"Blood Prophecy" by Alyxandra Harvey~The Drake Chronicles Continues!!

SUMMARY :

In the thrilling conclusion of the Drake Chronicles, love and loyalties will be tested ... and proven once and for all.
 
Solange Drake has been officially crowned Queen of the Vampires, fulfilling the centuries old prophecy that foretold the rise to power of a daughter born to an ancient vampire line. Except Solange's thoughts and actions are no longer her own—she's been slowly being possessed by the spirit of Viola, the first daughter born into the Drake line, since her bloodchange. And instead of uniting the vampire tribes under the rule of an ancient daughter as the prophecy predicted, Viola would rather destroy them all and enslave humans in a personal vendetta for the devastation both wrought to her life centuries ago. Can Solange break her hold in time to save everyone she loves from a vampire civil war, hunter attack, and each other? Not everyone will survive the prophecy . . . perhaps not even her.


PARTICULARS OF THE BOOK :

Published by:  Walker Children's
Pages:  496
Genre:  YA Fiction/Horror
Author:  Alyxandra Harvey
Purchase here:  Amazon



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

ALYXANDRA HARVEY is the author of The Drake Chronicles—Hearts at Stake, Blood Feud, Out for Blood, and Bleeding Hearts—as well as two stand-alone novels, Haunting Violet and Stolen Away.

Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

Among her favourite books are ‘The Wood Wife’ by Terri Windling, ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Bronte, and of course, ‘Pride and Prejudice’ by Jane Austen. Elizabeth Bennet is her hero because she’s smart and sassy, and Mr. Darcy is, well, yum.

Aside from the ghosts, she also lives with husband and their dogs. She likes cinnamon lattes, tattoos and books.

You can find her easily here:

www.alyxandraharvey.com

www.thedrakechronicles.com



THE BOOKISH DAME REVIEWS :

I became an instant fan of Ms Harvey's books when I ran into "Stolen Away" a couple of years ago.  I've had to back track to read about the Drake Chronicles and have loved every single word and story about them since then.  "Blood Prophecy" is just a continuation of the story...and I was greedy about it, frankly.

There's nothing new to add about my addiction to the series.  I find Alyxandra Harvey a queen of vampire writing and one who crosses the lines between YA and adult fiction very well.  Although for the most part her characters are teens and young adults, there are enough adult vampires intervening in their lives to keep things very interesting...especially in this book.

Ms Harvey has a very compelling imagination.  I love her work and would read just about anything she writes. 

I highly recommend this series.  It's not rocket science...but that makes it easy, good reading as far as I'm concerned.  You won't be sorry you've discovered her once you read one of her books.  This one is well worth the read. 

5 stars for a great vampire series           Deborah/TheBookishDame


 

"Once Upon A Time Reading Challenge" ~ My "Quest on Screen" Pledge!

Carl at http://www.stainlesssteeldroppings.com/ that is; Stainless Steel Droppings, is holding another Reading Challenge. This one called "Once Upon a Time" and having to do with fairy tales, fantasy, folklore and mythology! 


Go see Carl to find out all about it; although, the challenge (which I'm happy to say we don't have to call a "challenge") did start on March 21st, it runs until June 19th which gives us all plenty of time to participate.


I'm participating in this section:

Which means that I will watch one movie or tv program that fits into each of the 4 categories of fairy tale, fantasy, folklore and mythology.  I will then review them, and post a review and discussion on Carl's website, as well as here on A Bookish Libraria.

So far, I'm thinking I'll be watching and reviewing:

"A Midsummer Night's Dream"

"Harry Potter and the_______"

"Snow White" or  "Mirror, Mirror"

"Vampyre"

I'm not sure about those, there may be others or substitutions.  Obviously, I have no time to read another thing, although Carl is allowing for short story reads, and for simple fairy tale stories along with books in the 4 categories.  Which may not be impossible for me.

Such a fun reading time for the next 3 months, and I'm sure lots of enjoyable discussions and reviews!

Check out his blog every Sunday and Monday for what's going on in this "Once Upon A Time" venue!

Deborah/TheBookishDame

PS:  If you have any movie suggestions for me, would you please leave them in the comments?  I need help with this one!!

