5 comments about Black Blood (Last Vampire, Book 2).

1. Follow the further adventures of Sita the oldest vampire on the planet.
   
   After breaking a promise and making her partner a vampire, Sita and Ray try to live a somewhat normal life. Until they hear of some murders in LA.
   
   It seems that someone is killing people an terrible ways. Dismamberment, limbs torn off, and in some cases even drained comepletly of blood. In otherwords the killer is making it look as if another vampire is loose on the world.
   
   Did Sita succeed in destroying her maker or is he alive and finding ways of making her pay?
   
   Is this some new sort of vampire? If so, from whence did it come?
   
   Can it be stopped before the world knows about vampires?
   
   To find out you will have to read this book.
   
   I especially liked...
   
   How the book explained they new vampire. Normaly the peson is a real creep, but with superpowers he is even more of a menace. Quite scary acually.
   
   When I finished reading this Book I wanted to...
   
   Everyone says that they read it again. Not me I went out dressed in black looking for vampire victims......J/K
   
   The author of this Book...
   
   Christopher Pike
   
   He has written a whole slew of teen thriller novels and this is one of his best ones.
   
   I recommend this Book because...
   
   It is packed full of action and vampires and a real cool way in which to make them.
   
   I loved the first book in the series. This may better then the 1st book if possible
   
   I don't recommend this Book because...
   
   There is nothing about this book that I do not recomend.
   
   Further Comments...
   
   The beginning starts with Sita stating that she is not afraid of blood. What she is afraid of is what it can do.



2. I relly do not like reading but this book got my attention because it is trilling I think it is thrilling besause the vampires are relly strong,fast, smart, and they can hear and see relly good beter the any thing.



3. Ray is adjusting to being a vampire. He is depressed about having to sever contact with his family and friends, and appalled at having to drink human blood. But Ray doesn't have too much time to figure things out. There has been a series of brutal murders in LA. Sita knows a vampire is responsible.
   Sita and Ray are going to LA to investigate and look for the one who is creating vampires. The First Vampire, Yaksha, is supposed to be dead. Even if he survived the explosion at Sita's home, he swore a vow to God not to create any more vampires, and to destroy all other vampires. Sita has not made any more. So who is making the vampires?
   
   A new character comes in: FBI agent Joel Gray. In charge of the murder investigation, he zeroes in on Alisa. Will she have to kill this well-meaning man if he gets to close to the truth?
   
   This story is a better read than the first one in the series. A lot more action for one thing, a compelling enemy, and less of Sita musing on what a hottie she is. Pikes writing is a little better. Still, Pike throws in gems like "I like horny men. I feel they are true to their nature." Riiiiight.



4. Absolutely love this book, and the entire "The Last Vampire" series in general. Following Sita's journey is an exciting and wonderful adventure, and this book is no exception. Sita is 5,000 years old and thought all vampires (aside from herself and her lover Ray) were gone, until a series of unusal murders force her to realize she was mistaken. She must meet this new foe, destroy him, and try to do so without destroying herself. A great (and quick) read.



5. This book is great. It's a nice sequel to #1, though it does become boring in some points.. There's small sub-stories that get told inside by the characters that dont really seem like they need to be there, but nonetheless, they add to the overall effectiveness of the plot.

   I read this whole book last night. I just couldn't put it down! It was about a 3 1/2 hour read without too many breaks.. I found it took me 4 chapters to realize i had to go to the restroom and to actually get up to go.

   The bad guy's mother is a bit off her rocker, being as old as she is.. Really sick minded, its no wonder that the boy turned out the way he was.

   Anyway, it was a good book and i just couldnt put it down. I reccommend this read to anyone who is a fan of Christopher Pike. :)

5 comments about Parasite Eve.

1. I was a bit surprised when I read this book as I watched the movie and played the games years before I got the chance to jump into this novel.
   
   The story is slightly slow in the beginning but once the pace is quicken there is no going back.



2. The writing method is good. The story has a lot of hospital related words. For me, the story is not so good. It's a little terrifying, but I think the story lacks on that emotion that makes the reader hooked in it.



3. Most of the action in this book takes place over the last few chapters. Sena spends a very long time explaining quite a bit of biology so at times it reads almost like a textbook or maybe lecture notes. Stick with it though because it gets very interesting once the plot starts moving.



4. That's the main reason I did not give this a 5/5 rating is due to it's slow start. However, once it gets going, it is a good book. If you aren't much of a romantic though, it's not really for you because it is somewhat of a romance/sci-fi novel. Quite a well thought out story if our Mitochondria could actually do that...



5. Having played the two "Parasite Eve" videogames, I was very happy to finally read the original novel upon which the games were based (the games are actually sequels to the book, taking place in the US and involving new characters). Hideaki Sena's debut novel is a strong science-fiction horror story, but it might not be for everyone.
   
