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Showing posts with label Mari Mancusi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mari Mancusi. Show all posts
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Review: Blood Forever by Mari Mancusi
Blood Forever
Author: Mari Mancusi
Release Date: Sept. 4, 2012
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Blood Coven Vampire #8
ISBN: #978-0425253038
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format(s): Paperback (256 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Sunny and Rayne McDonald have had their lives turned upside down thanks to the Blood Coven. But when the past itself is changed, the sisters will do anything to get back what they’ve lost...
After making a deal with the devil, Rayne and her twin sister Sunny have been given the chance to go back in time—preventing that fateful night when Sunny was bitten by Magnus from ever happening. But while Sunny has been offered a vampire-free existence, she finds she doesn’t want to live without Magnus by her side. And although Rayne puts up a stoic front, she secretly wishes that vampire Jareth was back in her arms.
To reclaim their lives, Sunny and Rayne team up to figure out a way to change history for the better. Problem is, Jareth and Magnus aren’t that eager to help two unfamiliar girls who somehow know everything about their vampiric organization. Now, if the twins can’t get the boys on their side, history may spiral out of control—destroying not only the Blood Coven, but quite possibly the entire human race...
What B is talking about:
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Once again, Sunny and Rayne McDonald are back, wreaking panic and mayhem on a level that would make the four horsemen of the apocalypse proud. Thanks to a bargain with Hades himself, Rayne has secured her twin another chance to live, and possibly an opportunity to make the world a better place for everyone they love. If they can just manage to stay away from their yummy vampire boyfriends, that is.
This is the final novel in the Blood Coven series, and Ms. Mancusi unleashes the twins on the world she’s created with something akin to unholy delight. Tampering with the past with disastrous consequences? Check. Zombie attacks that threaten all mankind? Oh yes. Being hailed as heroes when everything miraculously turns out all right (along with the groveling and heartfelt apologies of anyone who ever doubted them)? Certainly!
As with the other novels in this series, Blood Forever is best read when any expectations of consequences and life lessons are set aside in favor of watching from a safe distance while Sunny and Rayne try to save the world. After they’ve endangered it in the first place, of course. The twins are flighty and impetuous, but once I remembered that there’s no rulebook that could possibly apply to them, they were also pretty fun.
The main attraction in the Blood Forever is the twins’ relationships with their vampire boyfriends. These pairings don’t make sense if taken too seriously (centuries-old vampires wouldn’t logically be so handily maneuvered by two high school girls), but they work within the Blood Coven stories. Magnus and Jareth once again discover that they have not only underestimated the twins, but that, without the Sunny and Rayne, all of humanity would have been destroyed.
Blood Forever is a fitting close to an entertaining series. While over-the-top in a few places, it’s that very implausibility that makes the story such free spirited, fast-paced fun. Although Rayne and Sunny are hard to keep up with on occasion, they are very much the heroes of the novel, and they own the story from beginning to end. Ms. Mancusi finishes her series with a doozy of a happy ending, and practically ties the whole thing off with a big, shiny bow. The world is safe, and Sunny and Rayne have finally found their places in it, which, I believe, makes for a perfectly fine ending.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Monday, March 26, 2012
Review: Soul Bound
Soul Bound
Author: Mari Mancusi
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Blood Coven Series #7
ISBN: #978-0425245477
Genre: YA Paranormal
Format(s): Paperback (272 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Sunny McDonald and her vampire boyfriend Magnus are on the run—accused of treason and wanted alive...or undead. And her own twin sister is the slayer sent to track them down.
Rayne would do anything to save her sister Sunny from the Vampire Consortium dictator who wants her dead. Instead, she’s been commissioned by Slayer Inc. to bring her twin back for justice…which Rayne knows means certain death. She also knows that if she and her boyfriend Jareth go against orders, they’re not only signing their own death warrants, but those of every vampire in the Blood Coven.
