G. DiCarlo

Pretty good. Picks up where Exodus left off, with the diminished and battered stragglers forcing their way through to the nearest human controlled fortress.

The vampire Aya gets most of the plot which is probably an improvement over the head-hopping from the previous episode - although we do jump to quite a few other characters it's always for only short interludes. Feeling the pull of her blood bond she leaves the vampire clan in which she'd found sanctuary and returns just in time to the humans she's come to think of as family, and they're equally as welcoming. However not all humans are as accepting and their reception at the Fortress is less welcoming, and a crushing disappointment after the months it's taken them to get there. The last of the Ranger led soldiers there see vampires and morphs alike as enemies by species, and are not inclined to accept individual differences. However even the fortress doesn't hold homogeneous views, and some of the researchers there are slowly learning some disquieting truths.

I'm really not a fan of jumping to the 'bad guy' characters for a few paragraphs to learn their plans without developing them as characters. Especially not for the morphs who don't seem to have characters or plans apart from the unexplained (still two books in) exceptions. Likewise the researchers in the Fortress although I'm sure going to be of importance in the third book, aren't given enough character development time for us to care about their actions. The internal politics of the fortress are important, but again not clearly defined, especially those who comprise of the Council, something we're only barely introduced to, but has a pivotal importance. The heavily foreshadowed and long-delayed union of Aya and Marcus is overly graphic for my taste, but I suppose some form of emphasis is required to establish how unusual their bond really is.

Mid trilogy (I hope! there's still a lto ot be explained!) novels can be difficult, but the pacing and revelations of this are well done and maintain the interest throughout. I finally understood most of the world-building that wasn't so clear in the first book, and expect the final novel to close out the different strands left open in this one, although it does end in a reasonable place.… (plus d'informations)

I didn’t know what to expect from this one. I suspected that it would be either a fun and quick little read or maybe some cringy vampire drama. My only experience involving anything with vampires was with Stephen King’s Salem’s Lot…

This is G. DiCarlo’s debut novel and it is also one of my favorite things; it’s one of those rare, not well-known gems that end up being one of your favorite reads of the year.

First of all, it’s so easy to read. Not because the writing is overly simple or anything, it’s just straight forward and flows and allows you to absorb it well.

The character development and the development of the relationships between characters was done very well. I was quickly invested in them.

At no point in this read was I bored. The dialogue and action and story were all really enjoyable.

It isn’t some epic or masterpiece, but it is one of my favorite reads this year because it’s my favorite type of read: A straight up and exciting adventure story full of danger, some laughs and characters you like and are rooting for.

I’ll keep it as simple as that. I had a good time reading it. I recommend you check it out for yourself and I am looking forward to part 2.… (plus d'informations)

I received a free copy of the e-book version of this book in exchange for a review. I did not receive any extra perks for doing so.

This one is a bit of a headscratcher for me. I don't mean this in a bad way, as though it was slightly stilted in the writing, and I could guess the progression in quite a few cases, I didn't regret spending the hours I did reading it. It's very much reads like a first novel, but at the same time the actual premise, the story, the characters more than make up for it. I'd personally think that it needed a bit more meat to the bones; a few more reads through and changes before it was published, but at the same time I will be reading the second book when it comes out.

I believe it's the entire idea surrounding these characters, the world that has been built around them that is the shining point of this book. While the main characters (Marcus, Aya, Cody, Clio, Emmanuel) are the most fleshed out, the few other characters (Maggie, Sloane, Zor, etc.) that narrate areas of the story aren't superfluous, and while they may not be as three-dimensional as the main characters, the reader understands why they are motivated to do what they do, say what they say. They are well rounded, and I would really like to have more chapters with them being the Main Voice.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy the idea of a more well-thought out, highly motivated story of vampires, hunters and humans. This is only the first in what will undoubtedly be a long series (I'm guessing at least a trilogy).

I will probably not buy a physical copy of this book, and the later ones, if I am being honest, but I would get it through Kindle.… (plus d'informations)

Although you might have thought that Vampire fiction had passed it's peak, new options are still being written and this slightly unusual debut novel is one of them. I hope the author receives enough encouragement to continue writing, because they have a great grasp of character voice, and a little more development in the world-building would make it a wonderful series. So far this is the only book, but it ends with a lot left unsaid.

Sadly the start is the rockiest part, we're introduced to several characters in quick succession in a world that needs a lot more explanation. There's flashbacks in time and cutaways to people we don't meet again. The world seems to be some form of dystopia where vampires have always existed, and humans have been forced into shelter, however manage to fight back effectively. It's not at all clear what the technology levels are - at one point we have pretty advanced science with genetic manipulation, and at the other pretty much everyone uses knives and swords rather than more advanced weaponry. Electricity is around, but not roads. There are references to the Great Vampire War, as if society had been proceeding as now, but then changed, however it's far from clear how long ago that might have been. However the book picks up five years after the extended prologue where humanity has made a great mistake. Geneticists thought they could aid the fighters by extracting the key vampire traits of speed and strength, and give them to the soldiers. Of course this went wrong and the cream of the crop turned into 'morphs' neither human nor vampire but violently aggressive against both. Later on these morphs appear to have lost any capabilities for speech and intelligence, but it's far from clear why this changed, nor why animals also became infected, or even why so many morphs exist when only limited numbers were ever injected. There's no expectation of vampires being creatures of the night either which is an odd departure from canon.

The story - as might be predicted from the title, involves a group of humans who survive a concerted morph attack, and attempt a crossing of a mountain range to the nearest known fortress. They consist of a mixed bunch of civilians, a couple of kids, and four members of the Rangers, trained in fighting, led by the brusque Marcus. He's had to deal with a lot of grief in his past, and he's not happy to be the most experienced person left, but does his best with the resources he can find. The first of which is when he encounters a lone vampire. Aya has survived for five years on her own after morphs destroyed her clan. She's not enamoured of humans (although it's not clear whether the vampire know that humans created the morphs) but Marcus manages to overcome her, and he realise she'd be a superb asset to the beleaguered group. The rest of hte story unfolds more or less as you expect with Aya slowing integrating with the humans and they coming to accept her for what she is. There are cameos from other characters some of the children and other guards as well as cutaways to the main fortress where deeper political machinations are taking place, however these don't add to the plot, and would perhaps be best reserved for the sequel.

It's well written with good characters and an intriguing premise, it just needs a little tightening up around the start and the world-building and it could be very good indeed.… (plus d'informations)