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Pretty When She Dies #1
Pretty When She Dies
Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...
... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...
Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.
All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.
But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?
... in a new, horrific, unimaginable way...
Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature.
All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what's worse is that he's a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind.
But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation... or her death?
225 pages, Paperback
First published November 4, 2008
136 people are currently reading
3,058 people want to read
About the author
Rhiannon Frater
64books1,653followersRhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor) as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog).
She was born and raised in Texas where she currently resides with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).
She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.
She was born and raised in Texas where she currently resides with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets).
She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dyeing her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.
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September 17, 2014I wrote this book, so I love it. :)
June 1, 2012
Made the Badass Hidden Gem II list..
The Good
The story
You have Amaliya and Amaliya was turned into a vampire by her professor. The professor decides that he wants to really screw with Amal (in more ways than one) and just lets her loose onto the human population. The professor, Amal's Maker (he's actually called "The Summoner"), gives Amal no instruction, no limitations, and literally stalks her to see what type of damage Amal causes while learning the vampire ropes.
Amal has had a hard life and is a real fighter. So, when she is basically made one of the undead, she is going to do whatever possible to survive being a vampire. She sets out to learn more about her new status but along the way, certain aspects of her lifestyle, specifically the fact she needs to feed kind of causes problems. Like how does one stop feeding off of a human once you start?
How does Amal learn everything? It is all trial and error. With trial and error, comes lots of bloodshed. Oops, I think Amal just sucked another human dry. It’s not like she wants to, she is clearly remorseful and that makes her want to find a better way to do what she does. So, she goes on a search for vampire, that is where Cian comes into the story.
With Cian’s help, Amal learns the ropes. However, The Summoner is not too happy with Cian's interference. The Summoner is extremely powerful, before he was a vampire, he dabbled in necromancy. Combine the two, and you have one seriously powerful and messed up vampire.
So now that Cian and Amal are joined at the hip (and eventually at the lips, tongue and various other parts), the Summoner is mad and well, he’s not going to take it anymore.
The characters
Besides Cian and Amal, you have a great assortment of side characters
Samantha- Cian’s fiancée. Now all you people who hate cheating. Never fear, this is not what you think. Seriously.
Roberto- Cian’s butler; or as Amal calls him “Cian's bitch�. He doesn’t want to share Cian with anyone and lets his feeling be known.
Grandmamma- best grandma character ever! Loved her.
The Bad
Some errors
I think this book has been edited quite a few times since she originally released it but there are still a few clumsy passages or flat out errors. For example, in one paragraph, the author meant to write “Jeff� but instead wrote “Cian�. I knew she didn’t mean “Cian� since he wasn’t in the scene for that part of the book and this was dialogue.
The clumsiness and errors did not take away from the overall story. I think that in itself is a testament to how good the actual story is.
Beginning dragged
Poor Amaliya. Seriously, she had some horrible luck in the beginning of the book. The first 25 to 30 percent of the book is Amal trying to survive her new vampire status. She is Hungry, and she needs to Feed. It is depressing to the reader to go through Amal’s struggles for so long. I kept thinking “enough already�.
Later in the book, you discover how significant those struggles are. The fact that Amal lives through those first few days� means something. I just can’t tell you.
The cover
I hate the cover. Not because it is gross or scary but because it doesn’t really reflect the story as a whole. This book isn’t a horror book. Sure, there are horrific elements and the author does not spare us any graphic detail but it is also an urban fantasy, has lots of witty humor and even a very charming romance.
Overall
How much did I like this one? If I could have (work got in the way), I would have not stopped reading it. When I was done, I wanted another book- asap!
Disclaimer- The book is only 1.99 right now so if I’m wrong and the book sucks, you aren’t wasting a ton of money.
The Good
The story
You have Amaliya and Amaliya was turned into a vampire by her professor. The professor decides that he wants to really screw with Amal (in more ways than one) and just lets her loose onto the human population. The professor, Amal's Maker (he's actually called "The Summoner"), gives Amal no instruction, no limitations, and literally stalks her to see what type of damage Amal causes while learning the vampire ropes.
Amal has had a hard life and is a real fighter. So, when she is basically made one of the undead, she is going to do whatever possible to survive being a vampire. She sets out to learn more about her new status but along the way, certain aspects of her lifestyle, specifically the fact she needs to feed kind of causes problems. Like how does one stop feeding off of a human once you start?
How does Amal learn everything? It is all trial and error. With trial and error, comes lots of bloodshed. Oops, I think Amal just sucked another human dry. It’s not like she wants to, she is clearly remorseful and that makes her want to find a better way to do what she does. So, she goes on a search for vampire, that is where Cian comes into the story.
With Cian’s help, Amal learns the ropes. However, The Summoner is not too happy with Cian's interference. The Summoner is extremely powerful, before he was a vampire, he dabbled in necromancy. Combine the two, and you have one seriously powerful and messed up vampire.
So now that Cian and Amal are joined at the hip (and eventually at the lips, tongue and various other parts), the Summoner is mad and well, he’s not going to take it anymore.
The characters
Besides Cian and Amal, you have a great assortment of side characters
Samantha- Cian’s fiancée. Now all you people who hate cheating. Never fear, this is not what you think. Seriously.
Roberto- Cian’s butler; or as Amal calls him “Cian's bitch�. He doesn’t want to share Cian with anyone and lets his feeling be known.
Grandmamma- best grandma character ever! Loved her.
The Bad
Some errors
I think this book has been edited quite a few times since she originally released it but there are still a few clumsy passages or flat out errors. For example, in one paragraph, the author meant to write “Jeff� but instead wrote “Cian�. I knew she didn’t mean “Cian� since he wasn’t in the scene for that part of the book and this was dialogue.
The clumsiness and errors did not take away from the overall story. I think that in itself is a testament to how good the actual story is.
Beginning dragged
Poor Amaliya. Seriously, she had some horrible luck in the beginning of the book. The first 25 to 30 percent of the book is Amal trying to survive her new vampire status. She is Hungry, and she needs to Feed. It is depressing to the reader to go through Amal’s struggles for so long. I kept thinking “enough already�.
Later in the book, you discover how significant those struggles are. The fact that Amal lives through those first few days� means something. I just can’t tell you.
The cover
I hate the cover. Not because it is gross or scary but because it doesn’t really reflect the story as a whole. This book isn’t a horror book. Sure, there are horrific elements and the author does not spare us any graphic detail but it is also an urban fantasy, has lots of witty humor and even a very charming romance.
Overall
How much did I like this one? If I could have (work got in the way), I would have not stopped reading it. When I was done, I wanted another book- asap!
Disclaimer- The book is only 1.99 right now so if I’m wrong and the book sucks, you aren’t wasting a ton of money.
May 2, 2012
FREE on Kindle until May 6th!
__
What would you do if you woke up buried in the ground? Well Amaliya first took a shower (duh!), then what comes next involves blood. Lots and lots of blood.
Left on her own to find out what she is, and how to survive it, Amaliya has a pretty rough beginning into her new vampiric life. However, she soon proves to be a pretty bad-ass heroine by, well... improvising. She's a fighter through and through. Instead of whining about her horrible situation, she goes out there and figures it out. Embracing it, even. Which I found especially awesome. It's not without a kill or two� or three, but eventually, she finds another of her kind. This is where Cian comes along.
Cian is centuries old, and the master of Austin. He doesn't know what he's getting into when he decides to take Amaliya under his wing. Let me just tell you, it gets hot. Very hot! That is, until Samantha - Cian's human fiancé - and his servant Roberto comes along. Things get very cold, fast. Neither wants Amaliya around, so as you can guess, you can also expect plenty of back-stabbing and betrayals. As usual, good or bad, all the characters are incredibly well written and perfectly flawed. Even the side characters play a major role in the story. I can't fail to mention Sergio and Grandma which, with their humor and charm, became instant favorites.