As a rival slayer with a personal vendetta moves in, Rayne and Jareth know they must do something to stop her. So they embark on their most dangerous journey yet, deep, down beneath the streets of New York City and through the Gates of the Underworld itself. But when a greedy god demands the ultimate sacrifice, will Rayne be forced to choose--between her sister...and the vampire she loves?
What B is talking about:
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One of the more persistent problems I have with the Blood Coven Series as an adult is the effort it takes for me to remember that this series is all in fun, as well as the notion that it shouldn’t be so much work to do so. Rayne McDonald, in particular, is exasperatingly self-absorbed. She’s impatient, narcissistic, irresponsible, and over-indulged by everyone around her. I’ve never read a character that causes so much chaos and destruction, yet gets praised for her valor and courage by those who’ve suffered the most. It makes me want to bang my head on my desk.
Here’s the fun part though: Soul Bound is not written for adults. Once I put on my mental Doc Martens and stomped my way through the novel, it was a lot of fun. The entire story is filled with a busload of oddities, from a 700-plus-year-old vampire pouting his emo-hazed eternity away (but I kind of like emo—shh—don’t tell!), to a horrific, yet fairly avoidable, slaughter (oops!), and even an Underworld ruled over by a Vampires vs. Zombies-addicted Hades. And Rayne’s the one driving.
The entire story is impossible and fun; even more so than the previous stories in this series I’ve read. The twins are in trouble—again—and it’s up to Rayne to get them out of it. Unfortunately, she seems capable of only the opposite. There are also some horrific moments in the story, and Rayne’s rapidly evaporating guilt over the trouble she causes is difficult to accept. Luckily, Mancusi makes sure there’s a healthy dose of fun waiting just around the corner.
Soul Bound is either incredibly frustrating, or highly entertaining, depending on your frame of mind. I imagine Mancusi must have had a great time writing this novel. I enjoyed this addition to the series more than the others I’ve read, possibly because I gave up any attempt at a grownup analysis of the story, got comfy, and followed wherever the characters led. If you’re in the mood for something breezy and fun to indulge your inner teen vamp fan, this story may be the perfect thing.
B’s Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
Other reviews from this series:
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Review: Blood Ties
Blood TiesAuthor: Mari Mancusi
Release Date: August 2, 2011
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Blood Coven Series #6
ISBN: 978-0425241363
Genre: Young Adult, paranormal
Format(s): Paperback (256 pages), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book: |
Though now officially back in the arms of her vampire boyfriend Magnus, Sunny finds she still can't forget the gentle mortal Jayden who once saved her life. And when the darkness threatens to steal his humanity, Sunny finds herself with a choice. Stay true to Magnus and the Blood Coven or defy them in a desperate attempt to save Jayden's soul.
Meanwhile, the Blood Coven is gearing up for its toughest fight yet—going head to head with a splinter group of Slayer Inc who's regrouping in Tokyo, Japan, still determined to take over the world. In dark blood bars and hidden temples, it'll be Vampires vs. Slayers in a showdown that could cost Sunny not only her heart...but also her very life.
What B is talking about: |
Sunny McDonald has just started attending a new school, has already made a few friends, and is trying her best to lead a “normal” life. There are a few problems with that plan, however, one of which is that she recently found out she’s actually a fairy princess. Her twin sister also happens to be a “vamshee” (a vampire/sidhe) fresh out of vampire rehab, and her boyfriend is a thousand-year-old vampire who’s the leader of the Blood Coven. Toss in her mortal friend (and former crush) Jayden, who’s having a crisis of his own, and her hopes for normalcy are toast.
I have to say that Sunny made me want to pull my hair out for the first part of the novel. She’s unthinking, as constant as a dollar store yo-yo, and selfish, a fact that is pointed out to her more than once as the story progresses. Her boyfriend, Magnus, inspired a similar reaction later on, however, by coddling her and persuading her that she’s right, thereby empowering her to repeat the offense. But, why shouldn’t she be those things when the consequences are borne by everyone else, not her?
