Monday 14 May 2012

REVIEW, Vampire Beach 5&6


Seductive and supernatural....

    Prod dets
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...


            Thoughts
I actually struggled a great deal in reading this two books, I’m not fully sure why, maybe the lack of tension and forbiddenness that always surrounded Jason and Sienna, was it, maybe not? I can’t bothered analysing myself to figure it out.

High Stakes
Jason thinks he must have just about taken all the challenges that can be thrown at him and Sienna. For once, things seem perfect: great girlfriend, great friends and great place to live. Then Sienna's older sister, Paige turns up unexpectedly from college in Paris. Paige brings the usual Devereux charm with her. She is gorgeous, glam and sophisticated. When she suggests spending Spring Break in Las Vegas the Malibu crowd jump at the chance and Jason is overwhelmed by the money, clubs and champagne that flows 24 hours a day. But when Paige's old boyfriend - Mark Lessard - turns up, things suddenly get dangerous. Sienna's missing - being used as bait between Paige and Mark so a deal is made between them. Suddenly the stakes are very high...

This was a little baffling to me. Mostly because Sienna gets taken hostage by a vampire, and Jason has to be the one to save her, it’s like he can’t get it into his head that he just can’t even when they tell him that.
It really shows his ‘white knight’ syndrome in play.

It just....I don’t know, was kinda like the first book, but I did finish it, and even though it was more fun and had all the characters, even Zack, it didn’t really....
It just.....
Well, let’s say it was because I knew the characters and were so into their lives threw the last three books that I gave it the benefit of the doubt and read it all, even though it was a struggle.

This is what I remember from the first time I read it. This read...?
Hell, I skipped threw most, only reading the parts that I liked. Like when Adam ended up in a back alley poker game he couldn’t win and Jason and Zach had to go and help him out (Zach was the one that said he should go) and again when....hey, yeah, mostly all the parts that Adam had a huge play in, and if I describe the three of them I’ll ruin the whole storyline, and I don’t want to do that.

There was also, some very lovely, boy loves girl gush scenes that had even the characters in the book rolling their eyes.

Hunted
Jason Freeman is torn, wondering which natural wonder is more deserving of his attention - the awesome-looking Malibu surf, or Sienna Devereux, who lounges on the beach. He lives in Malibu, has a gorgeous girlfriend and some very cool friends - most of whom just happen to be vampires. The vampire cliques are settling in for a good summer. Jason is hoping that things will be calmer than they have been over the last few months. But their peace is shattered when evidence emerges that there's a vampire hunter in town. Friends are going missing and then reappearing with no real memory of what's happened to them. What's really going on?

Okay, so this is the end of the series and puts some piece together that needed closing, mostly this revolves around Jason’s aunt.

trying to get a little alone time with Sienna is seeming impossible for Jason and just when he thinks that will change a door bust open and a new problem energies, this one huge, Van Dyke has gone missing.
When they find him they learn of another vampire being held and they all work together to bring down a company that’s taking vampires and making super drugs from there DNA.
 
This book is intense and fast passed but leaves them all graduated and friends for life. It’s a great ending to the series. At least I felt it did well, wrapping up those few lose ends but leaving it in a way that...a life goes on, kinda thing. Like a reunion is in their future or something.
I really like that with ending of series, that it’s not the end, just the beginning, and yet, you don’t need any more, not really.

Series
Bloodlust, Initiation, Ritual, Legacy, [tb], [tb].
☼☼☼

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