"It's the irony of being a vampire. Being immortal and being terrified of death."
Gritty and dark, the vampire lore in Pretty When She Dies sticks to the original blood drinking, day sleeping vampires; they're dangerous and violent. I loved the overall world building, in particular, the addition of necromancy (which means we also have some zombies!) that shakes it up a little giving us an extra twisted plot and epic fight scenes. This necromancer - they call him The Summoner - can not only call on, and control, an army of undead, he's also a wickedly malicious and extremely old vampire. This makes him highly powerful as a villain. Believe me, he won't fail to intimidate you. How about this: To lessen his boredom, he creates vampires to set free, stalk, then kill. That's not barbaric at all... This book is definitely not without its fair share of action.
I continue to be blown away by Rhiannon's crack-infused pages; keeping me glued to her words. Combining classic vampire lore, horror, and romance - she has given us another astonishingly compelling read.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at
__
What would you do if you woke up buried in the ground? Well Amaliya first took a shower (duh!), then what comes next involves blood. Lots and lots of blood.
Left on her own to find out what she is, and how to survive it, Amaliya has a pretty rough beginning into her new vampiric life. However, she soon proves to be a pretty bad-ass heroine by, well... improvising. She's a fighter through and through. Instead of whining about her horrible situation, she goes out there and figures it out. Embracing it, even. Which I found especially awesome. It's not without a kill or two� or three, but eventually, she finds another of her kind. This is where Cian comes along.
Cian is centuries old, and the master of Austin. He doesn't know what he's getting into when he decides to take Amaliya under his wing. Let me just tell you, it gets hot. Very hot! That is, until Samantha - Cian's human fiancé - and his servant Roberto comes along. Things get very cold, fast. Neither wants Amaliya around, so as you can guess, you can also expect plenty of back-stabbing and betrayals. As usual, good or bad, all the characters are incredibly well written and perfectly flawed. Even the side characters play a major role in the story. I can't fail to mention Sergio and Grandma which, with their humor and charm, became instant favorites.
"It's the irony of being a vampire. Being immortal and being terrified of death."
Gritty and dark, the vampire lore in Pretty When She Dies sticks to the original blood drinking, day sleeping vampires; they're dangerous and violent. I loved the overall world building, in particular, the addition of necromancy (which means we also have some zombies!) that shakes it up a little giving us an extra twisted plot and epic fight scenes. This necromancer - they call him The Summoner - can not only call on, and control, an army of undead, he's also a wickedly malicious and extremely old vampire. This makes him highly powerful as a villain. Believe me, he won't fail to intimidate you. How about this: To lessen his boredom, he creates vampires to set free, stalk, then kill. That's not barbaric at all... This book is definitely not without its fair share of action.
I continue to be blown away by Rhiannon's crack-infused pages; keeping me glued to her words. Combining classic vampire lore, horror, and romance - she has given us another astonishingly compelling read.
--
For more of my reviews, visit my blog at
April 14, 2011
3.5 stars
Self-published, so it meanders and is not polished...but it's fun all the same. Nice action scenes and believable vamp + vamp relationship, with fairly explicit sex and gore.
Self-published, so it meanders and is not polished...but it's fun all the same. Nice action scenes and believable vamp + vamp relationship, with fairly explicit sex and gore.
July 27, 2013
Check out the review and interview on , along with your chance to win the entire trilogy on paperback & eBook!
Actual Rating: 3.5
Pretty When She Dies is a throwback to vampires when they were actually scary. You know, the ones that actually drink blood, rip apart their enemies, aren’t afraid of gore and don’t try to relive high school again.
I found the book to be absolutely terrifying.
It starts off with a bang as Amaliya wakes up buried underground and is absolutely terrified as she’s blinded by darkness with dirt filling her lungs and claustrophobia. As she digs herself out of the shallow grave, she is frantic and plagued with extreme hunger. After cleaning herself up and realising that she’s no longer human, she stumbles upon a college orgy and slaughters all the humans there with her bloodlust.
The book follows on with a sick and twisted game of her creator, called The Summoner who stalks and terrorises her. After acting on her newly found vampire instincts, she’s cast out by her family, forced to go down on a disgusting driver and finally meets her vampire mentor and lover called Cian. Cian takes Amaliya under his wing and they both plot to stop The Summoner’s twisted games.
If you haven’t noticed already, Pretty When She Dies doesn’t shy away from explicit scenes of gore, sex, and horror. I think the shock value of it really got to me at times. There’s rape, murder, cheating, gore, demons knitted with human body parts with working sexual appendages, and lots of gorey, raunchy scenes.
While the first half of the book covered her journey into the undead and learning how to cope, the second half sort of simmered as we met Cian and a bunch of secondary characters including his fiancee which I found super annoying. She’s a jealous, bouncy, meddling woman who seeks out a vampire hunter to deal with her newfound threat. The whole time I just wondered how this was going to pan out and whether she was just asking for trouble.
The coolest thing about Pretty When She Dies is that it features vampire necromancers who can raise the dead. I’ve never stumbled upon anything like this and it is delivered in a chilling way.
If you enjoyed the Blade movies, you’ll probably like this book. Pretty When She Dies is great for a dark, gritty and scary vampire read that will put some disturbing images in your head. Most books nowadays romanticise vampires and unfortunately, it seems like I actually prefer them.
Actual Rating: 3.5
Pretty When She Dies is a throwback to vampires when they were actually scary. You know, the ones that actually drink blood, rip apart their enemies, aren’t afraid of gore and don’t try to relive high school again.
I found the book to be absolutely terrifying.
It starts off with a bang as Amaliya wakes up buried underground and is absolutely terrified as she’s blinded by darkness with dirt filling her lungs and claustrophobia. As she digs herself out of the shallow grave, she is frantic and plagued with extreme hunger. After cleaning herself up and realising that she’s no longer human, she stumbles upon a college orgy and slaughters all the humans there with her bloodlust.
The book follows on with a sick and twisted game of her creator, called The Summoner who stalks and terrorises her. After acting on her newly found vampire instincts, she’s cast out by her family, forced to go down on a disgusting driver and finally meets her vampire mentor and lover called Cian. Cian takes Amaliya under his wing and they both plot to stop The Summoner’s twisted games.
If you haven’t noticed already, Pretty When She Dies doesn’t shy away from explicit scenes of gore, sex, and horror. I think the shock value of it really got to me at times. There’s rape, murder, cheating, gore, demons knitted with human body parts with working sexual appendages, and lots of gorey, raunchy scenes.
While the first half of the book covered her journey into the undead and learning how to cope, the second half sort of simmered as we met Cian and a bunch of secondary characters including his fiancee which I found super annoying. She’s a jealous, bouncy, meddling woman who seeks out a vampire hunter to deal with her newfound threat. The whole time I just wondered how this was going to pan out and whether she was just asking for trouble.
The coolest thing about Pretty When She Dies is that it features vampire necromancers who can raise the dead. I’ve never stumbled upon anything like this and it is delivered in a chilling way.
If you enjoyed the Blade movies, you’ll probably like this book. Pretty When She Dies is great for a dark, gritty and scary vampire read that will put some disturbing images in your head. Most books nowadays romanticise vampires and unfortunately, it seems like I actually prefer them.
September 10, 2012
Hands up who's heard me say I don't enjoy vampire novels? And I honestly think it was this whole 'nice vampire' trend that went down a few years ago - I like my paranormal creatures to be scary, hardcore and gory, not all puppies and flowers and skipping through fields. Therefore I'm always a bit wary of vampire books, but I knew that Rhiannon Frater I was in pretty safe hands....and I definitely wasn't wrong.
Pretty When She Dies is a 'proper' vampire novel - there's death, destruction, ghouls, hot vampire lurve, bad language and flawed characters - and I loved it all. The inclusions of well-known and lesser-known vampire lore also makes for fascinating reading - do religious icons really work, does a vampire need to be invited inside your home, does that garlic choker just make you smell like an Italian feast?