   This is one horror novel that really gets under your skin, and the final third of the novel is filled with many graphic, scary moments. To put it one way, imagine if Dean Koontz and Michael Crichton decided to team up and write a book together.
   
   Sena's background in Pharmacology is evident here--the scientific jargon is at times overwhelming (even to me, and I have a biology degree!). This fact will turn off some readers. As to the complaint that the book is too gruesome--come on! Are we forgetting about Clive Barker's early stories/novels and the splatterpunk craze?
   
   If anything, PARASITE EVE's release in English is a welcome step into bringing over more Japanese literature to America, whether it is horror, science-fiction, or contemporary. It just seems appropriate since many American writers are translated into Japanese, but not vice-versa.
   
   I enjoyed PARASITE EVE. It's a different kind of horror story, and kudos to Vertical for bringing it to these shores.

5 comments about I Know What You Did Last Summer (Laurel-Leaf Books).

1. This book bears little resemblance to the slasher film that starred Sarah Michelle Gellar and Jennifer Love Hewitt in 1997. Four teenagers involved in a hit-and-run accident that killed a small boy find mysterious notes that imply that someone, somewhere knows about the accident and might expose their involvement (the four made a pact to keep quiet since there were presumably no witnesses). It's the characters' varied reactions to the notes that keeps the plot running; I figured out who it was before the end of the book, however.



2. I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan is about four people who have a secret about what they did the previous summer. Only one person knows what they did, and he could be anywhere and wants revenge. The four characters were out late one night driving and then the next thing they know, they hit someone. They refuse to report what they did because the driver would go to jail. The four of them have to face the threats of the secrets person. Who is now sending notes?
   
   This book is good in many different ways. One reason it's good is that it's in third person, so readers can see the different story from each person! Another reason it's good is because it's interesting and has a big twist in the end that readers won't guess. It is suspenseful because the person could be anywhere watching them; the reader never knows what's going to happen next. This is a great book to read!



3. I give "I Know What You Did Last Summer" 5 stars because of the good detail, suspense, and story line. Lois Duncan does an exellent job at explaining the difficulties and fears that Julie, Helen, Barry, and Ray faced after some one found out that it was them who hit a kid on a mountian road the summer before. She also does a wounderful job of adding supspense as the teens hurry to find out who knows before they all get hurt.



4. To start this off I Would like to say that i do not like to read and the only reason that I am writing this is that my teacher made me do a book report on it for an assignment. The story all starts off in the morning when Julie comes down from her room to eat breakfast and her mother tells her that she has a letter from a collage on the talble. She opens it to find out that she was accepted by the collage and will be going there after the summer is over. When she is done she goes up to her room and her mother tells her that she left a letter on the table. When she went down to get it she found that it was blank and had no return adress on it. When she opened the letter she found that it only contained one sentance in bold writing " I know what you did last summer." Then Julie gets togather with her friends: Ray Bronson, Barry Cox, and Helen Rivers. They tried to think of soomeone who would send Julie a letter like this. Then while Helen was out by the pool in her apartment she met a guy named Collingsworth Wilson (Collie). They talked for awhile and then she went up to her aparatment because she did not want to get burned by the sun. When she got to the door of her room there was a picture on it. It was a picture of a little boy on a bike. Then later the day Ray recived a newspaper clipping in the mail with no return adress like Julie's. Inside the envelope was a newspaper clipping. It was the Death Report on a boy named David Gregg, a 10 year old boy who they had killed last summer in a hit and run accident. David was riding his bike home from a friends house in the middle of the night because they had a fight and his mom would not come pick him up. Then while he was riding they came around a corner in their car and did not see in in front of the car because his bike had no lights or reflectors on it. They then hit him and sped down the road to a roadside booth to call the police to tell them what happened but did not give out thier names. Then why Barry was in his fraternity house he recived a phone call but did not know who it was from. The person on the phone told him to go out to the athletic field. There was a memorial day fireworks display going on and while everyone watched he got shot.



5. This book, in my opinion, is suberb. It's not in any way like the movie, besides the name, the note, and the four characters. In the movie, they hit a fisherman, meh, no biggy, he's old enough. But in the book, they hit a little boy, who had so much of his life left, that just makes the crime seem more sinister. In the movie, two of the teenagers die, and how? Basically the same as the rest of the victims in all the series, with a hook. Atleast in the book, even though no one died, they were hurt in different ways, strangled, shot, etc. Plus, the victims in the movie are almost all innocent, but in the book, the only victims are the ones who COMMITED the crime, not people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.
   
   Don't get me wrong, both were excellent. But as for people who complain there's no pictures, or that there isn't a gory scene... it's a BOOK. If you want a slasher, watch the movie. So, if you want a real page turner, buy this book! Maybe even read it a year after you and your three drunken friends kill a little boy on a bicycle? Happy Reading!

