First Blood
Anthology
Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy,
Chris Marie Green & Meljean Brook
BerkleyAugust 5, 2008
ISBN# 978-0-425-22400-7
From the Publisher’s site:
You never forget your first blood...Susan Sizemore returns to the universe of her Laws of the Blood novels with a sizzling story of the relationship between a vampire enforcer and a werewolf.
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Erin McCarthy’s Sasha Checkikov flees the bright lights and dangerous slayers of Vegas for New Orleans, where she is saved by a vampire haunted by his past—and hungry for passion.
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Set in the Vampire Babylon world, Chris Marie Green’s story puts the bond between twin female vampires to the test when one of them falls for her prey.
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Meljean Brook’s vampire Annie Gallagher needs help to save a young human girl, but she doesn’t expect the help to come from the FBI agent she loved—and had to give up—when she was transformed.
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My thoughts:
Cave Canem by Susan Sizemore weaves a tale that begins in the past as the first hellhounds come into being. A litter of pups in the present are threatened and it’s up to a strigoi, Dan Conover, to do everything he can to protect them, even if that means trusting the werewolf-witch Tess Sirella, to help.
Russian Roulette by Erin McCarthy opens with a vampire being held against her will. She’s been betrayed, but with little choice Sasha Checkikov will have to trust in her savior, Alister Kirk, to keep her safe.
Double the Bite by Chris Marie Green follows Ben as he tracks down the events that led to his brother’s death. He meets Ginny and Geneva, seductive vampire twins, and his future is changed forever.
Thicker than Blood by Meljean Brook brings Annie Gallagher to the last man she’d ever consider going to for help. With a young girl on the run and in danger, Jack’s FBI contacts may be the only hope for finding Cricket, even if facing him is one of the hardest things Annie’s ever done.
First Blood is a collection of vampire tales from four of today’s popular urban fantasy authors, and what a mix it is. Each story is an interesting contrast to the next. Ms. Sizemore shares a dark tale of hellhounds that, while it is shapeshifters, may be disturbing for sensitive readers. Ms. McCarthy creates a more romantic read. The ending feels a little rushed, but the events leading up to it are enjoyable. Ms. Green gives readers a trip into the dark side of her Vampire Babylon world with vampiric twins who have two very different agendas. Ms. Brook ends this anthology on what will surely be a favorite with readers. Her engaging characters and great detail in this short story really end the compilation on a high note.
Kimberly Swan, Darque Reviews