From the moment Amaliya wakes up buried in the forest (greatest fear ever, anyone?) I knew she would be a character that I would love, and although her family life was pretty much a train wreck, she has a great balance of toughness and vulnerability, along with an unconditional love for those people who deserve it.
I thought her grandmother was particularly awesome, and even the slightly irrtating Samantha had her redeeming features. Cian is one hot vampire, and definitely not in the sparkly sense - his story also added an extra facet to an already fascinating storyline.
I love that Rhiannon Frater set this book in Texas - her knowledge of the state really shone through, and gave the book a gritty, real feeling.
I dare anyone to read Pretty When She Dies and not love the characters whilst being fascinated by the examination of vampire lore and carried frantically from page to page with perfect pacing and realistic dialogue. I can't wait to move onto Pretty When She Kills - mark this day down peeps, I'm hungering for a VAMPIRE book!
Read more of my reviews at
Pretty When She Dies is a 'proper' vampire novel - there's death, destruction, ghouls, hot vampire lurve, bad language and flawed characters - and I loved it all. The inclusions of well-known and lesser-known vampire lore also makes for fascinating reading - do religious icons really work, does a vampire need to be invited inside your home, does that garlic choker just make you smell like an Italian feast?
From the moment Amaliya wakes up buried in the forest (greatest fear ever, anyone?) I knew she would be a character that I would love, and although her family life was pretty much a train wreck, she has a great balance of toughness and vulnerability, along with an unconditional love for those people who deserve it.
I thought her grandmother was particularly awesome, and even the slightly irrtating Samantha had her redeeming features. Cian is one hot vampire, and definitely not in the sparkly sense - his story also added an extra facet to an already fascinating storyline.
I love that Rhiannon Frater set this book in Texas - her knowledge of the state really shone through, and gave the book a gritty, real feeling.
I dare anyone to read Pretty When She Dies and not love the characters whilst being fascinated by the examination of vampire lore and carried frantically from page to page with perfect pacing and realistic dialogue. I can't wait to move onto Pretty When She Kills - mark this day down peeps, I'm hungering for a VAMPIRE book!
Read more of my reviews at
March 31, 2015
Okay so this wasn't exactly that happy go lucky romance that I normally read during this time of the year, nor was this one anywhere near the summer list of must read books I had created in my head, but I think that is exactly why this one was so darn good. It wasn't expected. I hadn't planned on picking it up and honestly, at the time, the only reason that I did was because I was in sort of a slump. I needed something different and not romance related (gasp, I know, I can't believe I just typed that). I needed something darker and something that would completely pull me away and put me in another place and mind set.
This did that and then some. And to ease that nagging voice in my head that demands romance, this even had just enough of the hot stuff to keep her happy and satiated.
I don't know what my problem is sometimes, I see the glowing reviews and praise and still, I hesitate to pick up a book and try it. I don't know, maybe I fear it won't live up to the hype. Not really sure but either way, we all do it. We buy a book based on a recommendation and then it sits there in our TBR piles and grows dusty and forgotten.
Can I just say, I am so glad I pulled this one out and dusted it off?
This was deliciously dark and called out to me in ways a book hasn't for a while now. It pulled me right out of my book slump and made me forget all about it as I was quickly thrown into the world the author had created.
This isn't a lighthearted easy read. In fact, at times it will make you grimace and maybe even blush but we can't help but be fascinated with it all and be drawn into the story as what happened to Liya slowly unravels and unfolds and her new life begins.
This was so well done. I have read a lot of vamp books in my life and this one truly does stand out, not because anything about it is new necessarily new or unique but because the writing and the story are just that good.
I will definitely be coming back for more.
This did that and then some. And to ease that nagging voice in my head that demands romance, this even had just enough of the hot stuff to keep her happy and satiated.
I don't know what my problem is sometimes, I see the glowing reviews and praise and still, I hesitate to pick up a book and try it. I don't know, maybe I fear it won't live up to the hype. Not really sure but either way, we all do it. We buy a book based on a recommendation and then it sits there in our TBR piles and grows dusty and forgotten.
Can I just say, I am so glad I pulled this one out and dusted it off?
This was deliciously dark and called out to me in ways a book hasn't for a while now. It pulled me right out of my book slump and made me forget all about it as I was quickly thrown into the world the author had created.
This isn't a lighthearted easy read. In fact, at times it will make you grimace and maybe even blush but we can't help but be fascinated with it all and be drawn into the story as what happened to Liya slowly unravels and unfolds and her new life begins.
This was so well done. I have read a lot of vamp books in my life and this one truly does stand out, not because anything about it is new necessarily new or unique but because the writing and the story are just that good.
I will definitely be coming back for more.
September 24, 2009
There were so many things I liked about this book.
First and foremost, vampires are not romanticized. Don’t get me wrong, they have powers that can be used for seduction in order to feed, true � but that is not what the book is about. This isn’t a book about a vampire falling for a human and trying to make it work. In fact, it’s a realization that it’s not possible for that to work. Vampires are monsters and only in accepting and embracing that fact are they made strong.
Another great thing about this book is Grandmama. She is an awesome character. I want to be just like her when I grow up with a very similar relationship to my grandchildren. She is feisty, courageous, loving and accepting of those she loves.
I enjoyed watching the progression of the main characters, Amaliya and Cian. The character development was done with great skill. They are both likable, strong characters.
This book has it all. Horror, romance, action, betrayal and the underdog overcoming obstacles. I'll be finding more of Frater's books as soon as possible.
I believe this was written as a stand alone novel but there is room for a series as well. I’m curious to see if we will get more stories about Amaliya and Cian.
First and foremost, vampires are not romanticized. Don’t get me wrong, they have powers that can be used for seduction in order to feed, true � but that is not what the book is about. This isn’t a book about a vampire falling for a human and trying to make it work. In fact, it’s a realization that it’s not possible for that to work. Vampires are monsters and only in accepting and embracing that fact are they made strong.
Another great thing about this book is Grandmama. She is an awesome character. I want to be just like her when I grow up with a very similar relationship to my grandchildren. She is feisty, courageous, loving and accepting of those she loves.
I enjoyed watching the progression of the main characters, Amaliya and Cian. The character development was done with great skill. They are both likable, strong characters.
This book has it all. Horror, romance, action, betrayal and the underdog overcoming obstacles. I'll be finding more of Frater's books as soon as possible.
I believe this was written as a stand alone novel but there is room for a series as well. I’m curious to see if we will get more stories about Amaliya and Cian.
September 23, 2014
I haven’t read many newly-risen-vampire books but in direct competition of those I have read ( and are all I can think of at the moment) Pretty When She Dies wins hands down. It was gritty and very realistic in that if vampires did exist I wouldn’t be surprised if when they first rose they had similar obstacles to overcome, namely the bloodlust and the inadvertent killing spree to sate it.
There are good vampires, which seem rare in this book, bad ones and perhaps some that fall in between. The reasons the Summoner was evil were made obvious; his boredom and loneliness after so many centuries of walking the Earth had warped his mind - in some books you never know what turned the “enemy� to the dark side.
The characters were believable and their development over the course of the book was well done. Amaliya was tough, she’s a survivor of both physical (what the Summoner does to her) and emotional (her cruel screwed up family) pain who has learned that running away when things get hard is the best thing to do but finds that with the Summoner on her tail there is nowhere for her to run that he won’t find her so she’s forced, mostly by Cian, to make a stand and fight. The romance between Amaliya and Cian progressed from “maybe I should kill her� to “he’s not my type he’s too short and clean� to forbidden love/lust and finally relief that they could be together. I liked Cian’s transformation. His appearance changed from clean shaven good guy in hiding to a rougher, more confident and alert politician ready to take on the vampires.
