Twilight Graphic Novels - 5/5

Title: Twilight: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 & 2
Author: Stephenie Meyer (author) and Young Kim (artist)
Series: Twilight the Graphic Novel
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Page Count: 244 Pages (vol. 1), 240 Pages (vol. 2)
Pub. Date: Hardcover published in March 2010, and October 2011 by Yen Press

Rating: 5/5

Vol. 1:

When Isabella Swan moves to the gloomy town of Forks and meets the mysterious, alluring Edward Cullen, her life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn. With his porcelain skin, golden eyes, mesmerizing voice, and supernatural gifts, Edward is both irresistible and impenetrable. Up until now, he has managed to keep his true identity hidden, but Bella is determined to uncover his dark secret...

Vol.2:

Having uncovered the dark secret of her enigmatic classmate, Edward Cullen, Bella Swan embraces her feelings for him, trusting Edward to keep her safe despite the risks. When a rival clan of vampires makes its way into Forks, though, the danger to Bella has never been more real. Will she make the ultimate sacrifice to protect the people dearest to her? 

~ My Review ~

Volume 1:

I love anything Twilight so it is hard for me to be a subjective reviewer. I loved the illustrations, they were way closer to what the characters looked like to me when I was reading then the actors that took over the roles after I had seen the movies (obviously more surreal versions). The settings and bulding we another fun thing to finally see, and with splitting it up into two books even the condensed gaphic novel had so much to offer visually, that I didnt mind how much ad to be left out. I'll leave it at that.

Volume 2:

It was nice to have the rest of the story finally after waiting a whole year. As with the first book, the images are stunning, and the adaptation of the story is just right. I particularly loved seeing the Cullen house and the "bad vamps" the way they were described in the original book.

Overall:

I don't really have anything bad to say about these two books. They are kind of like the Cole's Notes of Twilight for when I want to read the story but can't find the time to fit it in. They are the first graphic novels I have read, but now I am interested in reading some more for comparisson.

My Rating: 5/5

~ You'll like this series if you liked ~
The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer


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B.J. Kenney

NetGalley Review - Lord of the Vampires

Title: Lord of the Vampires

Author: Gena Showalter

Series: Royal House of Shadows: Book #1

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Page Count: 288 Pages (Kindle)

Pub. Date: Published September 2011 by Harlequin Nocturne

Rating: 5/5

*ARC received from publisher through NetGalley*

Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden. To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance. Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out…

Nicolai the Vampire was renowned for his virility, but in a twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” had become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remained was a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who could help him.

In her dreams, a wanton vampire called to Jane Parker, drawing her to his dark sexuality and his magical realm. But for a human, all was not a fairy tale in Delfina. Jane was the key to Nicolai’s memory…but exploiting her meant dooming the only mortal he craved...

~ My Review ~

My first Gena Showalter book, and now I see what all the fuss is about. I loved her writing style and character development. The plot was seamless and kept me riveted. This is the first book in a multi-author series that is fast becoming a new favourite of mine.

One of my favourite things about Lord of the Vampires was Jane. Finally a strong smart female lead! It was a breath of fresh air to not once have to ask "how can't she see this?" There was the element of self-doubt when it came to Jane and Nicolai's future, but they were believable and not overdone.

Nicolai was a fantastic hero in this one. He was strong and powerful, but bound by his captors. Like waiting for a bomb to explode you could feel the anticipation of what he would be able to do once he was released. He killed without qualms and the possessive drive to protect was perfect for the alpha male.

The villains of the story were painted perfectly so that you wanted them to be destroyed. The "Queen of Hearts" and her daughters are revolting and powerful, giving a worthy opponent to the powerful duo that Jane and Nicolai have the potential to become.

I loved the references to Alice and Wonderland, and the undertones of fairy tale that were laced through the framework of the story. I can't wait to start Lord of Rage and see Jill Monroe's continuation from Breena's side of the story.

My Rating: 5/5

~ Other books in this series ~

Royal House of Shadows series:

Book I: Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter (September 2011)

Book II: Lord of Rage by Jill Monre (October 2011)

Book III: Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen (November 2011)

Book IV: Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh (December 2011)

~ You'll like this series if you liked ~

Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward, Guild Hunter Series by Nalini Singh or Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

~ Links 4 More ~

Author Website: here

Read about this series here : here

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Vampire Diaries: To Read or To Watch

Reading: Vampire Diaries
Watching: Vampire Diaries

The Vampire Diaries Series, By: L.J. Smith

I had been told by pretty much everyone I knew that I should watch the show, but I already had the first 5 books on my TBR shelf. I like reading things first so I can picture the characters instead of actors (although side note: I love Ian Somerhalder he does a fantastic job)

So…I started to read the series. I’ve read the first 6 that are out and I can’t wait for the 7th! I had a really hard time pushing past the first book, I didn’t get Elena’s character. But I’m glad I pushed through because after that they just kept getting better.

Plot in under 10 (in case you don’t know):
Girl falls for a vampire and his evil brother, drama!

I would rate the series as an 7/10, it was good and I’m enjoying it, but it’s not my favorite.

Description of the 1st book in the series; 

The Awakening / The Struggle:Elena: the golden girl, the leader, the one who can have any boy she wants. Stefan: brooding and mysterious, he seems to be the only one who can resist Elena, even as he struggles to protect her from the horrors that haunt his past. Damon: sexy, dangerous, and driven by an urge for revenge against Stefan, the brother who betrayed him. Determined to have Elena, he'd kill to possess her. Collected here in one volume for the first time, volumes one and two of The Vampire Diaries, the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them.

Vampire Diaries: The Show - Airing on CW

So once I read all the books I had I watched all the episodes of the show that have aired. I was originally irked by their character changes (and omissions) but now I really like them. My fav. character in the books was Damon and Ian Somerhalder didn’t disappoint, I actually like his character better than what I had pictured when reading. I was able to draw in my husband, and he loves it now too. They don’t stick to the book plot at all but I kinda like it because it gives me more story while I wait for more books.

I give the show a 10, 5 stars and 2 thumbs up ☺