And therein lies the fun of Mancusi’s book: its main purpose seems to simply be a good romp. Sunny is young, non-human, has a hot/powerful/vampire boyfriend, and, in the end, she’s the one who saves the day. She makes some tremendous mistakes, but her nearest and dearest turn out okay for the most part.
This is the second of the Blood Coven books I’ve had the opportunity to read, and while I think the novel had some moments of pure, quirky fun, the novel as a whole didn’t pull me in as much as the fifth book in the series, Night School, did. The series does alternate narrators between the twins (generally), and I’m very curious to know if that has any bearing on the difference. Regardless, Blood Ties was still a fun book to read, and I’m sure fans of the series will be happy to see Sunny again in her latest adventure.
B’s Rating: |
Liked it, but I had some issues - recommend (B)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Review: Night School
Night School
Author: Mari Mancusi
Author: Mari MancusiRelease Date: January 4, 2011
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Blood Coven Vampire Series, Book 5
ISBN: 978-0425240427
Genre: Young Adult, paranormal
Format(s): Paperback (256 pgs), ebook
I received a copy of this book from the PUBLISHER for the purposes of an honest review.
From the author’s website:
Vampires, Slayers and...FAIRIES? Sunny and Rayne McDonald are about to get SCHOOLED.
After their parents' shocking revelation about their fae heritage and an attack on their lives, the McDonald twins find themselves on the run—forced to hide out at Riverdale Academy , a boarding school for vampire slayers, deep in the Swiss Alps. With no cells, no internet, and no way to contact their vampire boyfriends—the twins are on their own.
Being a vampire stuck in a school full of slayers isn't easy. Especially with no blood substitute stocked on campus. Soon Rayne finds herself succumbing to her bloodlust and losing control—especially around the arrogant, but devastatingly handsome Corbin Billingsworth the Third—who isn't sure whether he wants to kiss her...or kill her.
But when Sunny starts acting strange, Rayne realizes Riverdale Academy may be hiding some deadly secrets of its own—leading to a showdown in Fairyland that may cost the twins their lives.
What B is talking about:
Rayne and Sunny McDonald have just found out that their hippie parents are actually Sidhe, or fairies. Not only that, but the twins’ mother is fairy royalty, and they are fairy princesses! The bad news is that Rayne is really a Goth vampire/vampire slayer working for Slayer, Inc. (but she only slays “baddie vamps”), while Sunny wants to live her life as a normal, human girl. When a band of fairies attack them and their parents, they escape and are hidden away in Riverdale Academy, a training academy for future slayers. They both miss their boyfriends, who are vampires, and Rayne is getting awfully hungry without the synthetic blood she depends on for survival.
I don’t read many Young Adult novels, so this was quite a change from what I’m used to. Bearing that in mind, I had a surprisingly good time reading Night School. Rayne is a flawed protagonist who makes some very serious mistakes, but does her best to deal with the consequences. The events are often erratic, if not Disney World (literally) outrageous, but Mancusi somehow makes it work. I had a “You decided to ride the roller coaster; so you might as well sit up front and put your hands in the air” feeling through a lot of the story, most especially towards the end of the book, when the decisive battle is being fought.
In terms of age-appropriate themes, I believe Night School is suitable for teens aged 15 and above. Sex is mentioned, but none ever takes place in the story. There is some “making out” and perceived infidelity, but the latter is a case of either mistaken identity, in one instance, and survival in the other. There is also some mild language and trendy acronyms/modifications (“WTF” and “effing”), but nothing that isn’t common for the target age range anyway.
The fifth novel in the Blood Coven Vampire Series was good young fun to read, especially as Mancusi liberally pokes fun at more popular current vampiric phenomenon, but I don’t think I would have bought it to read for myself. The teenaged me, however, would probably have been hooked on the entire series, and would likely have enjoyed watching what happens when a strong young woman runs headlong into the reality of her own limitations while bravely defying the perceptions of those around her.
My Rating:
Liked it a lot - recommend (B+)
Labels:
3.5 stars,
Blood Coven Series,
Mari Mancusi,
paranormal YA,
reviews,
YA Literature
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