Review: "The Morganville Vampires" Series Books 11-12

You know how in my last review, I said I refused to buy these in hardbound? Yeah, that didn't last lol. I did check out the 12th one from the library though...but that doesn't really help me much, because I'm going to want it eventually. I read these two books about a month ago and I really want to get the last 3 so I can finish the series. It has been really great so far and I would highly recommend it. Check out my review of the first 8 here! Also, there is a new web series for Morganville! Watch the first episode here. And of course, this post has spoilers up thru the first 10 books.

Last Breath: Morganville Vampires #11 by Rachel Caine
4 out of 5 stars

These books continue the multiple view points, which can be a little irritating at times, but good too. We don't just get Claire and Shane this time though, but also Amelie, Eve, & Michael. The story picks up with Eve & Michael planning their wedding, against the wishes of...everybody. Literally. They're doing the best they can, but of course things go bad. And then they go really bad.

Claire keeps seeing a strange new person around town that no one else sees and when she has a run-in with him, it gets ugly. There's a new Big Bad in town and even Amelie is scared. I can't really say much more about this book without spoiling it. Except that it rains, a lot, in the desert.

I can't believe she killed Claire. But I can't believe it even more that she just brought her back, with no trouble or vampirism or anything. I didn't even really take it in that she was dead, until that chapter with Shane. Oh man, my heart broke with him when he's sitting there on Claire's bedroom floor, ready to end it all. And Myrnin. Poor, sweet, crazy Myrnin loved her. And nearly sacrificed himself for her.

*end spoilers*

Black Dawn: Morganville Vampires #12 by Rachel Caine
4 out of 5 stars

The fight against the draug is going strong and hard in this one. This book almost felt like an ending. And in a lot of ways, it was. Most of the vampires are skipping town as fast as they can and leaving the humans to fend for themselves. The Founder is nearly dead from her injuries at the end of the last book and that means Oliver is in charge. Scary thought.

There is a lot of them running around in the rain and avoiding big puddles in this one. There are casualties and declarations of love and another heartbreaking moment with Shane. Why is it always that sarcastic, hard-headed Shane that has the most gut-wrenching moments? *spoiler: highlight* When he freaks out because he doesn't know their daughter's name? I cried. It was awful.*/end spoiler*

I want these kids to have some happiness, eventually. Can we just have a few chapters in the next book where everything is okay and kind of normal? Maybe Claire can go to class again? They can have chili dogs and play some video games. That would be nice, right? Or maybe even make it out of Morganville? I really need to get the next book.

Review: "The Morganville Vampires" Series Books 9-10

So I finally gave in and picked up the next 2 individual books in the Morganville Vampire series, because I couldn't wait for the omnibus' any longer lol. And I guess I'll go ahead and keep buying them like this now, but I refuse to buy them in hard-bound! Yeah. This is going to be a review of books 9 & 10, so if you haven't read the first 8, I suggest you stop here and go read my review linked up above. :)

Ghost Town: Morganville Vampires #9 by Rachel Caine
4 out of 5 stars

I really, really liked this one. I'd venture a guess that it was my favorite, so far. Even though the majority of it was pretty heartbreaking, I felt like it was the best written. The suspense starts right from the beginning when Claire gets into serious trouble with Amelie, the head-honcho, and is given a severe punishment: fix the town's computer system within a certain time period or else. Meaning she is stuck with Myrnin, the sanity-challenged, vampire-bunny-slipper-wearing, steampunk-loving vampire who doesn't quite understand why he can't bite whomever he pleases.

Oh, I love Myrnin. He is so unhinged, you never know what's going to happen. There is a rumor/theory/wish that I've read in many people's reviews that Myrnin and Claire are going to eventually get together. I just...I don't know how I feel about that. I love Shane & Claire together so much and Myrnin is oooolllddd lol. I know he's supposed to be very young looking and pretty dang hot, but I can't picture it.

Okay, anyway. Claire manages to fix the machine, but she doesn't realize that Myrnin has made a few "tweaks" until odd things start happening around town. Michael lashes out at her unexpectedly, people forget where they've been working and living for the last few years, that cow Monica suddenly thinks she's dating Shane because she did in high school. Turns out Myrnin's "tweaks" actually erased people's (including vampires) memories for the last 3 years. Which, you know, could be bad.

