Feast of Fools (Morganville Vampires, #4)

Author: Rachel Caine


Series: Morganville Vampires, #4


Pages: 242


Published: June 4, 2008


My Rating: * * * * *

In the college town of Morganville, vampires and humans have learned to live in relative peace. Still, students like Claire Danvers know that after dark, studying can take a back-seat to staying alive. But the tenuous good-neighbor policy is really turned on its head with the arrival of Mr. Bishop.


Bad to the bone, the ancient old-school vampire cares nothing about harmony. Staying at the top of the food chain is enough. What he wants from the town's living and dead is unthinkably sinister. It's only at a formal ball attended by vampires and their human dates that Claire realizes Bishop's plan--and the elaborately evil trap he's set for the warm-blooded souls of Morganville....

Opinions & Thoughts
Wow... Rachel Caine really blew me away this time. After beginning this book, everything was so fast-paced that I just couldn't put it down.  Luckily, it's not that big a book, or I would have been up all night.


First of all, Bishop's(what kind of a name is that?) arrival in Morganville upset the town. He was just like a hurricane. Surprisingly, even Amelie was tense. Every single moment, I was on the edge of my seat(actually, it was a bed), just waiting to see how things could become worse.


I still really like Shane, but he is beginning to feel like a shell. He is always worried about Claire, but he doesn't do anything(when he does do something, it's usually really stupid). Especially with the issue about Ysandre. But, since you can't do much in Morganville, with the vampires and all, I forgive him. At least he was really sweet when Claire was crying and having her jealous fit.


After all that has happened, Claire has really toughened up. I was clearly impressed, but ecstatic, when I saw her stand up to the bad vampires, and defend the good ones(semi-good actually, because vampires are never completely good). When I began the series, I was not expecting Claire to turn out like this. A nice surprise.


That's all I have to say for Feast of Fools. It was a change of pace, and so far, it's the best book of the series. Lucky for me, this is only the fourth book(I still have six to go, and I think Rachel Caine is still writing more), because I am not ready to leave this delightful, haunting story and the intriguing characters behind.


About the Author
In addition to the Morganville Vampire series, Rachel Caine is the author of the popular Weather Warden series which includes Ill Wind, Heat Stroke, Chill Factor, Windfall, Firestorm, and Thin Air.... Rachel and her husband, fantasy artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Texas with their iguanas, Popeye and Darwin; a mali uromastyx named (appropriately) O'Malley, and a leopard tortoise named Shelley(for the poet,of course).
Click here to visit Rachel Caine's website.
Click here to view her on myspace.

Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires, #3)

Author: Rachel Caine


Series: Morganville Vampires, #3


Pages: 245


Published: October 2, 2007


My Rating: ****


Click here for Rachel Caine's website.




Click Feast of Fools for the review of Morganville, book #4.




Summary
MORGANVILLE IS SUCH A NICE PLACE TO LIVE...
When Claire Danvers learned that her college town was run by vampires, she did what any intelligent, self-preserving freshman would do: She applied for a transfer and stocked up on garlic.  The tranfer is no longer an option, but that garlic may come in handy.
...AND DIE, IF YOU DON'T MIND THAT SORT OF THING.
Now Claire has pledged herself to Amelie, the most powerful vampire in town.  The protection her contract secures does little to reassure those closest to Claire.  All of a sudden, people are turning up dead, a stalker resurfaces from her past, and an ancient bloodsucker extends a chilling invitation for private lessons in his secluded home.  To what end, Claire will soon discover--and it will give a terrifying new meaning to night school.
Opinions & Thoughts
The pills that Claire took were mysterious and had pretty cool effects.  I wish they exsisted in real life, since they would definitely help out with school(but does it count as a drug?). Oh well.
I do have to say, I loved Myrning in this book.  Whenever Claire returned to his lair, I was eagerly anticipating Myrnin's next act of insanity(that and his humor).  In his own vampire way, Myrnin really cared about Claire, and I really had to respect him for all he did for her.
I was confused on how Claire became all buddy buddy with Monica and her cronies.  I mean, wasn't Claire thrown down the stairs by these very same girls.  After all they did to her, Claire even goes and gives one of them a tutoring session(who cares if she fails her class, doesn't she deserve it).  Anyways, make up your mind Claire. Do you hate the Monikettes or like them?
Well, Shane kind of rubbed my nerves the wrong way in this book.  One minute, he is this chivalarous guy who doesn't want to go the "whole" way with Claire(because of a promise he made to her parents), and the next he is beating up people.  But, even after all this, I stil love Shane!(and no one had better take him from me, or I will have to stab you with a stake in your sleep)
As for the vampires, for some reason, I really like Oliver(even though he is a bad guy). He is pretty entertaining and I love his jokes.  Amelie is tolerable(I like how she "pampers" Claire).
In some parts, I became so frustrated because the characters couldn't do anything and were so helpless.  Are humans really this weak?  No matter, Rachel Caine has me hooked on the plot, and I will certainly be reading the next book, just to find out what happens to the Glass House members(especially Shane).  The ending was very cryptic.(and a total cliffhanger)