Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 453
Clary, Jace, and Simon are back and so are their friends…and their enemies. Now that Clary and Jace have found out that they are brother and sister things have gotten a lot more tense between them. Their attraction to each other hasn’t diminished but they are both trying as hard as they can to fight it.
As Clary tries to wake her mother from the magically induced coma she is in Jace wants absolutely nothing to do with her. When Valentine steals the Mortal Instruments the Shadowhunters suspect that Jace is helping his father but Clary doesn’t want to believe it. However, if Valentine is able to use the instruments they are all in danger. Will Clary and her friends be able to stop him from fulfilling his evil plan?
Although I liked City of Bones a little bit better, I still really enjoyed this book! Clary is such a great character and I was more than a little mad when it came out that Jace was her brother. But things still seem a little fishy with that and I can’t help but hope that it will be revealed later that they aren’t really related and they can get together! Definitely check this book out!
Author: Cassandra Clare
Pages: 485
Werewolves, faeries, vampires, demons and Shadowhunters…all of these things are new to Clary. She has been kept in the dark about what the world is really like until her mother is kidnapped. When that happens she finds herself immersed in things that she finds impossible to understand. When Clary is attacked by demons, Jace comes to her rescue, but he can’t figure out why demons would be interested in her.
As Clary, Jace, and the other Shadowhunters search for her mother and for an answer to Clary’s sudden ability to see all things demon and magical, they find themselves being put in constant danger. Will they be able to find Clary’s mother and figure out some confusing secrets?
City of Bones doesn’t revolve around vampires, but I still think it fits in with Vampire month. This book was different from anything I have ever read before and I LOVED it! Check this book out and look for the review of City of Ashes on Friday!
Author: Rachel Caine
Pages: 242
Morgansville isn’t your normal college town, mostly because it is full of vampires. To make things even more weird, the vampires and humans have figured out how to live pretty peacefully together. Of course, most of the humans don’t really know about the vampires. But when Mr. Bishop, an old-school vampire who everyone thought was dead, comes to town things could take a turn for the worse.
Bishop have plans for Morgansville, plans that can’t be good for its human residents. Claire seems to be more suspicious than others and she is determined to find away to go to the formal ball to honor Bishop. But will she only make things worse?
I read the first book in this series, Glass House, when it first came out and I loved it. I didn’t read the second two but I wasn’t really lost at all when reading this book. However, I would recommend reading all the books in the series in order. Keep on the look out for the review of the next book in this series, which will be posted closer to its release date!
Author: Rae Lindley
Pages: 184
The world is a very different place after a science/drug experiment gone bad creates vampire-type creatures known as Dracins. The last thing Raven remembers is getting attacked by one of these creatures, now, years later she comes to find the world had once been at war with Dracins against Humans. Now tho, the world is at “peace” and a company known as Tech Corporation is working on a mission to send humans and dracins to a new, cleaner world. However, what they claim to be doing and what they are actually doing are very different things and Raven finds herself working for the very people she should be fighting against.
Russell and Enos are also trying to survive and to stop Tech Corporation from destroying the Dracins. When the three of them team up together they may have a chance to do some good. But will they be able to survive?
This book doesn’t really focus on being a vampire or the life of a vampire. It is a fresh take which focuses more on how the humans see the Dracins and the attempts of some humans to destroy them. It was a really quick read and one that I would recommend!
By the Book was given the opportunity to interview author Rae Lindley (who happens to share my love of the book Brave New World) and this is what she had to say!!
1. Where does your motivation to write come from?
Oh! A lot of different places. 
Sometimes I see a movie, tv show or hear a news story and my mind starts running through a lists of ‘what if’ scenarios. Or I speculate how a certain person would react to different situations thrown their way. The scenario usually leads to an idea for the story. When I start it, I’m not entirely sure where it’ll lead me but once I do start it’s like a great ride as I learn more about my characters and the worlds they inhabit.
2. What do you enjoy most about writing?
I love the creative process when the scenes come together in my mind and I can see the characters interacting and talking in front of me. It’s like I’m a movie director/cinematographer recording the actors in a scene. Sometimes it comes out shifty because I’m just focused on getting the story down but after it’s all laid out, the story is much easier to mold when I refine it during rewrites.
3. If you could describe your writing style in one word, what would it be?
Escalating.
4. Who is your favorite author?
Hmm, that’s a hard one. I don’t really have one author as a fave. I usually categorize them in different genres because they offer a satisfactory read depending on my mood. They would include Aldous Huxley, Vivi Anna, Zinnia Hope, Teresa D’Amario, Sandra Kitt, Giselle Carmichael.
5. When did you realize you wanted to become a writer?
I’m not sure if there was a defining moment (or my memory fails me *laughs*) but I always remember writing. Whether I was in elementary school to high school, I was always penning stories based on ideas I’d get from seeing movies or reading plays. I always felt good doing it and I especially got a kick when I passed my stories on to my peers to see how they reacted to it.
