"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...)