Obviously my favourite character was Grandmamma � wow, I was right there with her grandson Sergio in his shock, disbelief and finally laughter after the revelation about her love life. I was glad when their fear of what Amaliya had become gradually turned into acceptance, unlike the reactions of her cruel family. I have to admit that I fully expected Grandmamma to let her religion get in the way of her accepting Amaliya’s new state and was waiting for her to call her the spawn of Satan and attack her granddaughter. I wish she was my grandmother, she’s a fierce but loving woman � no man or woman would want to cross her.
I don’t really want to make this comparison but Pretty When She Dies does remind me of certain aspects of ’s Anita Blake series. The Master (vampire) of the City system, the messed up zombies made from multiple body parts, the necromancy are all similar but I think this book is tighter and perhaps darker in its very isolating you-against-the-world nature. Overall this is an intriguing and worthwhile read for urban fantasy lovers.
I have read that there may be a sequel, which I will definitely be interested in if and when it is released.
There are good vampires, which seem rare in this book, bad ones and perhaps some that fall in between. The reasons the Summoner was evil were made obvious; his boredom and loneliness after so many centuries of walking the Earth had warped his mind - in some books you never know what turned the “enemy� to the dark side.
The characters were believable and their development over the course of the book was well done. Amaliya was tough, she’s a survivor of both physical (what the Summoner does to her) and emotional (her cruel screwed up family) pain who has learned that running away when things get hard is the best thing to do but finds that with the Summoner on her tail there is nowhere for her to run that he won’t find her so she’s forced, mostly by Cian, to make a stand and fight. The romance between Amaliya and Cian progressed from “maybe I should kill her� to “he’s not my type he’s too short and clean� to forbidden love/lust and finally relief that they could be together. I liked Cian’s transformation. His appearance changed from clean shaven good guy in hiding to a rougher, more confident and alert politician ready to take on the vampires.
Obviously my favourite character was Grandmamma � wow, I was right there with her grandson Sergio in his shock, disbelief and finally laughter after the revelation about her love life. I was glad when their fear of what Amaliya had become gradually turned into acceptance, unlike the reactions of her cruel family. I have to admit that I fully expected Grandmamma to let her religion get in the way of her accepting Amaliya’s new state and was waiting for her to call her the spawn of Satan and attack her granddaughter. I wish she was my grandmother, she’s a fierce but loving woman � no man or woman would want to cross her.
I don’t really want to make this comparison but Pretty When She Dies does remind me of certain aspects of ’s Anita Blake series. The Master (vampire) of the City system, the messed up zombies made from multiple body parts, the necromancy are all similar but I think this book is tighter and perhaps darker in its very isolating you-against-the-world nature. Overall this is an intriguing and worthwhile read for urban fantasy lovers.
I have read that there may be a sequel, which I will definitely be interested in if and when it is released.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 17, 2019
DNF @ 87%. Sigh.... heaven forbid i find a decent book :(
December 8, 2013
At A Glance
Bookgasm!!!
The Good
You know when you are eating a calorie free hot fudge brownie sundae while getting your feet massaged by a bare-chested Chris Hemsworth and you realize you are NOT dreaming? Yeah, that's what this book is like for me.
Oh, the love I have for this book. It makes me feel tingly all over. I actually have the other two books of the series, but I am holding off a bit on starting them because I want to stretch out the happy happy joys joys I feel for this series. Sure, I've only read Pretty When She Dies, but did you guys ever get that feeling where you just KNOW that you are going to love the rest of a series? I have that feeling now. I actually had to force myself to put this book down just so I could prolong the experience. Every time I devour a book I love too fast, I get so sad that it ended so quickly. I wasn't going to do that with Pretty When She Dies. I had to spread the fun throughout the day, savoring the tummy butterflies I got every time I picked it up again.
Amaliya was AH. MAZ. ZING. She is one of my new favorite characters. She is not your typical heroines. She's dark in every sense of the word. She has dyed black hair, tattoos, piercings (*cough* nipple piercings *cough*), she likes hardcore metal music, and she likes the bad boys (she's looking for her Led Zeppelin prince charming). But when she is brutally turned into a vampire, left in a grave to dig herself out, and abandoned by her creator to figure out what being a vampire means, we see her vulnerable side. I think she did pretty good at taking care of herself. She turns out to be a badass vampire, even if she is feeling her way through it blind when it comes to her new undead state. Eventually, she comes to embrace her new lifestyle. But before all that, she comes up with a plan to find another vampire that can help her learn what it means to be a vampire. And she finds Cian.
Cian has a dark past but has come to live a life close to being a human. He is the Master of Austin and likes his quiet life as the only vampire in the city. Amaliya messes up his "perfect" existence with her presence, especially since he is so attracted to her. Because Cian has a fiancé, a human fiancé. But Cian feels responsible to help Amaliya learn the vampiric ways. He knows her creator is evil and she needs all the training she can get to help keep herself alive from the creator's sick games. Cian is hot, and only gets sexier as the book goes on. I loved that he just couldn't resist Amaliya because she brought out an interesting side of his character. He's a good guy, but he needed to embrace his vampire side so bad. Once the human stick up his but was removed, Cian became a force to be reckoned with.
The side characters were pretty awesome as well. Despise most of Amaliya's family being major asshats, her grandma is there for her no matter what. Her grandma was pretty badass herself, and had me cracking up. Samantha, Cian's fiancé, went through an interesting character arc. She was sweet, then crazy jealous, then mean, then fierce, then nice again. It was fun watching her go through the motions. Roberto. Oh, Roberto. Yeah, I will leave him as a surprise for you all.
Pretty When She Dies is a gritty, dark, and hilarious vampire book that will leave you giddy. The dialogue was done right and had those hints of humor that I love. The characters were all complex and interesting. The story was fascinating and refreshing. I liked the addition of zombies and how The Summoner (Amaliya's creator) could control them. It was creepy as hell. The action was intense and could get pretty gruesome which worked for this book. I am going to keep my eye on Frater's books for now on because she is a great writer.
The Bad
The beginning is a bit slow, but it picks up pretty fast after that.
The Snuggly
I LOVED Amaliya and Cian. Their lust for each other was so hot. They tried so hard to stay away from each other. Amaliya didn't want to screw up Cian's life more than she already had, and Cian was trying to stick with his bubbly, blond fiancé who made him feel human. But once Amaliya entered his world, he couldn't help but relish being a vampire once again. I loved how they seemed so opposite at first, but it becomes obvious how similar they really are. It's like they grew into the perfect couple.
Oh yeah, be ready for some Bow Chicka Bow Wow. We get awesome sexual tension and great sex scenes.
Final Thoughts
No doubt about it, I will be continuing this series. I hope it will make my favorite series list. Frater knows how to spin a gritty but humorous tale with characters you come to care about. Be on the look out for my reviews of the rest of the series in August because I have a feeling I can't wait too long before I devour the rest of the books. Very highly recommended.
Quotes
"It's weird," she whispered. "You know, being so powerful and yet being so vulnerable."
"It's the irony of being a vampire. Being immortal and being terrified of death."
"I knew you were special when I took you. You were so pretty when you died. Exquisite in death. More lovely than you had been in life."�
"At first he thought her unremarkable, but she was one of those people who slowly emerged from the shadows the more you learned about them. The dimmest of all the lights had grown to blind him and he had to take her."
“You have a boyfriend and didn't tell me.�
“I didn't think you'd be okay with me having sex,� she answered.
“Oh, God! I don't want to hear it, Grandmama!� He covered his ears with his hands and stood staring at her in disbelief.
“I told you. You're such a wussy,� she said with a sad shake of her head.
*Free book from author for honest review*
September 7, 2012
Do you remember that time when vampires were bloodtirsty monsters who didn't have soul, mirror reflection and could be seriously harmed with religious items of all kinds? Vampires with no morals? Immortals with Mount Everest sized egos? Yeah, the good old times before sparkly 900 years old vampire with "forever teen" syndrome. Do you know that Buffy/Edward T-shirt from ?