5 comments about The Midnight Club.

1. In a hospice for the terminally ill, five teenagers, who meet every night to tell each other scary stories, make a pact that the first of them to die must try to contact the others from beyond the grave.



2. I did not get this book at all. I found it rather self-indulgent of wannabe writers; maybe I am just too old and cynical to appreciate youthful passion. To be fair, it was an interesting concept, setting the characters in a hospice, and I'm sure Mr. Pike could have done a fine job expressing more feelings of sorrow at the brevity of life instead of lingering on the exciting-but-forgetful stories.



3. The back cover blurb of this book is actually pretty misleading. It says that this book is about a group of terminally ill teenagers who make a pact that the first of them to die will attempt to contact the others from beyond the grave. Based on this, and the fact that Pike is an established horror author, I assumed that this would be a book about homicidal ghosts or something equally lurid. However, this is definitely not the case. For a start, no one actually dies until page 140 (of 211) and even then they don't make beyond the grave contact until after page 200. This is definitely not a horror novel. What "The Midnight Club" is really about is teenagers trying to deal with their own mortality. Every night at midnight the aforementioned teens meet to tell each other stories and it is through these stories that the characters cope with their illness and with death.
   
   I am a big fan of Christopher Pike and have read almost 30 of his books. The main reason why I like them is because he doesn't talk down to his readers. Although his books are generally about teenagers (and presumably targeted at them), he speaks to them as though they are intelligent adults and I think that is why he is so successful. He is also a very good writer. This book, however, is not one of my favourites. A number of Pike's books feature subplots about past lives and alternative religions and after reading a couple of books with those sorts of plots, I already know all of Pike's ideas on the topic and I'm just not interested anymore. This is one such book. In my opinion, Pike is at his best when he is writing crime stories without supernatural elements. Although I thought many of the stories told by the characters in this book were good, I still think that he has written many better books than this one.



4. This book has been noted as being one of Pike's best, but I have to disagree. First of all, the back synopsis is completely misleading on what the story is actually about. Yes, there are 5 kids in a hospice who meet every night at Midnight to tell stories. Yes, they agree that when the first one dies they are to try and make contact. Thats about it. It also says that when the first person dies thats when their stories really begin and thats also true - however the first character doesn't die until 2/3 of the way into the book.
   
   The book is mainly about how your past lives tie in with your current life and also your next life. Its based around the stories that each character tells at their midnight meetings - most of these stories wouldn't fall into the horror category either, save a few tales. It was an ok story, just not what the publisher leads you to believe.
   
   Other issues I had were the long chapters. It made the book drag a bit for me, having all of the characters stories from their midnight meetings in one big chapter. You start to forget who told which story and what it was about by then end of the book.
   
   All in all, if you're interested in a story about past lives or meeting people from your past you should give this a read. Don't go into this thinking that its a thriller though!



5. Huge fan of Christopher Pike novels since I was about 11 years old. My fave from him is 'Remember Me'. I'm 26 now and recently decided to read this again because I don't think I ever finished it when I was younger. I'm glad I did. It's about a group of teens that are terminally ill and form a club in which they swap stories. This book includes a lot of "mini-stories" which are told by the characters themselves. Don't worry, they're not boring!! The mini-stories are actually very interesting, funny, and profound. This book has nothing SCARY about it what-so-ever. If you like the ideas of past lives, the after-life, God/Gods, spirituality, and SOULMATES*, you will like this book and maybe leak out a tear here and there. In general, I'd say it's a "deep" book. I would highly recommend this to any young adult, and maybe EVEN an adult because of the way Pike's imagination centers around questions anyone at any age wonders about - love, life and death. Not much sexual content at ALL so it'd be ok for a teen. Disregard one of the reviews below about it being really sexual. I have no idea WHAT they are talking about. Enjoy.

5 comments about Haunting Of Alaizabel Cray.

1. I guess the title was picked because it 'sounded cool' which does this book a bit of a disservice. It's really more of a 'possession' than a haunting. One thing I will not fault Wooding for is his imagination. He can create good spooky mood and some pretty freaky monsters.
   
   It took me a while to get into this one, to be honest. Thaniel's crush on Alaizabel seemed entirely forced to me, and he seems remarkably devoid of personality, despite all the backstory lavished upon him. And I got sick of Cathaline, though the mentor, being inept compared to our boy Thaniel.
   
   A few continuity errors: Thaniel is told in one scene after an injury he must avoid bright light. Literally the next chapter, what's he doing? Tossing around light bombs. I'd expected this to, you know, have some consequences--that he'd sacrificed part of his recovery to save other people. Nope. No ill effect. *head slap* And when Cathaline demands a tourniquet on an injured arm but is able to fire a pistol with it two scenes later...I mean maybe in Britain 'tourniquet' doesn't mean the same as it does here in the States, but...I was confused.
   