GIVEAWAY!! "Jane Austen:Blood Persuasion" by Janet Mullany ~ Loveable and Delectable!

Published by:  William Morrow/HarperCollins

Pages:  286

Genre:  Fiction/Paranormal

Visit Author:  http://www.janetmullany.com/ 

Find Janet also on Facebook and Twitter

Ms Mullany's Previous Novel

Prequel to "JA: Blood Persuasion"

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

Janet Mullany has generously offered to giveaway

 a copy of her book!

TO ENTER:

Leave your name and email in the comments,

and follow/friend me on the sidebar!

WINNER ANNOUNCED  Feb. 29th

Summary of "Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion"
It is 1810, and the Damned are out of favor—banished from polite society. Jane Austen’s old undead friends have become new neighbors, raising hell in her tranquil village just in time to interrupt Jane’s work on what will be her masterpiece. Suddenly Jane’s niece is flirting dangerously with vampires, and a formerly respectable spinster friend has discovered the forbidden joys of intimate congress with the Damned (and is borrowing Jane’s precious silk stockings for her assignations). Writing is simply impossible now, with murderous creatures prowling the village’s once-peaceful lanes. And with the return of her vampire characteristics, a civil war looming between factions of the Damned, and a former lover who intends to spend eternity blaming her for his broken heart, Jane is facing a very busy year indeed.


Meet the Author:

The author of Jane and the Damned, Janet Mullany was reared in England on a diet of Jane Austen and Georgette Heyer and now lives near Washington, D.C. She has worked as an archaeologist, waitress, draftsperson, radio announcer, performing arts administrator, proof-reader, and bookseller.

The Dame's Interview with Ms Mullany:
Hi, Janet, I'm so happy you've agreed to an interview!  I loved "Jane Austen: Blood Persuasion" and can't wait to find out more about you. It's always fun to pick an author's brain!  Have some questions for you...

Thanks so much for inviting me! Ask away …

1) First of all, please tell us a special something about what makes you "tick." When you aren’t writing, what are you doing?
I read. I think it’s the most important thing a writer can do when not writing. I usually have something I’m reading on my kindle on the commute to the day job and something else I’m reading at night before I go to sleep. I also like music, particularly opera and baroque music although I don’t go to nearly as many live performances as I’d like.

2) You chose a specific genre, a place and time to write about, what made you choose it?
Laziness. I thought I knew a lot about the Regency period, which in some respects I do, but for my Austen-vamp books I had to do a lot of research.

3) Please share with your readers where you like to write. Do you have a particular space or desk? What can you see from your desk? Do you have props you use to write from? What about special "charms?
I have an office that faces south west and gets a lot of light. It is also warm in the winter and cool in the summer—in other words, it’s the best room in the house! I share it only with the cat. I can see what’s going on outside in the street and there’s a large oak tree outside. I think the only item that qualifies as a prop or charm, other than the cat who inspires by sleeping, is my kitchen timer, which I use when I really have trouble getting going.
4) In your opinion, what makes a book a great one?  A book you can reread and find something new in every time. Like Austen!

5) Which author(s) most influenced your love of books from childhood? C.S. Lewis—as I grew older I recognized the Christian symbolism but it didn’t bother me particularly (see the next question), Kipling (ditto the jingoism, but he’s such a great wordsmith), Rosemary Sutcliff, Edith Nesbit. They’re all writers I’ve reread as an adult.

6) Read any good books in the past 6 months? "To End All Wars" by Adam Hochschild, which is about the first world war; "The Magician’s Book" by Laura Miller about C.S. Lewis, "The Mysterious Death of Miss Austen" by Lindsay Ashford, and a reread of "Sense & Sensibility."

7) Please share with us the underlying message of your book. What would you like your readers to take away after having read the book?
I’m very uncomfortable about fiction having messages. If a reader learns an important life lesson from my books I don’t even want to know because that would make me feel under some sort of moral obligation for future works. I’m writing mass market fiction and the goal is to entertain. I hope I’ve done that as well as leave readers fainting away from the beauty of my prose and urging their friends and family to buy a copy or two.

