Individually published, 2006]

Author: Alex Duval

Genre: paranormal romance

Format: paperback (mid); 435pp w/ 37 chapters

Age Range: YA

            Synopsis

Sienna’s dark hair was glossier than he’d ever seen it, her skin was clear and creamy, almost luminous, and her lips glowed a deep rose red that he didn’t think came from lipstick. She was stunning, spectacular, impossible beautiful! Jason realized he was staring. ‘What is it?’ he asked. ‘Sienna, you can tell me anything.’ and then Sienna smiled, slowly revealing a pair of very white, very sharp, and very real fangs.

Jason has just moved to Malibu – home to rich kids and fabulous parties. He’s flattered to be included – and very flattered by the interest of the stunning Sienna. But Sienna and her friends hide a dark secret...and Jason is risking his life by falling for her.

Challenge REVIEW, Darren Shan

The Oldest Book on the Shelf Challenge

Hosted by Hell & Purgatory Book Reviews

(now, Cosy Up Book Reviews)

It’s not a must and is all about reading this books you never got around to reading, in, like, forever and so....

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Cirque du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant

Series: the Saga of Darren Shan, omnibus, book 1, 2 & 3

Pub: 2003, Harper Collins (individually published 2000)

Author: Darren Shan

Genre: paranormal horror

Format: paperback (mid); 511pp

Age Range: YA

            Synopsis

DARREN SHAN

CIRQUE DU FREAK • THE VAMPIRE’S ASSISTANT • TUNNELS OF BLOOD

Darren Shan is an ordinary boy, until he and his best friend Steve visit the weird and bizarre Cirque Du Freak, where they come face to face with a creature of the night. Then Darren has to confront his deepest fears and sacrifice everything as he enters a darker world to become the vampire’s assistant....

Featuring the first three adventures in the internationally successful series The Saga of Darren Shan.

In Motion 2.8:1 (A Weeks Break)

Starting paragraph

Grabbing one of the towels that he’d hung up last time Jack had a shower, Jessie started in on the man. He needed to be dried and dressed before Jessie did something he’d regret.

Letting Live, first thing written