   And the bad guy's preaching sucked any life or tension out of the climax. Okay, end of the world is nigh, guns pointed in all directions, any minute now the Elder Gods gonna come and eat us, and...let's pause for a lesson on Chris Wooding's metaphysics/anti-Industrial Revolution screed, shall we?
   
   It's worth reading for a good spooky plot, and has a passing acquaintance (but no more than that) and flavor of Lovecraft, and the universe is very well rendered. I wish the characters had had some sort of sincere emotion as well, and their cartoonish lack of dimension demoted this from a 'love it' to a 'pretty good'.



2. My perspective for this review will be the interest this book holds for a dedicated Lovecraftian. I first heard about The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray in a post on a Cthulhu discussion board, where it was described as "mythos related." Funny, it has been around since 2001 as far as I can tell, and somehow I missed it. Maybe the tag `young adult' turned me off. At any rate, my curiosity was roused and I got a used copy for < $5.00, including shipping. Copyright was 2001, and my copy was by Scholastic Point, a decent trade MMPB from 2005. The cover photo depicted an out of focus London skyline, and was by Francosco Hidalgo. No wow factor for me. The interior art, however, had a mystical sigil or medallion that had a very Lovecraftian looking beasty before each major section of the book. Too bad they were all the same! I would have liked more; it was also unclear to me who did it.
   
   I think this was a really good book. In fact I don't think the YA label applies; it has broad appeal to horror fans. Maybe it should be YA so that very young teens and children won't see it. Maybe that's a good thing considering the violence and references to drug use and prostitutes. I read more graphic stuff, however, when I started delving into Howard and Lovecraft etc about age 12-13. Now the question that gets to be more problematic is, is it a `mythos' novel. I guess it is all a matter of semantics and frame of reference. Can anyone really say for certain? We all have our opinions. For me, an obvious Cthulhu mythos novel refers to or depends on in, in some important way to the story, some entity or alien, or occult/eldritch device/tome that has been used or is intended to be included in HPL's Yog Sothothery by the ever widening Lovecraft Circle. Just mentioning a name or two won't cut it for me. Just because A Darkness Inbred mentions the name of Nyarlathotep doesn't make it mythos, not when this entity was in no way important to the story except (in my opinion) as a marketing device. Michael Slade's (a pseudonym I know) Ghoul is about some psychos who were influenced by HPL's books and used some of his names for their band. Not a mythos novel (actually just a schlocky piece of crap). Otherwise we have to include King's Needful Things where one character sees some graffiti `Yog Sothoth Rules' and is very disturbed by it. In this sense, THOAC is not really a Cthulhu mythos novel. On the other hand, it may very well be thought of as Lovecraftian. That is, it uses plot devices and thematic elements near and dear to the Old Gent's heart, without using his critters or any tomes from the Eldritch Library. Perhaps the more literary minded among us would say THOAC was heavily influenced by HPL and his circle. I dunno; did HPL originate the idea of inimical things outside our dimension yearning to break through to ravage the earth, or was he just our favorite exponent of these concepts? Whatever, if you like fiction with a Lovecraftian bent, you should like this book.
   
