"Dhampir" by Barb & J.C. Hendee

It turns out that Magiere and her half-elf partner Leesil are a pair of con-men. The con is simple: Leesil pretends to be a vampire, and Magiere makes a show of slaying him in a tremendous display of pointy wooden stakes and fake blood. The peasants are superstitious and naive enough to be fooled, and Magiere walks away with most of the town's money. The real trouble starts when the pair hits a town with a real vampire feeding on its folk. Magiere and Leesil don't really believe in vampires, of course, so the resulting altercation is understandably disturbing for them.

Fortunately Magiere has saved up enough money to buy a small tavern in a coastal town and she manages to convince Leesil to help her run the place. And really, what are the odds that the tavern is located in a town infested by vampires?

I definitely give "Dhampir" a solid B, in the grade department. The characters are interesting, although they do get a little bit annoying at times ( you can only deny the existence of the undead for so long in spite of all the obvious evidence ). For the most part, they are fun and interesting, and there are obviously plenty of suprises hidden in the past of each character (even the dog!). Speaking of the dog, Chap is a really great character, and I hope we get to learn more about him in the future. And yes, there is already a sequel to the book, though that is a review for another day. . .

If you like fantasy and horror/vampires, this is as good a blend as I have read. Though not an instant classic, this book is a fun read and well worth the purchase price. I recommend it.

(Oh, and is it just me or does Magiere look a lot like a goth version of Zoey Bartlett from the West Wing? In any case, the look is definitely working...)

"Dragon Blood" by Patricia Briggs

Our favorite "simpleton" hero is back in Dragon Blood, the sequel to Patricia Briggs' Dragon Bones. This time, Ward must save his love Tisala (oh, and the realm too) from the mad king Jakoven.

This book is a worthy sequel to the first, although it is a bit darker. All of the things that I liked about the first book can be found in the sequel. In particular all of the characters remain true to their nature and their motivations. Patricia Briggs never falls into the trap of making a character stupid just to advance the plot.

Interestingly, once again the ending felt rushed to me. When I was near the end, I remember wondering (again) how she was going to resolve the plot in so few pages. Don't let that stop you from reading it, though. The book is a very enjoyable read and I look forward to getting my hands on some of Ms. Briggs' other books.

I once again recommend this book very highly.

"Dragon Bones" by Patricia Briggs

The main character in Dragon Bones, Ward of Hurog, is not your typical fantasy hero. He is large of stature, but sadly lacking in intelligence (or so it seems). It turns out that his father, an overly cruel man, saw him as a rival and beat him relentlessly. Out of self-defense, Ward decided it might be a good idea to appear less of a threat, leading to him pretending to be stupid. Of course, the stupid act comes with a price - no one really wants to see Ward rule Hurog after his father. So when an unfortunate (at least for Ward's father) hunting accident brings the cruel leader's reign to a sudden halt, Ward is faced with the task of taking over. Outside forces, with the intentionally mistaken impression that Ward is not fit for the position, conspire to take Hurog away from him, and he must find a way to get it back.

Let me just say first that Dragon Bones is one of my all time favorite fantasy novels. There are several reasons for that, but it really all comes down to the characters. I can't think of a single poorly written character in the entire novel. I read so many fantasy books with single dimensional characters, or character that do things you know they wouldn't simply to advance the plot. I think that a lot of authors either concentrate too much on the plot, or simply have a hard time writing good dialog. The characters that Patricia Briggs has crafted in this book have interesting and consistent motives for everything they do. In fact, there are no what I call "sit-com" moments in the book - those awkward moments that Ross always had in "Friends" that make you cringe in almost physical pain. The characters in Dragon Bones always act in ways that are completely in keeping with their nature, goals and the information that they have.

If you are looking for a Robert Jordan epic novel, then keep on moving. Despite the fact that a second book was written, Dragon Bones was written to be a single novel with a fully told story. The plot is good enough to support the characterizations and is certainly interesting in its own right, but it is not intended to be epic. That's actually another thing I really like about the book, you aren't left wondering how many books you will have to read before Dirk Evilsbane (TM) finally fights Wu Tang the Destroyer (TM).

I have only one real criticism of the book: the ending feels a bit rushed. It doesn't take away from the quality of the book, and it never impacts the quality of the characters or the consistency of their actions (meaning that the characters don't start doing annoying things just so the plot can be resolved). However, in a book where everything else is so tight and pulled together, the ending makes it feel like a deadline was approaching. All in all, this is a must-read for any fantasy fan.

I can't recommend it highly enough.