#!vampires

I was thrilled to see that there are sequels planned. This is one of those good things that it would be very, very difficult to get too much of.

Review: This is one of the first stories I read with a male pairing and it stuck with me for years. It’s about a bullheaded ‘diamond in the rough’ who caught the wrong eye. Through the story you can see how both characters develop and how their attitudes change.

Title: Blood On The Ice Author: Katriena Knights Format: Novel Published/Free: Published Length: 303 pages Status: Complete Rating: Mature Warnings: Not provided Link: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/blood-on-the-ice-5 Summary: The neutral zone is no place for a vampire. A right wing for the Chicago Blackhawks, all Travis Payne wants is to see his name on the Stanley Cup. He certainly doesn’t expect to be attacked by a vampire on the eve of the Finals. But when he wakes up in the Warm Room of the Cook County Morgue, he knows his life will never be the same. Review: Yeah, I know. I know. I. Know. In my defence, I read this on a dare, but it turned out to be so much better than I expected. First of all, abandon logic all ye who enter. Don’t ask why vampires would be playing hockey. Don’t ask what they get out of it. Don’t think about the physics. Just, don’t son. Instead, sit back and enjoy the hell out of the weird. In saying all that, the book spends a (pleasantly) surprising amount of time on Travis’ attempts to adjust to his new vampirism and the difficulties he faces. I found myself feel bad for the guy, especially when he tries to reconnect with his human friends and team. Another surprise, the romance is pretty slow build. I mean, you know who the LI is going to be, but there’s none of that rushed “love at first sight” thing, and protracted miscommunications are nowhere to be found here. Given this is a slash novel, there are only a handful of female characters but they’re all well written and treated with respect, which is just the cherry on top really. You don’t need to be a hockey fan to read this. Just know the very basics (three forwards, two defence, a goalie and they try to put a black plastic cylider in a goal) and that should be enough. I can’t recall anything that was egregiously awful. Maybe a bit of bloodplay, it’s not all that fluffy (although it does have a HFN ending), and there’s some POV switching? Basically, I enjoyed it and it’s perfect for when you’re in the mood for some crack about vampires on ice. (Original Post)

Title: Reifu Rising Author: Becca Abbott Format: Novel Published/Free: Published Length: 528 pages Status: Complete Rating: Ultra mature Warnings: Torture, slavery, rape (including romanticized rape in the beginning), violence, blood Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7186426-cethe Summary: Loki was an ilthiyan prince, one of the vampire race who existed uneasily with the humans on the planet of Gaia. In the middle of a hunt on human lands, he captured a spirited young human male. Sid was a thief and an outcast, and to be captured by a vampire seemed only the latest misfortune in a life defined by them. But Loki decided to keep Sid instead of kill him and that decision would thrust them both into a whirlwind of treachery, intrigue -- and love. Review: I tagged this both as fantasy and sci-fi, because this story is set in one of those borderline universes. I read it as completely sci-fi, with a race of aliens that resemble vampires. On the other hand they are pretty classical vampires (from the blood drinking to the sun aversion). The romance builds up quite slowly and some could find it less than convincing, considering how the two characters met and their circumstances. The "special bond" plot device is used to smooth over the process and make the "falling in love" believable. I really liked the story because it's complex, filled with action and set in a carefully constructed world - rich in history, geography and cultural detail. The secondary characters are always surprising and interesting and by the end I couldn't get enough (and managed to stay up almost all night because of the story). The warnings are to be taken into account - it's a pretty violent story. The protagonists are often hurt or end up hurting others, there is quite a lot of torture and rape and the humans are treated as slaves by the vampires. I wouldn't call it a slavefic, though. Sid is Loki's slave, but in the bedroom they don't enact D/s scenes and I don't recall any bondage. There is some violence in their lovemaking, but that's explained by the fact that it's also an opportunity for the vampire to feed. Recommending it to those of you who like manga (like Crimson Spell for instance) or sci-fi/fantasy with slash in it. (Original Post)

Title: The Ordinary Vampire Author: Rachel Lynn Format: Short story Published/Free: Free Length: 13k Status: Complete Rating: Mature Warnings: None Link: http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2195772/1/The_Ordinary_Vampire Summary: Jacob was just minding his own business when he was kidnapped and tied to a porch. Who knew that this little town could be so bizarre? Review: It's good for a few laughs, and the ending is sweet. (Original Post)

Title: The Council Author: hColleen Format: Short story Published/Free: Free Length: 7.5k Status: Complete Rating: Mature Warnings: Angst, dark, dub-con Link: http://aarinfantasy.com/forum/fiction/showentry.php?e=107848&catid=11 (Aarin Fantasy account required to view) Summary: Post-apocalyptic urban fantasy, vampires. Review: The world is broken, Mother Nature having turned treacherous, destroying entire countries and leaving the sky hung heavily with clouds that block out the sun and stars. In the aftermath of this decimation, what's left of the human race and all the creepy-crawlies of the until-then hidden underworld are forced to coexist under a new social order. And in a world where every person must do their duty to procreate and help the human race get back on its feet, Marcus finds himself an outcast. Labeled as a worthless waste of space for his impotence, Marcus lives the life of a pariah, but what happens when Marcus begins to notice a change in the choked sky and a lightening in the cloud cover? Should he warn the very Council that stripped away his dignity, or shall he let the people who scorn him rot at the cost of alienating and losing his own lover, the one person who gives his life meaning? One of the few stories that handle vampires well, and vampires aren't even that big of a factor in the plot. Marcus is human, the story is about his pain, his struggle and his life. Very beautiful, very sad, nicely written. Heck, I even cried a bit at the end. Good read, even if it does have a lame title and the author didn't bother writing a proper summary. (Original Post)

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