   The setting of THOAC is London about the time when the ravages of the industrial age were just starting to be felt with pollution and toxic fog, about the time when Jack the Ripper stalked his victims (he doesn't make an appearance here, except in spirit...). I didn't do any web based research so I could be way off base; feel free to correct me. I guess around the time of the 1870 Franco Prussian War, England and Germany got into a dispute, and Germany sent airships, dirigibles, to bomb the city. England was forced to capitulate against the superior might of the Germans, and the center of the city was left a decaying ruin. Around this time London started to be infested by creatures out of nightmare, the wych-kin. Wooding's London is a grim and dirty place; the downtrodden would have been familiar to Dickens. That is, if Dickens' London had roving packs of wolves, blood sucking cradle robbers and ghouls. None of these wych-kin are mythos creatures exactly, although there are the Draug, the Drowned Folk. When the Draug approach all is dark. The air becomes as cold as the depths of the sea and stinks of salt; their steps are wet and sloppy, and sound liked webbed feet. Not a big stretch to compare to the Deep Ones! No one knows how the wych-kin originated, but with painful experience, a profession of sorts has emerged over the years: the wych hunters, people who chase these creatures into the Old Quarter where they lurk. Weapons include pistols, charms, wards, silver and chants. Wych hunters go loaded for bear because no one can tell what charm or ward might be best for a new sort of wych-kin. We meet Thaniel Fox, son of the greatest wych hunter London ever new, and his tutor, now partner, Cathaline Bennett. While stalking a cradle jack, Thaniel comes across and shelters a young woman, Alaizabel Cray. She turns out to have a tattoo she knew nothing about, a grotesque many tentacled thing (hmmm....image sound familiar?) we eventually learn is called the chackh'morg. Alaizabel is possessed by the spirit of an old wych, shades of Asenath Waite. In this setting, however, the wych did not transfer her spirit into Alaizabel, rather, a shadowy conspiracy known as The Fraternity effected the transfer by means of the tattoo and wychcraft. Unexpectedly, Alaizabel has somehow had the strength of character to resist. About the same time, London is being stalked by a serial killer who slices up his victims. He wears a tattered mask and a wig, and is known as Stitch-face. Detective Carver is heading the long standing investigation to track down Stitch-face and notices something. Stitch-face has a home range he never hunts outside of. Now there are even more extravagant murders being perpetrated around London. He is mapping them in his office and a pattern is starting to emerge, that of a many tentacled thing...It turns out, using a copycat technique to Stitch-face (who is not at all appreciative of having his work imitated), the Fraternity is performing some dire wychcraft. They want to open a portal into London. Our intrepid band, and a few others, are unable to prevent the completion of the murderous pattern of the chackh'morg and the first step of this summoning which releases a permanent twilight and a swarm of wych-kin upon a desperate city , but they may be able to forestall the opening of the gate. The latter half of the book details their harrowing attempt to do this. What follows is some more Lovecraftian imagery. In the Old Quarter, concealed somehow by wychcraft for years, the Fraternity has erected a cathedral of sorts, described as "it was part castle, part church, part temple; a thing beyond the power of all but the world's most insane architects to conceive." To me this echoes the geometry of R'lyeh, although the setting is not the South Pacific, and it appears to have been built by men (may I again urgently recommend perhaps the best modern mythos story, Final Draft by Annandale from Dead But Dreaming; my other contender is A Colder War by Stross). The Fraternity is inside; amidst the chaotic destruction in London they are attempting to allow their gods, the Glau Meska, to access our dimensions. It is not clear exactly what their reward is to be. Perhaps like Cthulhu cultists they will be eaten last? What are the Glau Meska is left deliberately nebulous but here is a vision one character has: "...vast loping things a kilometer high or more lumbered half-seen...;things that should not exist rose from the ocean and sent tidal waves to destroy man's cities; babies would be born with gills, their little digits webbed and atrocious." Now that is Lovecraftian imagery! I've put in enough spoilers so I will not mention how the book ends and what is resolved. One more thing, however, to show this is not so much mythos is that the origin of the wych-kin has more to do with Forbidden Planet than with extradimensional shambling.
   
   So is it Cthulhu mythos? I would say not, as there is no mention of any of specific Great Old Ones, and the wych-kin are more or less conventional, like non-Lovecraftian ghouls. Also their origin is distinctly not mythosish. There is no use of the Elder Sign, no consultation of specific eldritch tomes. Just my opinion! But is it Lovecraftian? You bet! This was a corking good read, with living and breathing characters, an fiendishly intricate plot, thrilling suspense and tautly written action scenes. Characterizations are deftly drawn (although the one caricature was the American wych-hunter...figures) I was thoroughly entertained and will seek out more works by Mr. Wooding. I think anyone who reads Lovecraftian fiction would really like this book.



3. 
   
   The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray
   Wooding, Chris
   Summary:
   Thaniel Fox, son of Jedriah Fox, London's great wych hunter, is a seventeen-year-old boy who also is a wych hunter. With his friend and mentor, Cathaline, Thaniel tracks down the horrifying creatures that lurk in the Old Quarter of London. This is where Thaniel, while on the hunt, finds a scared girl his age named Alaizabel Cray.
   Alaizabel is beautiful but an evil spirit that a secret brotherhood wants to free possesses her. Ms. Cray is a magnet that pulls evil to her and if the brotherhood has its way darkness will fall upon the entire world. Cathaline and Thaniel must discover the cause and drive back the foul creatures.
   This book is not for the faint hearted for it is full of dark suspense and a Gothic feel that is set in Victorian England with a chill that will steal away your heart and make you want to read more. It is not a bedtime story.
   Recommendation:
   I think the people who will like this book are mystery and horror lovers as well as teenagers.



4. I just didn't like this book very much. While it may have been a case of personal taste this book didn't seem very engaging or interesting. It was an interesting idea to begin with but the book seemed to drag on and on. It could have been a lot better than it was. I wouldn't recomend it.



5. If you enjoy the atmosphere and imagination of Philip Pullman, Garth Nix or Philip Reeve, then you're sure to like Chris Wooding; one of the handful of fantasy-authors who (by some miracle) does not feel the need to fill their fantasy worlds with elves, dwarfs, wizards, dragons and every other fantasy cliché that's been done to death since Tolkien published "The Lord of the Rings". As a lover of fantasy myself, I find the sheer lack of originality of many fantasy-authors and the resignation of readers to go on reading these books anyway a constant source of depression. The flimsy excuse of both authors and readers seems to be: "all fantasy is like that."
   
