She-Geeks discussion

Is anyone else here a fan of Barbara Hambly's vampire series? I think it appeals to me because the vampires, no matter how much they bond with a human friend, remain predators. She never glosses over that. They kill humans because they HAVE to. Nevertheless she makes several of them deeply appealing as characters. That means you have to really think, "Why am I rooting for a mass murderer in this book? Why??" Do you like her vampire archetypes, or do you prefer the new 'toothless' versions that are so popular nowadays?

I was stuck with Ann Rice's Louis and Lestat until I discovered Joleene Naylor's Amaranthine series.
I'm not a fan of vampires and I've read only a manwha version of Twilight (which was more than enough for me, LOL), but I like her series.
I haven't tried any other author, but I guess her vampires are like the ones you mention - not "toothless" or "sparkling" like the popular ones...

Yeah, I am not vampire-centric either (I read this series because I AM a huge fan of Barbara Hambly), but if I do read about them I want old-skool scary vampires not angst-ridden Byronic romancers. Well, except for Angel. I confess I am all up in that.

I'll give Joleen Nayor's series a look. Thanks!

When I was younger I read the Anita Blake books by Laurel K. Hamilton. The vampires in those books are pretty much the basic version of vampires I expect. Seductive and regal, but deceptive and deadly. I don't know if I'd recommend them though, it starts turning into erotic fanfiction in the later books.

It's been so long since I've read that series but I loved them. I love her work

Samantha wrote: "When I was younger I read the Anita Blake books by Laurel K. Hamilton. The vampires in those books are pretty much the basic version of vampires I expect. Seductive and regal, but deceptive and dea..."

I have stopped reading the Anita Blake series because it became more sex than plot ... but then turned around and started reading the Meredith Gentry series even though the plot of that one is 95% backdrop for sex. I have NO idea why that series enthralls me.

Cornerofmadness wrote: "It's been so long since I've read that series but I loved them. I love her work"

I am always amazed how Hambly gets her characters out of the corner/holes she writes them into.

I do too. I watch her blog with the hopes of her returning to some of her early vampire stories

Thanks to Twilight, I haven't picked up a new vampire book since high school. I've stuck to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes for fear of finding more sparkles. /shudder

I'd recommend Amelia's books for anyone who likes YA vampire fiction. No sex scenes getting in the way of story there, lol. I haven't picked up her newest three books but I will now that this thread has reminded me there's vampires I like!

Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld Series has some wonderful
Vamps with bite, Vampires: The Recent Undead anthology has a surprising amount of fun and well written vamps, and Covenant of the Vampire series puts a wicked twist of the Dracula family tree and their ties to the Van Helsings.

There are some good ones out their, my current favorite though has to be Kate Locke's "God Save the Queen". It is a hilarious steampunk/vamp/gothy piece that takes place in the current year but an alternated history were Victoria is still reigning over an empire where the sun never sets.

Cornerofmadness wrote: "I do too. I watch her blog with the hopes of her returning to some of her early vampire stories"

She is apparently working on another vampire book. Have you read Magistrates of Hell? It was excellent!

Ashleigh wrote: "Thanks to Twilight, I haven't picked up a new vampire book since high school. I've stuck to Amelia Atwater-Rhodes for fear of finding more sparkles. /shudder

I'd recommend Amelia's books for anyon..."

When the Twilight craze hit it felt as though it had pulled the fangs from Vampires everywhere, but there are a few left with more chomp than sparkle.

Jessica wrote: "Yasmine Galenorn's Otherworld Series has some wonderful
Vamps with bite, Vampires: The Recent Undead anthology has a surprising amount of fun and well written vamps, and Covenant of the Vampire se..."

Ohhhh ... that sound like a good one. And I've read enough history to find Victoria scary in and of herself :0)

She is apparently working on another vampire book. Have you read Magistrate..."

I'm not sure that I have read that. Thanks. I'll look it up

i used to read vampire books all of the time when i was young...so, i fell in love with Anne Rice's vampire mythos, definitely, but i also like Poppy Z. Brite's sexy, androgynous vampires, although her novels are quite graphic. i just really enjoy a good vampire story...even if they sparkle...i like that we have authors who keep on reinventing this genre.

Jessica, thanks for the heads up on God Save the Queen, I want to check it out. I'm a huge fan of steam punk so, that shouldn't be too much of a stretch for me.

I LOVE the Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger, this is steam punk, mystery, and vampires and werewolves at their best. The vampires are not very cuddly, but there are some with redeeming qualities.

I also think that the Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is good, but I would not say that her vampires have too much bite. Maybe just a tad more.

I have always liked vampires... from buffy the vampire slayer *blushes*... to Blade.

Twilight has never appealed to me, in fact it actually makes quite cross, so I will leave it there. I am currently working my through Southern Vampire Mysteries, which are enjoyable easy reads and can be gritty,(it is not as sex filled as it TV counterpart which I have now given up watching).

However it is coming to end this year... Barbara Hambly sounds appealing to me, but I also like Anne Rice's Work also (recently purchased this; )..

I read God Save the Queen, and it was good. The vamps were not Hambly-esque predators, but they had plenty of chomp left in their chompers.