Bite Club: Morganville Vampires #10 by Rachel Caine
3 out of 5 stars

First things first: is that supposed to be Shane on the cover???!?? Um, no. That is not my Shane. At all. Yes, I feel very strongly about this lol. All right, this one wasn't nearly as good as the last for me. It just felt off somehow. Why can't these kids get a break every now and then? Oh right, then the books would be boring.

There's a new gym in Morganville and everyone is abuzz, because it's being run by vamps...to teach humans how to kick butt. Shane, especially, is like "heck yeah!" Dude has some major anger issues, which I get, but this is not the way to unleash them. Maybe try a little therapy next time.

This book is the first to have mini-chapters from Shane's point of view (which I guess is why he's on the cover?) and at first I thought that would be great, but after a while it gets old. Total angst-ridden, huge amounts of anger towards just about everyone, including Claire, Michael, and Eve, dark, dark thoughts that no one should be able to see. I'm starting to wonder if Claire and Shane will get their Happily Ever After. :(

There are some good things in this one though: Myrnin driving like a blind geriatric on crack with the cops on his tail, Oliver and Amelie's relationship growing to almost "like", highlight for spoiler re: Eve & Michael: getting married! Like Amelie is actually going to let that happen, but it's so cute to see Eve so happy for once! /spoiler, Claire getting some news about her future, Myrnin protecting Claire and her friends, all the bits with Myrnin really lol. I do <3 him. And now I really want to go get the next one. Arg, when's payday??

Review: "The Morganville Vampires" Series Books 1-8

The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine
Series Books 1-8; Omnibus Volumes 1-4
4 out of 5 stars averaged!

Another series review! :) I really enjoyed these books, more so than House of Night and The Immortals. I read these in the volumes or omnibus' instead of the individual books, which I liked because I got 2 in 1 and they were still cheaper than most books! I picked the first one up at Walmart, unsurprisingly, because my sister liked the cover and said I should read it. For someone who doesn't read a lot and definitely doesn't read supernatural/paranormal books, she sure picks out some good ones! :)

I have 2 mini-rants before I start the reviewing though: 1. I'm assuming at least one of the girls on the covers is supposed to be the main character, Claire. Does she look 16 on any of these covers? No. So annoying. 2. Because I got the first 4 in the omnibus, I obviously want the rest like that too. So now I have to wait until the newer books are released in that version. Or until I can't stand the waiting anymore. Arg! Okay, on we go.

In the first volume we meet Claire Danvers, a 16 year old prodigy, who's parents won't let her go off to a big, fancy school but instead ship her off to a small community-type college a few hours away. Did I mention this book is set in Texas? So cool. Did I mention that I'm in Texas? Now you know. :) Morganville is a small town in the middle of nowhere with a big secret: most of its residents are vampires. And not the pretty, sparkly, I-totally-won't-kill-you-because-I-love-you-but-I-might-snap-one-day-when-I-have-a-moment-of-pure-happiness kind. Hah. These guys are bad. They drink blood. Some of them are certified insane (I <3 Myrnin). They keep humans as pets. Unfortunately for Claire, this was not in the brochure next to which biology class to take.

So besides Claire and the vampires, who else do we have? Well, there's Monica Morell and her cohorts, who are pure evil, only in an I-have-a-pulse way. They beat the crap out of Claire when she gets on their bad side and cause her to flee the dorms in search of a new place to live.

Then there's Michael Glass, who is an 18 year old, wise beyond his years, musician who has a big secret. He owns the house that Claire ends up running to and while he doesn't want some 16 year old kid staying with him, of course, he can see she needs some help.

And we also have Eve, another 18 year old, goth, punk chick with an attitude on the outside, but sweet and gooey on the inside. (Like a Payday haha!) She's one of Michael's roomies and works at a coffee shop, for a hippie vampire named Oliver.

And then there's Shane. *swoon* Also 18, also Michael's roomie, slacker, moody type. I kept picturing Shawn Hunter from Boy Meets World lol. He's got a serious past like the rest of them (the rest of the town really) and it comes back to haunt him.

The last one I'll talk about is Amelie, who is the big bad vampire in charge. She's way old, way prim & proper and way interested in Claire. As in her brain. As in if she could cut her brain out and stick it in a robot, she would. (And still might, I don't know since I haven't finished the series lol)

I don't want to write much more so I don't spoil it, but I highly recommend these books. They're fun, scary and exciting. There is some romance too; it's not just all Grr Arg. ;)