   Reader, it is not.
   
   Some authors are willing to explore new territory, and Wooding is one of these. "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray' is set in an indefinable time-period of London: it appears to be mid-19th century, but events are occurring that bear no resemblance whatsoever to our historical knowledge of the period. The city is haunted by creatures known as `wych-kin', a variety of monstrous and grotesque creatures that prey on the city's inhabitants. The only defence against such mysterious and deadly beings are the `wych-hunters', such as Thaniel Fox and his mentor Cathaline Bennett. They live turbulent, dangerous and (more often than not) *short* lives as they hunt down and destroy the wyches, driven by a desire to rid their city of the supernatural infection that is slowly eradicating the world.
   
   Thaniel is a seventeen year old wych-hunter, partnered to Cathaline since his father's death (who was also a hunter). Together the two scout London, finding new methods to destroy the wych-kin and keep the citizens safe, whilst remaining on the outskirts of society. It is on one such patrol of the city that Thaniel discovers an incoherent and dishevelled girl wandering about in her nightgown. Feverish and with no memory of how she came to be wandering the night-time streets, Thaniel takes her home in order to untangle the mystery. Who is this mysterious girl? What does the tattoo on her back signify? And does she have anything to do with the influx of wych-kin roaming the city? The intrigue and action doesn't let up for a single page as Wooding unravels the mystery, sustaining interest and excitement till the very last page.
   
   His best effort is in the creation of a detailed and intoxicating atmosphere, a fully-realised world filled with asylums, secret cults, upperclass neighbourhoods, beggar's communities, prostitutes, churches and parliament houses. London isn't just haunted by wych-kin, there are wolves that stalk the back-streets and the enigmatic psychopath Stitch-face who is yet to be captured by the authorities. The dark and dense atmosphere of the story will remain long after the book is finished. As dangerous and unwelcoming as it is, you can't help but be sucked into it. This alternative-London is just as much a character as Thaniel and Alaizabel themselves, and Chapter Twenty in particular is a remarkable example of how strong Wooding's creation is: for this one chapter the main protagonists are completely absent, and instead Wooding centres on the inhabitants of London and their terrifying ordeals against the wych-kin. It's creepy, imaginative and (most importantly) *original* stuff.
   
   Thaniel, Cathaline and Alaizabel are all likeable characters, though we never really get inside their heads. Though sympathetic, they are more like action-figures than three-dimension characters. However, if Wooding is short on characterisation, he more than makes up for it in action and ideas; setting, plot, pacing and atmosphere - it's all wonderfully *new* as opposed to another fantasy-rehash. Though not for the faint of heart (as it can get a little gruesome at times) "The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray" is a great read.

1 comments about Envy (Seven Deadly Sins).

1. Let me say how happy I am to be the first to review ENVY (I do so love being number 1)! Now let's get down to it.
   
   Robin Wasserman's Envy had some sizeable shoes to fill after the release of Lust in Mid September and many (including yours truly) did not expect this book to surpass it's predecessor. But, in fact, it does. Envy is by far better than Lust in that there is just as much action and even better exploration of who the characters are and how they came to be who they are.
   
   One basic flaw of Lust was that Miranda and Adam were immediately introduced as dear friends of Alpha Girl Harper, but then there was little interaction between the characters and Harper. There was little evidence supporting many of Wasserman's claims (such as Miranda being snarky, Adam and Harper being best friends, Harper being witchy and selfish) but in this book, Wasserman raises the bar by taking the focus off of sex (shocking for a teen book of this day and age) and creates a more personal analysis of personality and background, the former more so than the latter.
   
   Kane and Kaia, for example, were portrayed in Lust as the troublemakers. The manipulative, heartless schemers who just took what they wanted and to heck with everyone else. In the latest installment of the series, there are rare moments where Kaia recalls her childhood (being passed around like luggage by two uncaring parents) and readers glimpse Kane's conscience. Wasserman makes these moments memorable without overdoing it. She doesn't try to go too far too fast in "redeeming" these characters. She just makes them understood, if not immensely liked. Also notable are the interactions between Harper and Kaia and Harper and Adam. The Harper/Adam relationship becomes believable and natural and the moments between Kaia and Harper, two virtual enemies are pure fun. Kaia and Harper's scenes light up the page with their snide remarks and witty banter. They are so much alike, and it was hilarious to see them bond and become partners in crime. The author does a fabulous job of illustrating that while they are enemies, Harper and Kaia are the real soulmates in this book.
   
   By far the best part of Envy is the action packed last chapters. Unlike Lust, the book had a huge payoff and all the plotting and schemeing came to a head. Very few will be disappointed by the conclusion.
   
