Birth of a Killer by Darren Shan

title: Birth of a Killer

written by: Darren Shan

series: The saga of Larten Crepsley #1

genre: young adult, historical, fantasy
page count: 261

publication date: October 5th, 2010

my rating: 3/5 stars

Before Cirque Du Freak...
Before the war with the vampaneze...
Before he was a vampire.
Larten Crepsley was a boy.
As a child laborer many centuries ago, Larten Crepsley did his job well and without complaint, until the day the foreman killed his brother as an example to the other children.
In that moment, young Larten flies into a rage that the foreman wouldn't survive. Forced on the run, he sleeps in crypts and eats cobwebs to get by. And when a vampire named Seba offers him protection and training as a vampire's assistant, Larten takes it.
This is his story. 

Before reading this book, I read the entire 'saga of Darren Shan'. This series is a prequel to that series. I liked the saga of Darren Shan, but it wasn't one of my favorite series of all time. Still, I read all 12 (!) books, and I enjoyed them. Then I found out about this prequel series, that spotlighted Larten Crepsley, a character that has always fascinated me, and I just had to read it. So I did. And I liked it :)

As the story begins, Larten is just a normal poor factory worker in the 18th century (not sure about the exact time). He doesn't know anything about vampires, or his own future, while I, as a reader, did. That's what I enjoy most about prequel series, I sort of know what's going to happen. I like to 'predict the future' in books.

What I also liked about this series was that I already knew a lot about the main character before I opened the book. This way it was easier for me to 'jump into' the story, as I did not have to get to know all new characters. I also really liked to see back some of the characters that always fascinated me in the saga of Darran Shan. Some background information is always welcome :)

The plot of this book wasn't very surprising. My brains weren't overprocessing information, neither were they doing nothing. It was historical fiction, which I usually enjoy, although I tend to prefer contemporary fiction or dystopia. As the story proceeded, it was easy to predict exactely what was going to happen, which of course also was because the book was a prequel. Altogether this book wasn't the best of Darren Shan's works, but it definitely wasn't the best of them!

Shan's writing style is very easy and uncomplicated. I can read it 100 pages/hour in English, which is very quick for me. And since I read this book in Dutch, I finished it in under 2 hours. (Dutch is easier to read for me). But I am not sure if I like books to be such quick reads. Fat books sometimes scare me, so I tend to read thinner books, but not this thin... Anyways, this is a novel that hovers in between middle grade and young adult, in my opinion. Just like the first 3 Harry Potter books. It didn't bother me though.

I would recommend this books to people who have already read the saga of Darren Shan, or to anyone who is doubting whether or not to start reading it. Also, I would recommend this book to children aged 8-12 who are looking for a quick read full of action. I give this book 3 stars!

Love,

Mar

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

title: Vampire Academy
written by: Richelle Mead
series: Vampire Academy #1
genres: Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
page count: 332
publication date: August 16th, 2007
publisher: Razorbill

St. Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger...


Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

Oh my, I had heard so much about Vampire Academy. Everyone had read it and loved it. Still I was worrying, what if I didn't like it? What if I found it to be too much like Twilight or House of Night. And it was another vampire book. Still, when I entered the book store and found some very cheap copies of the first 3 installments in this series, I couldn't resist buying them. So here I am, reading Vampire Academy, and falling in love with this series. Yes, I fell for it. I fell hard.


The one thing I loved most about this book was Rose. Rose Hathaway is the most kick-butt character I have ever encountered while reading. Even more kick-butt than Katniss. And Katniss won the Hunger Games! Rose is the best protector ever. Hard from the outside, and caring from the inside. And I still am not sure which side of her I like best. Probably the kick-butt side of her :)


Secondly, all other characters were so amazing! Lissa, the Moroi princess and Rose's best friend, can be arrogant, but most of the times she is nice and herself. Her royality hasn't turned her into a royal bitch! Then there were all the other royal people, and they were royal bitches. All of them! And of course there was Dimitri *fangirl alert* Oh my gosh. Dimitri seems like the perfect boyfriend. Hot, good fighter, nice to girls, all of it. I just kept on forgetting that he was 7 years older than Rose, and that they shouldn't be together because they should.


The plot of Vampire Academy was interesting and full of suspence. First I had a hard time figuring out what exactely Moroi, Strigoi and Dhampirs were, but with my awesome reading skills (ahem) and Greek skills (yes, I have been taught some Ancient Greek) I quickly got it. No single use of vampire in this book -except the title- is a pro. I have read too much Vampire books, and they don't interest me anymore. More zombies please?


I can't really discuss the writing style with you because I read this book in Dutch (I should have read it in English, I know)


Altogether Vampire Academy is a great Young Adult novel all teen girls will like (even I liked it!), and I will definitely read the next books in this series.


I rate this book 4/5


Love, Mar

House of Night: The Graphic Novel #1

book: House of Night (Graphic Novel)
author: P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast, Kent Dalian, Joëlle Jones
series: House of Night Graphic Novels #1
pages: 132
genres: vampires, young adult, mythology
publication date: November 9th, 2011
publisher: Dark Horse comics

Until recently, Zoey Redbird was an average high-school student worrying about grades, boys, and breakouts. But priorities have a way of changing when you are Marked as a vampyre, enroll in the vampyre academy House of Night, and have to figure out a whole new social hierarchy, affinities for elemental magic, and physiological changes that make you crave blood.

I started reading this graphic novel with high expectations. Not because it was House of Night, but because it was a graphic novel and I LOVE graphic novels. Maybe I would have liked it better without those high expectations, because this graphic novel wasn't what I expected it to be.

This graphic novel's cover looks pretty attractive, but the inside drawings aren't as beautiful as I expected them to be according to the cover. It might, of course, just be me who has too high expectations, or just my own preferences, but for me it just didn't have the WOW-factor. 