That is the best way to describe Pretty When She Dies. Book is full Buffy references, but also other popular vampire stories. I thought it was nice touch - it made it feel "real".
Amaliya is no wallflower or damsel in distress. She is all but that. Blond goodie two shoes gone bad, goth, tattooed chick. Add to that unwilling baby vampire and you have trouble. First third book is a little bit slow - there's just Amaliya and her struggle with new vampiric nature. She does what she's best at - runs away. That's her only choice if she wants to survive. I liked that author didn't make her nowdays usual holier than thou type.
Other charaters are pretty much well writen. Cain reminded me of Lestat by his actions and the way that he thinks. But, you are going to love Graandma the most. Story will keep you on the edge untill the end. All of you who like it down and dirty, will enjoy in sexy scenes. Only thing that I minded was steretyphical way of describing certain ethnic groups. Also, dialogues sometimes seemed forced, as if author tried too much to be witty and fun.
Second book in the trilogy, Pretty When She Kills, is coming out on September 7th. We are participating in the blog tour, so be sure to come by on September 10th. I'll just say that second book is even better.
Until next time...
***NOTE! Copy of the book is kindly provided by Rhiannon Frater. (Thank you!!!) I'm not paid for writing review - I do this for free as lover of written word. All opinions in this review are personal.
December 7, 2021
Pretty When She Dies brought me into the world of scary creepy vampires. Kind of a mix of Vampire Diaries meets Blade meets True Blood... but scarier. From the very first page, I was completely hooked and just wanted to see Amaliya pull through. Not sure what it would be like to wake up and realize that you are no longer human, but she did pretty well with it all.
Well, after the bloodlust killing that is. Now life isn't all blood rainbows and moonlight for her. Mostly because her creator is kind of an asshole. He has way too much time on his hands because he creates a sick twisted game in order to stalk and terrorize her. Long story short, he needs a hobby stat.
On top of all that gore, there's romance lurking around the corner. Rhiannon doesn't shy away from any of it. I was honestly here for it all anyways. Each page, twist, and turn kept me on the edge of my seat. I just had no idea where things were going to go, and I loved every second of the unknown.
In the end, I am very excited to jump into the sequel.
Well, after the bloodlust killing that is. Now life isn't all blood rainbows and moonlight for her. Mostly because her creator is kind of an asshole. He has way too much time on his hands because he creates a sick twisted game in order to stalk and terrorize her. Long story short, he needs a hobby stat.
On top of all that gore, there's romance lurking around the corner. Rhiannon doesn't shy away from any of it. I was honestly here for it all anyways. Each page, twist, and turn kept me on the edge of my seat. I just had no idea where things were going to go, and I loved every second of the unknown.
In the end, I am very excited to jump into the sequel.
November 1, 2009
I started this book with the idea I'd just taking a peek to see how it starts off, had every intention of waiting to read it fully after I completed the other three I'm already reading. However, the story grabbed me from page one and never let go! I was bummed when it was over. I was happy to see Ms. Frater mention a 2nd book, "Pretty When She Kills" coming out in the future, so there will be more Amaliya and Cian to come. :)
Things I loved about this book:
* What vamp book lover out there could resist such a beautiful cover??
* A return to gore and not an over romanticized vamp story
* Amaliya acted as you'd expect and kicked ass in the process
Great Quote:
"It's weird," she whispered. "You know, being so powerful and yet being so vulnerable." "It's the irony of being a vampire. Being immortal and being terrified of death."
I think that's something that has always made vampires more "real" in stories is that even though they are immortal, they still have vulnerabilities.
I checked out Rhiannon Frater's website and she's currently offering this book for *for an undetermined amount of time*, so check it out, then be sure to buy a copy for your collection!
Things I loved about this book:
* What vamp book lover out there could resist such a beautiful cover??
* A return to gore and not an over romanticized vamp story
* Amaliya acted as you'd expect and kicked ass in the process
Great Quote:
"It's weird," she whispered. "You know, being so powerful and yet being so vulnerable." "It's the irony of being a vampire. Being immortal and being terrified of death."
I think that's something that has always made vampires more "real" in stories is that even though they are immortal, they still have vulnerabilities.
I checked out Rhiannon Frater's website and she's currently offering this book for *for an undetermined amount of time*, so check it out, then be sure to buy a copy for your collection!
July 18, 2015
Audiobook
I've read this author's dystopian book which I loved. This was pretty good. Because of the way the heroine looks there are a lot of misconceptions especially when she becomes a vampire. She's thrown into the life and has to find her way, later with some help and a beginning love life. Good audiobook.
I've read this author's dystopian book which I loved. This was pretty good. Because of the way the heroine looks there are a lot of misconceptions especially when she becomes a vampire. She's thrown into the life and has to find her way, later with some help and a beginning love life. Good audiobook.
December 14, 2009
I loved, loved, loved this book. It kept you on the edge of your seat. I'm now a fan of the author, Rhiannon Frater, and can't wait for the sequel "Pretty When She Kills."
April 22, 2011
WORST BOOK EVER!
I have never read such a lame and boring book in my life. I have wasted freaking 5 hours of my precious busy life reading this book. 50% of this book had make out scenes, 42% of this book had swear words and the actual plot was only like 8%. No where was it written that this book is for adults, I came to know about it after I read that she was twenty four years old. And even If I was an adult, I would have thrown this book or burnt it so that people would be saved from this book. By reading this book, I have learned a very serious lesson, Never Ever Judge a book by its cover, and further more... by it description in the back of the cover too. I saw the cover and I was like, "Wow! This looks like a cool book, *reading description*, hey! The story seems nice too!" I warn you from now only! whoever is planning to buy or marked this book as read... you are wasting your money and time! I seriously don't even know how I finished this damn book. Well I guess I know,
Reading Chapter 01: Hmm... Lets see if it gets better =D
Reading Chapter 17: Hmm... Lets see if it gets better :\
Reading Chapter 23: Hmm... Lets see if it gets better =S
Story ends... -_-
Might Contain Spoilers!
Swear words used
Sorry, couldn't help it!
Characters:
Amaliya was such a pain in everyone's ass ! Why is this book named "Pretty when she dies" it should be "Slut when she dies" or "Bitch when she dies" Actually you know what? Shes actually good! The author made her bad! I never understood her! From the starting till the end, I was confused. Now If other readers like this book, and rated it 5 stars and wrote "OMG! such an awesome book!" I respect them but I just can't like this book. Maybe they loved it, buh I didn't. And gosh her family was like WTF?! Now I don't think any family would throw their daughter out. Its was just simply insane.
Cian was like hmm... ok... But then HOW THE HELL did he started making out with Amaliya when she just like, saw him for like 5 mins? eww... just gross. Roberto, EPIC FAIL. Samantha hooked up with A priest. Epic, just freaking epic. Summoner, he was so boring and Peeta, poor him! =\
The only characters I liked in this book was Sergio and Grandmother, whatever her name was. Because they were the only kick-ass sort of characters in this book. And Everyone, EVERYONE! was a slut in this book. As simple as that.
[image error]
Well I know I am getting to angry and hyper, But I just can't help it.
My video for this book!
Cast actually :D
Check it out! ^_^
Plot:
Totally lame. I can tell you this story in a short Paragraph...
There was a slut who keeps on making out with people. She became a vampire. She then met her family members, who literally kicked her out then she went to Austin to search vampires of her kind, then she meets the weird hero and then that summoner attacks them and then she kills the summoner and tadaaa! The end. Wow that was so interesting! -_- I would have just given this book like 1 star but the ending was kinda ok, sort of good. Thank god she completed this story because if the author would have left this story in between, then I would have never read the second book, (Pretty when she kills) and then I would been suspicious all my life thinking what had happened to her in the end.