8) Were you able to keep your original title? What was it, if not?
My original title was "Charms of Flesh and Bone," a line from a poem Austen wrote, "Mock Panegyric on a Young Friend," addressed to her niece Anna, who is one of the characters in the book: Another world must be unfurled,
Another language known,
Ere tongue or sound can publish round
Her charms of flesh and bone.

Oh, that is so absolutely charming, Janet!  It fits so well with your book.  Perfect!

9) Is there a song or music in general that might best represent your book as a theme song?
Not really. I listened to quite a lot of opera and Bach while I was writing it, and I find choral music excellent for love scenes. Not quite sure why.  

I agree with you.  Something about Vampires and their gothic beauty is operatic.  I've often wondered if Bach were a vampire!  ;]
10) If you could write your book again, what would you change?
I would hate to have to write this book again! It was very hard to write. I think what I would do is spend more time in Chawton. There’s a lot of educated guesswork and peering at maps and I did visit Austen’s house and the Great House, but I should have spent a lot more time in the area.

11) What was the worst distraction you had to fight through while writing your book? My natural inclination to laziness and the siren call of the internet.

12) What did you feel or think when you held the first copy of your book in your hands?
I find once I have the book in my hands the emotional connection isn’t really there. It’s become a product. It’s nice to touch the cover and to flip through and recognize what you wrote: at the same time it’s really the point of no return. I do, however, get very excited about seeing my books in libraries.  

That's very interesting, Janet.  No one has said that about seeing their book in a library before!
13) Tell us a secret about your book we wouldn’t otherwise know, please!  I think it’s one of the sexiest books I’ve written. There’s very little explicit material but a lot of yearning and desire.  

I agree!  I didn't really understand that en sanglant when I first read that Jane experienced it in close connection with the "Damned" vampires. But, I soon got the full intention!  It's a very sexy addition to an Austenesque book!  :]
Thank you for bending to these busybody questions, Janet! It’s been a pleasure from my end of things!
Thank you for having me visit

.The Dame's Review:
Exceptionally good reading, this novel of Jane Austen, her sister, Cassandra; her feisty little niece, Anna; her mother and their close friend and housekeeper, Martha, is set in the sleepy little village of Chawton.  What shakes up an otherwise pleasant but routine existence for them is the new neighbors...renting Jane's brother's house.  A family of vampires including Jane's creator, Fitzwilliam/Fitzpatrick, the handsome vampire who became Jane's "maker" when the French and English were battling and the help of the "Damed," those recognized as vampires, was required to win against the forces of Napoleon.  Jane's worried about the safety of her family given the hunger and lack of morality of most of the vampires she knows!  It's the push-pull of these gorgeous creatures, their blood lust ways and their enticings of the innocents vs. Jane's eagerness to protect and not fall back into her own vampiric ways that makes this a wonderful read.  Not to mention Jane's love interests... :]

Janet Mullany's research is impeccable.  But, more than that, she writes with such believability.  Every scene is beautifully rendered; so much so that you can hear the china tea cups clink in Mrs. Austen's drawing room, and the see the crystal chandeliers gleam in the gothic ballroom of Fitzpatrick's house.  I felt like swooning myself as she describes the dazzling vampire men.  Who could resist them?  I have such a weakness for dark and mysterious, dangerous men...especially vampires!  Mullany knows how to create them, and she places them like gems in her Georgian vignettes.  I love Jane Austen, but dress her up with a struggle over three main, gorgeous vampires of the "Damned" and I'm there for the asking every time!

Anything Mullany writes should be a must read for those who love "mash ups" of Miss Austen.  In this case, the book is so entertaining, engrossing from the start, including a beloved cast of characters that all Janeites will be familiar with. It's not possible to be anything other than delighted to be reading "Jane Austen:  Blood Persuasion."    I loved it, and tried to read it in one sitting.  Would have accomplished that, if it hadn't been for a grandson who wanted to go swimming all day!

5 stars for this brilliantly vampirish Jane!

Drake Vampires Are Outstanding!~The Chronicles Continue in "Bleeding Hearts" by Alyxandra Harvey

Published by: Walker Books/Bloomsbury

Pages: 367

Genre: YA Fiction

Cover Rating: 

First impressions are the lush red lips of the beautiful woman on the cover and the handsome man in the dark background gripping her by the throat. Even without the title, we know this is a vampire novel.I love the size of the couple and the hands that show tenderness, not violence.

