I received this book for free from the library in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Source: the library
Rachel Caine, Bite Club
by
Rachel Caine
urban fantasy in Hardcover edition that was published by New American Library (NAL) on May 3, 2011 and has 340 pages.
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Other books by this author which I have reviewed include Undone, Unknown, Ghost Town, Dark and Stormy Knights, Devil's Bargain, Devil's Due, Last Breath, Unseen, Hex Appeal, Unbroken, Black Dawn, Working Stiff, Two Weeks' Notice, Bitter Blood, Kiss of Death, Fall of Night, Daylighters, Kicking It, Prince of Shadows, Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, Ash and Quill, Killman Creek, Honor Among Thieves, Smoke and Iron, Honor Bound, Honor Lost
Tenth in the urban fantasy, young adult series, Morganville Vampires, set in a very restricted small town in Texas. For Morganville is a town set up by vampires in a real-life living experiment to see if vampires and humans can coexist. Each vampire Protects particular humans which supposedly prevents attacks on them by other vamps.
My Take
As much as I enjoyed catching up with Claire and Shane and Michael and Eve, there seemed to be a tension missing. All the action was centered on Shane and his anger at vampires. There were a few bits tossed in to engage the other characters but that’s all it was. Little bits. Most of which revolved around Shane.
Not one of the better Morganville Vampires stories.
The Story
Bishop’s gotten loose and has called on his allies to raise money and subvert the humans in Morganville. Part of that plot is a vampire, Vassily, with permission to teach self-defense to humans while another vamp ally, Gloriana, is using her particular glamour to “encourage” certain humans to take it a step further. Between them, they catch Shane in their net and amp up his existing anger against vampires to use in their version of fight club.
Only, what they’re doing to Shane is just too obvious to his friends. Combined with what Claire knows is happening under the surface, the three of them begin to investigate the change in their friend.
The Characters
The residents of the Glass House are our particular heroes: Claire Danvers and Shane Collins and Michael Glass and Eve. Claire is a brainiac and attends advanced university. Shane and Eve both work, our gothic Eve is a barista on campus while vampire Michael is a genius on the guitar.
The vampires include:
Amelie who is the Founder of Morganville, and we’re still fighting her father, Bishop, who attempted a violent coup a while back. Oliver is a sometimes friend of Amelie’s and her second-in-command. Myrnin is an ancient and brilliant vampire who teeters back and forth on the edge of sanity for whom Claire is serving an internship learning all the scientific and alchemical tricks Myrnin can teach her. Frank Collins is Shane’s father — and trust me, there’s no loss in his loss of life. In Ghost Town, 9, Frank was killed and, never one to waste an opportunity, Myrnin scoops up Frank’s brain to replace Ada‘s in his human computer.
Monica Morrell, Gina, and Jennifer are a human brat pack who made Claire’s life a living hell when she first started at Texas Prairie University. Over time, Monica has learned a grudging respect for Claire and it sure doesn’t hurt that Claire is under Amelie’s Protection.
Miranda is a lost child, prey. She also sees into the future and feels she is too dangerous for people to be around her.
The Cover and Title
The cover is pretty innocuous. Claire and Shane give us a haughty pose in front of a wrought iron fence. There is nothing to indicate the subject of this story. I’m not quite sure about the necklaces Claire is wearing as I’ve never gotten the impression this was her style. The title is perfect, however. For this fight club definitely has a Bite to it.