This book was boring, bla bla, whatever, never going to read another book of this author again! 1.5/5 stars. =[
Reading Chapter 01: Hmm... Lets see if it gets better =D
Reading Chapter 17: Hmm... Lets see if it gets better :\
Reading Chapter 23: Hmm... Lets see if it gets better =S
Story ends... -_-
Might Contain Spoilers!
Swear words used
Sorry, couldn't help it!
Characters:
Amaliya was such a pain in everyone's ass ! Why is this book named "Pretty when she dies" it should be "Slut when she dies" or "Bitch when she dies" Actually you know what? Shes actually good! The author made her bad! I never understood her! From the starting till the end, I was confused. Now If other readers like this book, and rated it 5 stars and wrote "OMG! such an awesome book!" I respect them but I just can't like this book. Maybe they loved it, buh I didn't. And gosh her family was like WTF?! Now I don't think any family would throw their daughter out. Its was just simply insane.
Cian was like hmm... ok... But then HOW THE HELL did he started making out with Amaliya when she just like, saw him for like 5 mins? eww... just gross. Roberto, EPIC FAIL. Samantha hooked up with A priest. Epic, just freaking epic. Summoner, he was so boring and Peeta, poor him! =\
The only characters I liked in this book was Sergio and Grandmother, whatever her name was. Because they were the only kick-ass sort of characters in this book. And Everyone, EVERYONE! was a slut in this book. As simple as that.
[image error]
Well I know I am getting to angry and hyper, But I just can't help it.
My video for this book!
Cast actually :D
Check it out! ^_^
Totally lame. I can tell you this story in a short Paragraph...
There was a slut who keeps on making out with people. She became a vampire. She then met her family members, who literally kicked her out then she went to Austin to search vampires of her kind, then she meets the weird hero and then that summoner attacks them and then she kills the summoner and tadaaa! The end. Wow that was so interesting! -_- I would have just given this book like 1 star but the ending was kinda ok, sort of good. Thank god she completed this story because if the author would have left this story in between, then I would have never read the second book, (Pretty when she kills) and then I would been suspicious all my life thinking what had happened to her in the end.
This book was boring, bla bla, whatever, never going to read another book of this author again! 1.5/5 stars. =[
October 6, 2012
Pretty When She Dies is a deliciously dark urban fantasy that quickly draws you in. Filled with vampires, necromancers, romance and kick-ass characters Frater took me on one heck of a ride. As a book addict, there is the high I constantly chase, that only an awesome, epic book can give me. Pretty When She Dies gave me that fix.
When we first meet protagonist Amaliya she finds herself buried in a shallow grave on her college campus. At first she cannot remember who she is, but stumbles her way back to campus and her dorm room. She gets sick and showers, but soon realizes she is very hungry. Making her way out to the parking lot, she hears music and smells food. Things get very bloody, very fast. When she awakens in the morning, her college professor is there and confirms her worse fears; he has made her a vampire. Naked and covered in blood he gives her his jacket, declaring that is the only help she will get from him. Amaliya quickly realizes she needs to flee. The tale that unfolds is action packed, funny, terrifying and filled with endearing characters.
The characters Frater has created are friggin awesome. Amaliya is sweet and bad-ass all at the same time. I quickly connected with her. She is a natural blonde, but dyes her hair jet black, sports tattoos and piercings. She loves rock and roll, and is studying to be a psychologist. Her creator is one freaky ancient vampire who completely gave me the chills! He is bored and turned Amaliya for his own amusement. He stalks her, to watch how she handles the change. *shivers* Cain is a centuries old vampire also created by the same creator and he controls Austin, Texas. He is smart, oh so smexy and about to marry a human named Samantha. He lives in an apartment building he owns with his servant Roberto who cracked me up one minute and annoyed me the next. His fiancée Samantha is innocent, pure and completely annoying! Both Roberto and Samantha want Amaliya gone. This creates some interesting situations and double crosses. Amaliya’s grandmother was an absolute hoot and at times she and the other vampire hunters stole the show. I loved their shenanigans and her fearlessness.
The world building is fantastic. Frater brought this dark, gritty vampire world to life. There are no sparkly vampires here. While vampires act and behave like the vampires of old; sleeping during the day and living without reflection, Frater brought a new twist that blew my mind. I loved the history she provided regarding the Creator and Cain. The romance that develops is dripping with sexual tension and the dance was delicious, raw and hot. The relationship slowly developed into more and I enjoyed watching it unfold. The creator , known by some as “The Summoner� can raise and control the dead. He is not at all happy with his new toy and when he discovers her strengths he sets out to control her. Frater created action packed scenes and gave such detail that I had a HD Movie with surround sound playing in my head. The tale wraps up nicely without the dreaded cliffhanger. Frater has breathed life back into vampires for me, and I cannot wait to read more.
Fans of dark, gritty urban fantasy with kick-ass protagonist need to purchase Pretty When She Dies immediately. *just saying, can you tell I absolutely loved this book!* Frater skillfully brought the vampires of old lore to present day Texas and it will literally blow your mind. Pretty When She Kills is the next book in the trilogy and I will be bringing you the review later this month.
When we first meet protagonist Amaliya she finds herself buried in a shallow grave on her college campus. At first she cannot remember who she is, but stumbles her way back to campus and her dorm room. She gets sick and showers, but soon realizes she is very hungry. Making her way out to the parking lot, she hears music and smells food. Things get very bloody, very fast. When she awakens in the morning, her college professor is there and confirms her worse fears; he has made her a vampire. Naked and covered in blood he gives her his jacket, declaring that is the only help she will get from him. Amaliya quickly realizes she needs to flee. The tale that unfolds is action packed, funny, terrifying and filled with endearing characters.
The characters Frater has created are friggin awesome. Amaliya is sweet and bad-ass all at the same time. I quickly connected with her. She is a natural blonde, but dyes her hair jet black, sports tattoos and piercings. She loves rock and roll, and is studying to be a psychologist. Her creator is one freaky ancient vampire who completely gave me the chills! He is bored and turned Amaliya for his own amusement. He stalks her, to watch how she handles the change. *shivers* Cain is a centuries old vampire also created by the same creator and he controls Austin, Texas. He is smart, oh so smexy and about to marry a human named Samantha. He lives in an apartment building he owns with his servant Roberto who cracked me up one minute and annoyed me the next. His fiancée Samantha is innocent, pure and completely annoying! Both Roberto and Samantha want Amaliya gone. This creates some interesting situations and double crosses. Amaliya’s grandmother was an absolute hoot and at times she and the other vampire hunters stole the show. I loved their shenanigans and her fearlessness.
The world building is fantastic. Frater brought this dark, gritty vampire world to life. There are no sparkly vampires here. While vampires act and behave like the vampires of old; sleeping during the day and living without reflection, Frater brought a new twist that blew my mind. I loved the history she provided regarding the Creator and Cain. The romance that develops is dripping with sexual tension and the dance was delicious, raw and hot. The relationship slowly developed into more and I enjoyed watching it unfold. The creator , known by some as “The Summoner� can raise and control the dead. He is not at all happy with his new toy and when he discovers her strengths he sets out to control her. Frater created action packed scenes and gave such detail that I had a HD Movie with surround sound playing in my head. The tale wraps up nicely without the dreaded cliffhanger. Frater has breathed life back into vampires for me, and I cannot wait to read more.
Fans of dark, gritty urban fantasy with kick-ass protagonist need to purchase Pretty When She Dies immediately. *just saying, can you tell I absolutely loved this book!* Frater skillfully brought the vampires of old lore to present day Texas and it will literally blow your mind. Pretty When She Kills is the next book in the trilogy and I will be bringing you the review later this month.
May 11, 2012
I finished this book late last night and was thinking of some brillant comments to put into my review. Unfortunately they all went away when I fell asleep. So now to write my 'tribute' review of Pretty When She Dies.