   However, as delightful as this book was, there were a few drawbacks. First off, Harper became a complete witch as she abandoned Miranda in her time of need and gave up her old loyalties to chase blindly after Adam. While Harper is so well-developed a character that readers will certainly forgive her, it is disappointing to watch her downard spiral into witchiness. Miranda also spiraled down into a whiny, whimpering brat that should be smacked in the face and forced to take responsibility for her own life. There were also too many Beth scenes (the series is written in third person, but the book is separated into segments told from the point of view of different characters) and she became a stereotype, a whimpy excuse for a character who could not stand up for herself and needed a man's support. She should take a few pointers from Kaia; enough is enough already. Beth is by far the most annoying character in the book and her selfish nature and constant ridicule of her boyfriend Adam makes it impossible to sympathize with her (and easy to root for Harper).
   
   Best parts of the book: Kane segments, Kaia and Harper's weird relationship, Kane and Harper's reference to The Incident, Harper and Adam.
   
   Worst parts of the book: Miranda not standing up for herself, Beth, Beth, Beth, and Beth.
   
   Is this series worhwhile? Absolutely. Seven Deadly Sins exceeds expectations and is destined to become a favorite among teen readers. These books are incredibly addictive, and a tad bit mature. Viewer discretion advised, but otherwise, enjoy!

5 comments about Everworld #11: Mystify The Magician.

1. This is book 11 in the Everworld series. I think I like this one the best so far. They've all been great though. This one starts out with Christopher in the mouth of a giant. He is able to escape with much struggle and is helped by a half elf/half human lady named Etain. They are taken to her town which is much like Ireland. Here they find that they have discovered primal forms of technology. Like electricity, cable cars, telegraphs, etc. Christopher soon falls in love with Etain. Everything crumbles when the giant (who is actually there to protect their island) is killed by a gun and Senna evades them. She brings many of her followers from the real world to Everworld armed with weapons and soon the war begins. Want to know how it ends... you have to read the book!



2. Ever world
   
   Ever world is by K.A. Applegate it is a exciting fanasty book that I recommend to kids 13 and up. It's a really good book with a lot of killing and gory in some parts in the book. The story opens when they are trapped inside ever world and they are trying to find there way out by finding where they have started from when they got there after they got sucked in Etain met a woman David and his friends are trying to get help from her they walk in this valley and they saw a dog so they ran and the dog is trying to attacked them and the woman falls off a cliff and breaks every bone in her body after that the soldiers are trying to kill them and Etain grabs the gun trying to kill the solider.
   
   My first character is Etain because he's tall,strong and skinny he is a magician and he has long hair. His personality traits are protective and by saving his friends by shooting a soilder his behavior is sometimes mean and a really good friend.My other character is David his feelings are a good friend and very strong his description is short,skinny and he has long hair his personality traits are he is a really good friend and his behavior is mean most of the time.
   
   
   I recommend this book as a really exciting book.
   
   Would they escape ever world?



3. this book is about some kids how get traped in a fantiy world. the main carter is christopher. this book is where some kids that think ther home but not and a magisen named mrlin is trying to cacht them. then chistopher falls in love whit a which and dos not want to leav her. and the climax is the where mrlin kills a gint.i like this book a lot.



4. I may have read this book...almost 3 years ago but i was looking through Amazon and I saw this book and I never put my own review for it any where...then i remembered how awsome this one was...it was like a wacky twist after another!

   AWSOME
   didnt like Sennas death though...but oh well




5. Fantastic. That the word that comes to mind. I had to read the last chapter twice before I got teary eyed. They should seriously consiter makeing a tv show out of this.

5 comments about The Watcher's Guide, Volume 3 (Buffy the Vampire Slayer).

1. The book itself was just like new. No dents or creases on the pages.



2. I am a HUGE Buffy fan and this will make an awesome addition to my collection. Great condition and quick shipping! Thanks!



3. Especially if you are writing about the series or something, and you want to know exactly when something happened or a reminder of some series of events, it really helps not to have to watch the whole season again. The essays were mediocre, but as a reference book - I'll probably have to order the other two too!



4. I must admit, I was never a Buffy fan until recently ( through syndication). So, I needed a quick reference to catch me up to speed as well as a episode guide/timeline to explain the ones I missed.
   I have to say, I was very pleased! It contained an episode
   guide for seasons 5-7 , quotes, and other little extras. Although it does not have alot of behind the scenes interviews as the previous two, it was still well worth the cash. I was very happy with it!
   And if you'd consider taking advice from a newbie, choose this over the unoffical editions!



5. I love this product. It condition was great and it got here faster then i thought

5 comments about Secret Admirer (Fear Street, No. 36).

1. This is one of the best Fear Street books I have read. The main story is Selene Goodrich becoming popular at Shadyside High because of her acting career. Everyone adores her, everyone supports her. Then Selena starts getting mysterious notes from "The Sun" who claims to be her secret admirer. Selena takes all this as joke but then, bad things start to happen. Alison, Selena's understudy is injured after a cabinet is thrown on her. Selena also gets a dead mouse in front of her house with another note from The Sun, a speeding car nearly kills her. Then, someone else is murdered. Selena knows the Sun is responsible but who is the Sun? Could it be Danny Morris, that guy who Selena just broke up with or could it be Eddy, the new guy in town? Or is it someone else?
   