6. How many books are planned for the Cimmerian Series?
Originally there were a few books, I can’t remember if it was five or six, but it’s shrunk a little because of how the story has panned out with the second book in the series. After writing it, I knew that it would take another book or two to finish the full arc so in the end it would probably pan out to four books total at most.
7. Are any of the characters in Cimmerian City modeled after you?
I would say the three leads have a little bit of me in them. I always joke that Raven is sorta of my alter ego as she’s much bolder than I am but I had so much fun writing her story due to her progression from hot headed college girl to flawed heroine..
8. How long did it take you to write Cimmerian City?
Five years, no lie! *laughs* It wasn’t the first book I wrote, but it was the first I released which makes it pretty special to me. I remember in English class of my senior year when the story hit me. We were studying my now favorite book Brave New World. I didn’t quite have the whole story then but I did have an idea: what if vampires could roam the Earth anytime, day or night, because the sun was continuously blocked out by a thick cloudy atmosphere of pollution (like Blade Runner)? And from there, as I became a better storyteller, learned the mechanics and how to effectively tell a story, the book unfolded into the world of Cimmerian City.
*Interview questions by Meagan Anderson and Lanee Quintero
Author: Amanda Marrone
Pages: 204
Jordan life used to be full of parties and drunken hook-ups, but now she doesn’t even leave her room after dark. Hurrying home from school everyday, she dreads the setting of the sun because it means only one thing: Michael. Michael, Jordan’s ex-boyfriend, slept with half the girls in school before apparently killing himself. Or did he? Although everyone else thinks Michael is dead, Jordan knows that he has somehow become undead and now he wants her.
Jordan can’t seem to understand why Michael wants her but she is afraid that he is going to wear her down. You see, Michael only wants one simple thing: To be invited in. But Jordan feels a fear that she can’t quite explain and so far she keeps resisting him. But will she cave soon?
Uninvited is different from the traditional vampire stories and thats what makes it so good! This book is a great vampire book to read because it is so different from the rest that I have read! I definitely suggest it!
Author: Kimberly Pauley
Pages:290+
Mina thought that her life sucked before but now things have gotten even worse. Her parents are both vampires but she is entirely human. But possibly not for long. When it comes out that she knows what her parents really are she is forced to choose between becoming a vampire or staying human. As if things weren’t hard enough, she has to squeeze in Vampire classes into her already hectic high school schedule and make the decision about becoming a vampire by the time the classes are over.
Choosing immortality should be simple, however doing so means that Mina has to leave her best friend Serena and never see her again. But if she chooses to remain human she will probably never see her family again. How will Mina deal with the biggest decision of her life?
Sucks to be Me is an entertaining read that mixes humor and the trials of becoming a vampire. Its not my favorite vampire read, but if you want to devour all things vampire you should add it to your list!
Author: Claudia Gray
Pages: 327
Bianca has no desire to start the school year. Not only is she a new student at Evernight Academy a prestigious boarding school where she doesn’t seem to fit it but her parents were just offered teaching positions there. The morning before she starts classes she tries to run away and thats when things begin to get better. Its then that she meets Lucas, a boy who also seems to be on the outside.
Bianca seems to be drawn to Lucas, but that attraction may not be the best thing for either of them. As things at Evernight begin to change, it appears that the school may be hiding a secret, a secret that Bianca shares but Lucas can’t find out about. To make things even worse, it turns out that Lucas is hiding a secret that is just as dangerous! The two soon find themselves caught in a battle between vampires and vampire hunters!
I LOVE VAMPIRES! Okay, maybe that is a little strange, but I find myself being drawn to vampire books and I have yet to be disappointed by any that I have read! With her first novel, Claudia Gray makes a huge splash in the vampire world and if you pick up this book you definitely won’t be disappointed! I know that I for one can’t wait for Claudia Gray’s next novel!
By The Book Reviews recently had the pleasure to interview Evernight’s amazing author and here is what she had to say!
1. Your book Evernight deals with the recent phenomenon of vampires. What made you decide to tackle this subject? How do you feel your story or your particular vampires differ from others in the genre?
At the time I came up with the idea, I really didn’t understand just how huge/popular the vampire genre really was — if I had, I’d probably have been incredibly intimidated, so I’m glad I didn’t know. I’d always been fascinated with vampires and other spooky and scary things: ghosts, witches, you name it. When I started coming up with the story, I began with the idea of the strangest school I could imagine, and the vampires entered rather naturally from there. How is EVERNIGHT different from the rest? I think the mission and purpose of Evernight Academy is fairly unique, and it’s given a structure to the series that I hope stands out from the pack.
2. The sequel to Evernight is Stargazer, which will be out in March of 2009. Are there any plans to write any more after this? If so, how many will there be?
Yes, there will be four books in the Evernight series. I’ve already written the third book, HOURGLASS, which should come out near the end of ‘09. I’ll write the fourth book this winter, and I’m not sure of its title or release date yet.
