Book Title: Here Be Sexist Vampires (The Deep In Your Veins Series)
Author: Suzanne Wright
Genre: Sci-Fi/Paranormal/ADULT
I was nicely surprised by this book, and I now will concede there are a million and one ways to write about vampires and werewolves and all other things preternatural, and not write about the same thing twice. Unless, of course you're talking about what essentially MAKES them a vampire, the consumption of blood.
Suzanne Wright has written us a world where there are three breeds of vampire. Each vampire is "born" with a "gift" or preternatural ability. Some of these "gifts" are breed specific. There are some very, very rare "gifts" that happen so infrequently people are simply astounded by them and are willing to do anything to have control over the vampire who has such "gifts", if control is possible.
The breeds ; Pagori, are the strongest in physicality and they're gifts as well as the breed are considered Superior in the order of things. They are, however, prone to strong blood lust that can, at times, be uncontrolable. Keja are the second strongest in physicality and are the basis for where the belief that vampires can "glamor" someone with their looks come from, as they are quite ethereal and beautiful. They too suffer from having a rather strong blood lust, yet not as strong as the Pagori. Then we have the Svente, who are regarded as the weakest, not as "pretty" and they aren't even blessed with fangs. The things they have in their corner are that they are the most agile and they have the most controllable blood lust.
The story begins with a young Svente Vampire, both in human and vampire years. Her sire is abusive, going as far as having her watch him kill small children if she does not do what he wants her to, including being his consort. He's cruel and vindictive, he has her guarded day and night and users her to fight while he gambles on her, knowing she will win. She inherited the "gift" of being a "feeder" when he turned her. This means, she can at will take the energy from the Earth or from those around her and bend them to her whim. This is usually a Pagori gift, a very, VERY rare gift, and most who have it, die from it because they cannot control the amount of energy they wield. Samantha "Sam", can control it without difficulty, and because of the way she was turned, the way her sire uses her and the way she chooses to deal with life as a fighter, rather than a victim, she's learned to control what she can, which is her "gift", and she learned that quickly.
As she's coming home from the market one day, she smells a vampire she doesn't know in her house. Yet her sire's guards don't seem to have a problem with whoever it is, so she doesn't say anything. She then meets Sebastian, a Master Vampire, and personal assistant to the Grand High Vampire and Leader of all things Vampire, Antonio. He offers her the chance to try-out to join Antiono's elite Legion, his "Personal Army", who not only serve to protect Antonio, but does his bidding as well, when someone breaks the rules/laws. Sam explains that her sire would never let her go, and Sebastian explains that he's watched her for some time, and that if she were to make it into the Legion, her sire would have nothing to say about it because Antonio "trumps" her sire. She figures, what harm could it do, and she'll be back before her sire even knows it.
The try outs include several Pagori and Keja males, at which time she's told that there are NO females in the Legion let alone SVENTE! The commanders include three people Jared is the one charge and he puts her down and tries to talk her out of trying out, as do the other men who are also trying out. She continues on, persistent to show them not to take her lightly. The fighter in her is coming out. She's strong willed and knows her agility out performs the breeds. She's very smart and her unique ability as a "feeder" will help her. Then she smells blood. Lots of different kinds of blood. She has no problem smelling them and controlling her blood lust, but the Pagori's eyes are glowing, their fangs are distending. The Keja's are a little better. Some vampires are falling already. The second test is speed. She's not the fastest, but she passes the second test, with flying colors. The third test is to use their powers in a duel. This is where they find, she's a "feeder". She's SURE she's made it to the Legion. When she finds Jared and the other commanders have not accepted her. She gets angry and tries to leave, when Antonio calls her to him and she is appointed as Co-Commander to Jared's new Legion. There is a war coming and he thinks with her special abilities the new trainees need to use their powers quicker and better, before all hell breaks loose.
And thus begins the relationship and the saying "here be sexist vampires"!
The story is compelling and I found myself smiling, laughing, and really liking all but a couple people. I liked the book so much I finished and bought the second book in the series and finished that right away. I loved the gullibility of the characters, and the way each play off each other. I loved the genuine character flaws, the way the feelings of "gifts" being used, and the way this particular world of the vampire was imagined.
Also, the writer of the story is from the UK, and Sam is written as being from the UK whereas others in the book are written as being from other places, like California. I adored the fact that Sam is written as a British Character and Jared, being a Californian didn't use the same colloquialisms that Sam did, though there were a couple places where, being a California Native myself, I can tell the writing was off a little, for the most part, Suzanne did a wonderful job! Everyone has the correct use of language for their ethnicity and for the part of the world they come from, be it the UK, the US, Greece, etc. It was nice to have someone write a book with that in mind. I also enjoyed and learned a few bits of UK slang, I didn't know before! LOL
I truly look forward to more books in this series.
4.5 bookmarks out of 5
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