Amal-(I'm not even going to attempt to spell her full name) is a woman in her mid 20s from east Texas. She has been in college twice trying to escape a very rough life. Both her sister and mother died of cancer. Her dad married her cousin. Her aunt Mae is a toothless hag from hell and her brother seems to be a complete douche. Her only redeeming family, her grandmama and primo Sergio live in west Texas. Amal is away at college when she meets a handsome Professor who seduces her. The book starts with her waking up in her grave...a newly turned vampire.
The good:
The story is well written and the last half flows beautifully. The characters are all well written and the protags are likeable. I loved Cian. He was great. The vampires in this book are REAL vampires. The are blood loving fiends. I loved that. No angsty teenage vamps here. Sure Amal has her fair share of angst going on in the beginning of the book but she gets over that. The Summoner was scary but in a good way. I hated him. What a creeper. There is plenty of action in this book although the showdown at the end was my favorite. Gotta love little mexican grandmas. Samantha, Cian's fiance, was annoying. Cian's man servant was also a major creep.
The bad:
The first chapter or so drags. It's not until Amal gets on the road to self discovery that it really picks up. This might have been done on purpose so the reader goes through the same disorientation that Amal does. That is really the only bad thing I can say about this book. Amal is kick butt. Cian is a fox and what happens when they meet is magic.
Amal-(I'm not even going to attempt to spell her full name) is a woman in her mid 20s from east Texas. She has been in college twice trying to escape a very rough life. Both her sister and mother died of cancer. Her dad married her cousin. Her aunt Mae is a toothless hag from hell and her brother seems to be a complete douche. Her only redeeming family, her grandmama and primo Sergio live in west Texas. Amal is away at college when she meets a handsome Professor who seduces her. The book starts with her waking up in her grave...a newly turned vampire.
The good:
The story is well written and the last half flows beautifully. The characters are all well written and the protags are likeable. I loved Cian. He was great. The vampires in this book are REAL vampires. The are blood loving fiends. I loved that. No angsty teenage vamps here. Sure Amal has her fair share of angst going on in the beginning of the book but she gets over that. The Summoner was scary but in a good way. I hated him. What a creeper. There is plenty of action in this book although the showdown at the end was my favorite. Gotta love little mexican grandmas. Samantha, Cian's fiance, was annoying. Cian's man servant was also a major creep.
The bad:
The first chapter or so drags. It's not until Amal gets on the road to self discovery that it really picks up. This might have been done on purpose so the reader goes through the same disorientation that Amal does. That is really the only bad thing I can say about this book. Amal is kick butt. Cian is a fox and what happens when they meet is magic.
December 24, 2012
A fantastic back to basics vampire story! No day-walking, animal blood drinking, whiny pining to be mortal babies!
What was there not to like ... ok LOVE about this book? It was a refreshing return to traditional vampire lore; sunlight kills, no eating animals, have to be invited inside someone's home ... It was great!
There are two clear halves to the book, the first half where Amaliya is trying to figure out what happened to her, and adjust to her new "life", and the second half, where she meets other vampires and learn about her maker. If I had to pick a favorite half, I am not sure I would be able to. They are just to different; like comparing traditional vampires to sparkly vampires. They both drink blood but that is pretty much it.
I really felt for Amaliya during her struggles. She had a pretty tough life, and her after-life isn't shaping up to be so hot either. Due to he upbringing, she has next to no self-esteem, but is pretty self reliant and stubborn. That turns out to be her biggest advantage.
When she finally meets others of her own kind ... Oh Cian. (Pronouced Key-an) She wins the lottery when she meets him. Except he is engaged. To a human. But that's ok, he isn't even her type. Sure sure honey, keep telling yourself that. He is everyone's type.
And the narrator, Kristin Allison, does a great job with the different characters. I never wondered who was talking. I was a little concerned right at the beginning, because she seemed a little monotone, but it fits with the story. Just give it a sec. :-)
I really have nothing bad to say about this book. I loved it and can't wait to listen to the next one, Pretty When She Kills.
What was there not to like ... ok LOVE about this book? It was a refreshing return to traditional vampire lore; sunlight kills, no eating animals, have to be invited inside someone's home ... It was great!
There are two clear halves to the book, the first half where Amaliya is trying to figure out what happened to her, and adjust to her new "life", and the second half, where she meets other vampires and learn about her maker. If I had to pick a favorite half, I am not sure I would be able to. They are just to different; like comparing traditional vampires to sparkly vampires. They both drink blood but that is pretty much it.
I really felt for Amaliya during her struggles. She had a pretty tough life, and her after-life isn't shaping up to be so hot either. Due to he upbringing, she has next to no self-esteem, but is pretty self reliant and stubborn. That turns out to be her biggest advantage.
When she finally meets others of her own kind ... Oh Cian. (Pronouced Key-an) She wins the lottery when she meets him. Except he is engaged. To a human. But that's ok, he isn't even her type. Sure sure honey, keep telling yourself that. He is everyone's type.
And the narrator, Kristin Allison, does a great job with the different characters. I never wondered who was talking. I was a little concerned right at the beginning, because she seemed a little monotone, but it fits with the story. Just give it a sec. :-)
I really have nothing bad to say about this book. I loved it and can't wait to listen to the next one, Pretty When She Kills.
March 14, 2011
This was a great story, grittier and darker than a lot of the other UF I usually read and I really enjoyed it. Amaliya is a great heroine and we meet her when she wakes up in her own grave, having to dig herself out, only to find out that she is a vampire now. We go on a journey with her to find more of her kind and hopefully take revenge on the guy who made her, an age old necromancer and vampire who is truly evil and made her only so he could toy with her. She also has to try and figure out what abilities and limitations she acquired after the change and learn how to keep the blood-lust in check. When she meets Cian, the master of Austin, a vampire who tries hard to be more human by being engaged to a bubbly (and at first sort of annoying) human woman and stay away from other vampires, she inadvertently turns his life upside down. They help each other accept what they truly are and do everything to rid themselves from their mutual maker.
As I said before this was a really good story with great characters. Cian wasn't the usual beautiful vampire hero, but an average looking guy who wasn't overly romanticised which was quite refreshing for a change. The supporting cast, which consists of Amaliyas Grandmama, my personal favourite, her cousin, Cians fiancée and a vampire hunter were all wonderfully written.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Rhiannon Fraters stories.
As I said before this was a really good story with great characters. Cian wasn't the usual beautiful vampire hero, but an average looking guy who wasn't overly romanticised which was quite refreshing for a change. The supporting cast, which consists of Amaliyas Grandmama, my personal favourite, her cousin, Cians fiancée and a vampire hunter were all wonderfully written.
I'm looking forward to reading more of Rhiannon Fraters stories.
April 9, 2012
First off...FYI...ebook at Amazon.com is only $0.99!
I DEVOURED this book, I could not put it down! Which, is why it got the fourth star. Technically it is probably only a 3 star book but I so easily sunk my teeth (hee hee) into it that I had to up the rating a little. It's got it's editing issues, but I was able to look past that...mostly.
Amaliya, for me, is a young-modern-inked up-sexed up-slightly trashy-female Vampire Lestat. She doesn't really know who she is, where she belongs, who loves her or why anyone really would. She's a sad creature who falls under dire circumstances and has to fight her way in an unknown world. She's no simpering weakling though, she's a fighter and I loved that about her though she isn't the most endearing character I've ever read, she's a screw up - but hey aren't we all at times.
At one point, I thought wow - this author really is not going to give this kid a break! It was cruelty after horror after bad luck after dumb ass mistake.
The characters where all fairly interesting, some (Sam) with a nice side helping of annoyance. Some with humor. Some with pure sex appeal. And this book has its fair share of sex. Not a recommendation for the youngins - this is NOT your Sparkly Happy Vampire Love Story!!
Overall this was a fun read and I will happily follow the series!