3. Claudia Gray is a pseudonym in the tradition of Mark Twain aka Samuel Clemens. Did you always want to use a fake name? How did you come up with this particular one and what were some of the old ideas?
I always liked the idea of using a pseudonym, since I was a small child; the idea of writing under another name just appealled to me, for whatever reason, so I was happy to do that myself. This one comes from “I, Claudius,” which is among my favorite books and my favorite miniseries; I had it in the DVD player while I was coming up with my psuedonym, and so Claudia sprang from that. Originally I had chosen “Claudia Lake,” but I did some googling and discovered that this was the name of the president of the Vampire Lestat fan club. What are the odds? Gray was chosen because it had a similar sound and length to Lake.
4. You made a soundtrack for Evernight, which can be found on your website. Are these just songs you listened too when writing or do you feel they really do represent the novel?
In most cases, both! I always make a soundtrack to listen to while I work. The ones I post on my website are partial soundtracks — the full ones I listen to are much longer and include a lot of movie-score music for mood and theme. So I only post the songs that I feel would be most appealling to my readers and that really meant something to me in the context of the story.
5. Just like many authors these days, you too have a blog. Do you feel it’s an important part of being an author? What made you decide to start one? Do you have any favorite blogs?
I love blogging. I’ve kept a blog just for my friends for years now; to me it feels like a very natural form of communication. I don’t post every day or talk a whole lot about my writing process — there are people who do that so much better than I could that I don’t see the point. I use mine just to let everybody know what I’m up to. As for my favorite blogs, a lot of them are also favorites of my characters and can be found on my website’s Links page. And hey, if you know Cynthia Leitch Smith, you can’t go far wrong. Speaking of whom –
6. You have a story included in the anthology Immortal alongside other authors such as Cynthia Leitich Smith and Richelle Mead. How were you approached about this project? Do you feel the story you included is helpful for those reading your series or simply a standalone?
The publisher contacted my agent, who told me about it, and we agreed that this was a great project and that I definitely wanted to get on board. IMMORTAL was intended to have a dark, scary but romantic feel, and knowing that, I realized very soon that I wanted to tell a story about Patrice. She is a fairly minor character in the Evernight series, but I knew she had a fascinating backstory, even if it wouldn’t come into play in the books. This anthology seemed like the perfect place to tell her story. This is primarily a stand-alone, but I think understanding what happened to Patrice, and why she is the way she is, sheds a lot of light on her behavior in EVERNIGHT.
7. Did you have any say in the covers for your novels? What are your personal thoughts about them?
No say whatsoever! And it’s best that way, because when I first saw the cover for EVERNIGHT, I was very unsure about it. I loved the typeface but was uneasy about the rest. Now I realize it’s a tremendous cover — I get a lot of compliments on it and plenty of e-mail from readers who say they see the book in the store and just have to pick it up. So obviously my opinion in such matters is suspect. I will trust in the judgment of the art department from now on — clearly they know best!
8. If you could write about any other supernatural creature, what would it be and why?
I’m working on a proposal about witchcraft right now, so here’s hoping.
*Interview questions written by Meagan Anderson and Lauren Becker.
Author: P.C Cast & Kristin Cast
Pages: 330 +
Zoey Redbird is back again but things are a lot different then they were before. She has gone from having 3 boyfriends, to none and all of her friends have turned on her. Surprisingly, her only friend at The House of Night is Aphrodite, who has strangely become unmarked. When strange things start to happen at the House of Night, Zoey and Aphrodite have to convince her former friends to help them stop what is happening.
When Neferet tries to declare war on humans Zoey knows that something is not right but there seems to be very little that she can do about it. But with the help of her friends, her grandmother, and a friendly nun they just might be able to survive what Neferet has planned for them.
I have loved every single book in the House of Night series! Untamed is a perfect edition to the series and I think that it is a book that anyone would love! You should definitely check out this book and the entire series!
BY: Melissa De La Cruz
Pages: 304
Schuyler Van Allen is determined to find an explanation behind the strange death of young vampires. Vampires who aren’t supposed to be able to die. As Schuyler searches to prove that a Silver Blood is behind the attacks she comes up against constant obstacles. During a trip to Italy to find her grandfather, the only person who can help her, Schuyler faces one of her biggest obstacles.
Lawrence, her grandfather, has no desire to help her in her quest to prove the existence of a Silver Blood and to get rid of it. So, she leaves and decides that she will have to do it on her own. Luckily, Lawrence changes his mind and shows up in New York, determined to train and help Schuyler. As they search to discover who in their midst is a Silver Blood, it turns out it may be Mimi Force, who has set out to destroy Schuyler. And in the end, Schuyler is the only one who can clear Mimi’s name and prove her innocence. But will she?
My Opinion: The first two books in the Blue Bloods series were great and they are bound to get even better! I can’t wait for the next book in the series, Revelations, due out in October!