   This book was a pageturner. In two hours, I was finished with this book. I was really surprised when Selena found out who the killer was. The book provided a good murder scene and the killer was also smart.



2. This was a great book. Yet... some stuff I expected [i knew who it was all along] that just may be because i'v read sooo many of his books. I highly recomened his seres 'The babysitter' one of his best.Hit and Run



3. The "Secret Admirer" has got to be one of the spine-chilling horror I have ever read. The story goes on when Selena is receiving presents from a stalker who is obessed with her. In the end she found out is the stalker and she never thought it was someone close to her.



4. Fear Street Secret Admirer is an awsome thriller. It's action packed, surprising, and it keeps me on the edge. It's my favorite book so far and I intend on reading other books by R.L.Stine. When I read this book I found it hard to put down and I hope you feel the same.



5. This is the one of the many books of the Fear Street series, and it's really good. Fear Street is a series about scary and/or supernatural events that happen to teenagers in a ficitional town called Shadyside. In this book, an attractive actress starts getting threats and terrible accidents and deaths are happening all around her. Who could be doing this? Her new college boyfreiend or her jealous ex? Someone else? This has a pretty good twist ending and gives a good taste of future books in the series.Pulitizer material it's not, but for young teens, or anyone wanting a quick thrilling read, this suits the bill just fine. It's one of the best books in the series!

5 comments about The Wrong Number (Fear Street, No. 5).

1. Deena has a new phone so she and her best friend use the phone to make prank phone calls. But Chuck finds out that Deena and Jade are making phone calls. He insists that they let him join or else he'll tell. So Deena and Jade let him join. Then Chuck calls a house on Fear Street and interrupts a murder. Deena, Jade and Chuck go to the address to help the woman screaming. But it's too late because the woman is already is dead. A masked man chases the three warning them to mind their own business. One day after, the police drag Chuck to jail, now that everyone at Shadyside knows that Deena, Jade and Chuck are the ones behind the prank phone calls. The police say that someone saw Deena, Jade and Chuck that night. It was Mr. Farberson. Deena and Jade know that Farberson is wrong so they decide to find out more about him. If you want to find out more, read this book.



2. This is the one of the many books of the Fear Street series, and it's really good. Fear Street is a series about scary and/or supernatural events that happen to teenagers in a ficitional town called Shadyside. In this book, best friends Jade and Deena and Deena's half brother Chuck get into ddep trouble making crank calls. The girls got caught by Chuck teasing boys at school, and he calls a random number on Fear Street and gets begged for help by a woman about to be murdered. The characters and plot are better than the average Stine book, and this book has a decent sequal. This has a pretty good twist ending and gives a good taste of future books in the series.Pulitizer material it's not, but for young teens, or anyone wanting a quick thrilling read, this suits the bill just fine.



3. I liked this book a lot because it made me want to keep on reading to find what happened next.
   The book was about three teenagers who were having fun with prank phone calls. Then Chuck called a number on Fear Street and they got involved with a murder. When the three teenagers Jade, Deena,and Chuck go over to Fear Street, they go to house number 884. They went to the back door and it looked like someone had trashed the place. When all three of them were inside, they saw a dead body on the floor. They also saw a man in a mask. When Jade, Deena, and Chuck talked to the police, they did not believe a single word that they said. The police think that Chuck is the killer because his finger prints were the only prints in the house and he has been in trouble with the police before.
   I would recommend this book to someone who likes to read mystery and horror books. I would recommend this book to someone who likes mystery books because you never know what is going to happen next and you are trying to find out who the killer is. I would also recommend this book to someone who likes to read horror books because someone dies.



4. The most important thing I remembered about this book "The Wrong Number," was that it was super interesting and intense! Someone else would definitely want to read this book because it stays very good throughout the whole story. It really keeps you interested and wanting to read more. Any one who is any age can relate to this book. Since, it is about two teenage girls, a boy might want to read the back of the book first.
   
   My favorite section of this book is when the two girls obviously make the wrong call. They have caller i.d., and then they track down the person that made the call. After that, the girls go down the Fear Street rode and hear screams coming from the caller's house. The two girls fear for their lives as they try to catch the murderer in action. I recommend this book immensely.



5. First off i love all fear street and R.L Stine books im not saying this was a horrible book......but most of the story was a little dull.....They get a phone call from some random lady and they over hear her getting killed.That was the best part of the whole book.But most of it is these 2 girls having problems with realationships.......and making calls to stupid ppl...like i said b4 this is a not a terrible book but i wouldnt recommend it.