I DEVOURED this book, I could not put it down! Which, is why it got the fourth star. Technically it is probably only a 3 star book but I so easily sunk my teeth (hee hee) into it that I had to up the rating a little. It's got it's editing issues, but I was able to look past that...mostly.
Amaliya, for me, is a young-modern-inked up-sexed up-slightly trashy-female Vampire Lestat. She doesn't really know who she is, where she belongs, who loves her or why anyone really would. She's a sad creature who falls under dire circumstances and has to fight her way in an unknown world. She's no simpering weakling though, she's a fighter and I loved that about her though she isn't the most endearing character I've ever read, she's a screw up - but hey aren't we all at times.
At one point, I thought wow - this author really is not going to give this kid a break! It was cruelty after horror after bad luck after dumb ass mistake.
The characters where all fairly interesting, some (Sam) with a nice side helping of annoyance. Some with humor. Some with pure sex appeal. And this book has its fair share of sex. Not a recommendation for the youngins - this is NOT your Sparkly Happy Vampire Love Story!!
Overall this was a fun read and I will happily follow the series!
June 24, 2010
My first Rhiannon Frater book, but certainly not my last. I rather enjoyed her style of writing and am looking forward to reading her zombie trilogy.
Pretty When She Dies... not exactly a title that left me super curious about the book, but that cover sure did. In case you haven't been watching, I'm somewhat of a sucker for a good vampire story; especially if said story has vampires that aren't emo and vegetarian. No worries on that front in this novel. These vampires know what they need to survive and how to go about getting it.
The book starts off with a bang; our main character pushing her way out of a grave and trying to figure out what the hell happened to her. From there it only gets better as she has to figure out how to survive as a vampire with absolutely no instructions from her maker (who's a real piece of work himself).
Despite a few editorial errors, the novel was a hit with me. Great pacing and a kick ass heroine who has her faults and knows it. A few pretty hot sex scenes, great supporting cast of characters (love, love, loved the Gramma), and a decent plot line -- not much more I could ask for in a vampire story... except maybe a sequel?
Pretty When She Dies... not exactly a title that left me super curious about the book, but that cover sure did. In case you haven't been watching, I'm somewhat of a sucker for a good vampire story; especially if said story has vampires that aren't emo and vegetarian. No worries on that front in this novel. These vampires know what they need to survive and how to go about getting it.
The book starts off with a bang; our main character pushing her way out of a grave and trying to figure out what the hell happened to her. From there it only gets better as she has to figure out how to survive as a vampire with absolutely no instructions from her maker (who's a real piece of work himself).
Despite a few editorial errors, the novel was a hit with me. Great pacing and a kick ass heroine who has her faults and knows it. A few pretty hot sex scenes, great supporting cast of characters (love, love, loved the Gramma), and a decent plot line -- not much more I could ask for in a vampire story... except maybe a sequel?
March 26, 2014
I liked the idea of vampires having different powers (that's not very unusual) and I thought the idea behind the Summoner was nice and creepy...but I did not like Amaliya. Not at all. I also found the story line to be a bit too predictable. There were some funny moments, but overall Amaliya was too oblivious and dumb for me.
Also, and I only bring this up because this popped up a few times throughout the book, while I found the heroine's name really pretty and unusual, what the heck is the point of other characters pointing this out? Why go to the trouble of explaining that Amaliya's name is Russian but the spelling might have been altered? And then her little sister's name is Rachel?! Lame! Well, not Rachel the name itself, just that Amaliya gets this name that had thought and effort put in behind it and then there's Rachel...better than Raychel or something but still. What's the point of all this anyway?!
Romance was so obvious and not really an issue, more of a convenience and a lust. Hopefully it works out for them. I see that this is the first book in a series, so huh..not sure what will happen next!
Also, and I only bring this up because this popped up a few times throughout the book, while I found the heroine's name really pretty and unusual, what the heck is the point of other characters pointing this out? Why go to the trouble of explaining that Amaliya's name is Russian but the spelling might have been altered? And then her little sister's name is Rachel?! Lame! Well, not Rachel the name itself, just that Amaliya gets this name that had thought and effort put in behind it and then there's Rachel...better than Raychel or something but still. What's the point of all this anyway?!
Romance was so obvious and not really an issue, more of a convenience and a lust. Hopefully it works out for them. I see that this is the first book in a series, so huh..not sure what will happen next!
July 17, 2013
4.5
We meet 24 yr old college student Amal as she climbs out of a grave after three days. She stumbles back to her dorm room dirty. hair full of bugs, in pain, stomach cramping from hunger.
She doesn't know what's happened to her, but after she cleans up she goes out in a daze and finds some college kids having a orgy. Bad things ensue and then her Professor shows up. He's the one that killed her and made her Vampire. He tells her that he will be watching for his amusement to see how she copes. He will not help her in anyway.
What follows is a fun. sensual. deadly journey as Amal tries to connect with her family, struggles with the Hunger. tries to find help from her own kind and discovers her new powers.
Great supporting characters. It had a Gothic, but urban feel and was funny in places because of the situations (not the annoying pseudo humor some try too hard to write) I'm definitely reading the other two books.
We meet 24 yr old college student Amal as she climbs out of a grave after three days. She stumbles back to her dorm room dirty. hair full of bugs, in pain, stomach cramping from hunger.
She doesn't know what's happened to her, but after she cleans up she goes out in a daze and finds some college kids having a orgy. Bad things ensue and then her Professor shows up. He's the one that killed her and made her Vampire. He tells her that he will be watching for his amusement to see how she copes. He will not help her in anyway.
What follows is a fun. sensual. deadly journey as Amal tries to connect with her family, struggles with the Hunger. tries to find help from her own kind and discovers her new powers.
Great supporting characters. It had a Gothic, but urban feel and was funny in places because of the situations (not the annoying pseudo humor some try too hard to write) I'm definitely reading the other two books.
September 27, 2009
An excellent dark-urban-fantasy with great character development. I loved so many of the elements in this book. The villian, the action, the monsters, the gore, and the romance, altogether created an exciting story. Many of the elements are traditional vampire lore but there is a twist to Frater's main vampire and without providing any spoilers, I have to say I loved it.
June 10, 2011
4.5 stars. Review to come.
October 9, 2012
Kindle free download 5/2/12. Review to come...
April 16, 2020
Finally a vampire story with some darkness!
Amaliya has always been a bit of a loner, even before she was turned into a vampire. She’s had a tragic past, her family history completely messed up, which left her searching for ways out. When she at last ends up in college, she is turned and left with the task of trying to find others like her. When she finds Cian, she’s content in the thought that someone is willing to help her figure out her new form.
This was definitely unlike a lot of vampire books out there, and I think that was why I enjoyed it so much. It reminded me why vampires were at one time monsters that people feared. The characters are real and easy to relate to. Especially Amaliya. Who can’t relate to wanting to find a place to belong?
The relationship between Cian and Amaliya was easy and sweet. I was happy when she found him because it seemed as if her entire character arc got even better from that point on. Definitely looking forward to seeing how things turn out for them in the next book.
The narrator did a fantastic job with pacing and emotion. She really captured Amaliya’s personality well.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
Amaliya has always been a bit of a loner, even before she was turned into a vampire. She’s had a tragic past, her family history completely messed up, which left her searching for ways out. When she at last ends up in college, she is turned and left with the task of trying to find others like her. When she finds Cian, she’s content in the thought that someone is willing to help her figure out her new form.
This was definitely unlike a lot of vampire books out there, and I think that was why I enjoyed it so much. It reminded me why vampires were at one time monsters that people feared. The characters are real and easy to relate to. Especially Amaliya. Who can’t relate to wanting to find a place to belong?
The relationship between Cian and Amaliya was easy and sweet. I was happy when she found him because it seemed as if her entire character arc got even better from that point on. Definitely looking forward to seeing how things turn out for them in the next book.
The narrator did a fantastic job with pacing and emotion. She really captured Amaliya’s personality well.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
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