The cover colors are soft and engaging. The baroque tatooish detail on the sides is interesting and makes for a beautiful, lacey addition. This also gives the cover a softness that counteracts the title, "Bleeding Hearts," telling us that the bleeding isn't a harsh thing but might be something more based in love; i.e., "my heart bleeds for you."

The font of the book title and author's name hints that this isn't a novel set in baroque times, but is a modern setting.

Rated: A

Summary:

As vampires from all over the world descend on the Drake farm for the Blood Moon gathering, security is ramped up. Lucy has been temporarily banned, for her own safety—and to allow Solange some time to adjust to her new existence. But their enemies realize how much Lucy means to the family, and plan to abduct her to use her for leverage against the new royal family. Instead, Lucy’s cousin Christabel is kidnapped by mistake—and Connor Drake immediately heads off in pursuit, but isn’t in time to prevent Christabel’s infection by the Hel Blar. He can’t save her human life, but he can still try to save her new vampire life, and is willing to put his own life on the line for the girl he has grown to care so much about. Can he save Christabel, the Blood Moon, and his mother’s newly forged Vampire Alliance?

The Dame's Review:
This is another fabulous sequel following the Chronicles of the Drake Dynasty of Vampires. I couldn't be happier to have found this series, and I'm such an avid fan now, I don't know what I'll do until Alyxandra Harvey continues on to the next one! I understand it's called "Blood Moon" and will be released sometime in June 2012...not soon enough for me and her other fans, I'm sure.


These books are nothing short of addictive.  I know you've heard about vampire books adnauseam, but you haven't heard it from me, because I'm so selective. These books are such fun, such good stories, and such great characters that you'll eat them up like M&M's and you'll find yourself craving just one more like I'm doing now. I'm throwing all my chips in for the Drake Family and Friends, I have to say, new favs. Harvey is a better writer than Meyer. She casts her spell with a gorgeous group of vampires, feisty friends, intriguing foes, and lots of unusual background information to keep it lively. Gothic details are lush.


In "Bleeding Hearts" what I found most enjoyable, aside from all I mention above, was Alyxandra Harvey's extensive reference to poetry in conjunction with the action around her new character, Christabel. So dark and gothic to hear Keats, Shelley, Coleridge and others quoted by the bookish cousin who is swept up by a vampire war without her understanding at all of the dark forces in Violet Hill. It was simply to die for! And I so enjoyed Ms Harvey's exotic introduction of new forms of vampire spawn; as well as viral reactions to different vampire saliva. Gruesome! Utterly inventive work and well-written.


When I first took on the review of "Bleeding Hearts," I wasn't aware it was part of an extensive body of work. Once I discovered that, I bought the soft bound copy of Ms Harvey's previous Drake novels in this beautifully covered volume, which I highly recommend as well:

This covers the first stories of the family

and gives a Drake Family Tree that's ever so helpful in keeping

 the gorgeous 7 sons, and daughter, Solange, clear in one's mind.

Each of these books is fantastic reading.

"Ruling Passion" is a prequel volume but you really don't have to have read these books to understand "Bleeding Hearts." Each of the books can stand alone. By the way, at the end of "Bleeding Hearts" is a once only published story about the first meeting of the ruling family heads, Liam and Helena Drake called "Lost Girls." Which proves the books can be taken out of sequence and still work.

Alyxandra Harvey is the consummate storyteller.  She pays homage to vampires of lore, but most importantly, she's able to introduce new fantasy-lines and characters that make her stories meaty and absorbing. It's a rare treat to be involved in a book that is new and can hold my rapt attention in this genre after 40 years of reading about vampires! Particularly rare in these days of  "vampiritis."  I relished Harvey's style, her manner of telling a story that moved along at a rapid, never boring clip, and that was atmospheric and romantic in the right places.

I highly recommend "Bleeding Hearts" to all my readers who enjoy a well devised vampire story with some gutsy new twists and beautiful characters.  And, I recommend they purchase all the books in the series for their library because I guarantee it will be a blast to read them all over a long weekend!  Great characters, great fun, great imagination and great series!

Watch this fun trailer:

 

Wasn't this fun?


5 swirling, dark stars


TheBookishDame