The story told in this novel has nothing much to do with the actual series. It took place between the first and the second novel of the actual series. You get to know how Zoey came up with her ideas about how to rule the Dark Daughters. The story is divided into 5 parts, Earth, Water, Air, Fire and Spirit. All of them have a lesson bound to them, about some type of ancient mythology. For instance, there was one about Circe, a Witch from ancient Greek Mythology, and one about Herakles, aka Hercules, a hero from ancient Greece. *not all were Greek, but just to give 2 examples* That was my favourite part about the story, the myths. What I didn't like about it is that the myths were vampyre-ified. Nobody should mess with my myths!

A good kick-off for a graphic novel series, and I will check out the next one, but not the best graphic novel I have ever read.

I give this graphic novel 2.5 stars.

xo Mar

A review copy was provided by the press and Netgalley, in exchange for a honest review. I was not given anything in reward for a positive review, I have just given my honest opinion on this book.

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

book: The Immortal Rules
written by: Julie Kagawa
series? Blood of Eden #1
genre: dystopian, young adult, paranormal romance
pages: 485
publication date: April 24th, 2012
publisher: Harlequin Teen
source: ARC from Netgalley


first thoughts:
First of all I want to thank Harlequin Teen and Netgalley for giving me to oppotunity to read this book in exchange for a honest review. I devoured it! I had never read any of Julie Kagawa's books before, but this book made me realise that I seriously needed to start this series! Beautiful cover!

the book:
In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.
Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.


Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.


Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.


Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.


But it isn't easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

my review:

This book was definitely worth the anticipation! I couldn't really find anything I completely disliked in this book. Great characters, great plot, great writing style, beautiful cover. Oh, now I know what I didn't like. The wait for the next book... Cliffhanger alert!

Allie is a new YA heroine. She kicks butt and is a hot vampire chick. Amazing, right? She has to become the thing she despises most, or die. And her choice to become somthing she hates shows that she's a fighter, she won't give up. Also, it shows that she is a survivor. Allie is a great role model, smart, great sense of humor, very human -even though that's impossible for her- and no fear of what's coming. The other characters were amazing, too. They're looking for Eden, the 'holy' city where you can live without the vamps, and are very religious. They believe in a world without vampires, a better world. I loved Zeke, even though some of his actions really pissed me off...But everyone makes mistakes, right?

The plot with had many interesting turns to keep it a nice and anything-but-boring read, even though it was almost 500 pages. The dystopian world displayed in this is horrifying. A world ruled by vampires, and with  crazy zombie-like monsters with vampire powers lurking around every corner of the abandoned streets, trying to grab you and eat you? No thanks! Then I'd prefer to live in a world like we live in now! I start to see a pattern in all YA distopia I read, Lots of horrible futures in which the way of living seems to be returning to the way the people lived around 1700-1900. Lack of technology, lack of food and a huge gap between the rich and the poor. Not that I don't like it, just that I always thought dystopia should be great, and amazing, so that people want to live in the future, or invent the future. *I was a few years younger and many books earlier when I thought that way*

Vampires get a whole new image in this book. They are displayed as kings, rulers of the world, but also as nice people, who don't like to drink blood, but just have to do that in order to survive. These new vampires were very interesting, altough they didn't win it from Stoker's dracula. No vampire can win it from Dracula.

A wonderful new series filled with action, romance, hard decisions and blood-red tears, with a new heroine that every reader will love. 

rating:

5 stars - highly recommended!

xo Mar

The Vampire diaries the Awakening and the Struggle by L.J. Smith

book: The Awakening and the Struggle
written by: L.J. Smith
series? The Vampire diaries #1 & #2
genres: paranormal romance, young adult
pages: 492
publication date: July 26th, 2007
publisher: HarperTeen


first thoughts:
I loved the TV series *watching season 3 now* and I had been thinking about picking this book up for a long time, so when I walked into the library and I saw it on their shelves, I just couldn't leave it there. So I borrowed it. And I read it :) *wasn't that obvious*

the book:
Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants.


Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past.


Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her.

my review:

Well, first of all, after seeing the TV series this was very confusing. The books were nothing like the TV series, but I think that was a good thing. Otherwise I'd already know what was going to happen and stuff, and now it was all one big surprise. Great!

The characters are great here, even though they are the usual love triangle. 

The standard recipe for a love triangle:

1) take a beautiful girl that can't choose between boy a) and boy b)

2) take 2 boys ( a and b) that both love the girl. One should be sweet and kind, and kind of boring. The other one, however, should be a total bad boy from the outside, who's actually sweet from the inside, but never shows. 

3) now add a lot of drama and awkwardness, and your love triangle is complete!

The love triangle in this book was very much like that, but I honestly didn't care. The amazing thing about the vampire diaries is that it includes vampires, witches and all other kinds of things, but still is easy to read and easy to process for your brains.
The first and second book both were equally great, IMO. I couldn't stop reading this.
I can't review part 2 properly without spoiling part 1, so I won't do that :s
Well, I prefered part 2 over part 1, which is very strange, because most of the times I don't like sequels at all, but this one was good, mainly because Damon was in it <3 *sigh*
The girl *Elena* was a little bit whiny at some parts of the book, but not annoyingly whiny, if you get what I mean. The love triangle in this book was not boring. It wasn't a triangle, actually, more like a 2 hot boys 1 hot girl book. Most of the times those books are just not my thing, but these ones definitely were!
After reading this, I watched a new episode of the Vampire Diaries, and I immediately saw things I had never seen, because of the new info the book had given to me. So that was awesometastic, because I love the tv show :)


A must for every The Vampire Diaries fan, and definitely not boring when you've already watched the series!


rating: 4.5 stars


xo Mar