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It's not easy being a dutiful maid of honor when you're a vampire in the Sunshine State...
Cesca Marinelli has been slacking on her duties as a vampire princess, but she will be the best maid of honor ever for Maggie's Victorian wedding. However, when her mostly-human honey, Saber, falls ill due to a magical construct called the Void, she knows she'll have to go beyond the call of bridesmaid duty...
The Void is affecting every supernatural being in Cesca's afterlife, including her shapeshifter ex, Triton. To counter the Void's reign of terror, Cesca must fully summon her vampire powers-which may lead to her own doom.
Nancy Haddock lives in St. Augustine, Florida, with her family. This is her third novel.
Review by Stephanie:
Though Always the Vampire is book three of the Oldest City Vampire series, it makes for a pretty entertaining stand-alone novel that both douses in the contemporary romance and urban fantasy genres.
Though it's technically "paranormal romance", I can't get myself to call it that because the actual paranormal elements are extremely minor, if at all, important. Cesca Marinelli is pushing 228, but she does not display any vampirely characteristics. Passersby recognize her on the streets as the town vampire, which is both unrealistically casual and hard to believe. Haddock creates an urban fantasy world that's so modern and chic, but just difficult to relate to.
As a whole, this novel is satisfying, though I must say it's very anticlimactic. The rising action is all of titillating, but the story peaks at a disappointment. Also, the moment I finished it, I couldn't help but wonder, How is this even a vampire story? It just isn't "magical" enough -- or engrossing enough, for that matter -- for me to really consider it paranormal.
The characters, however, particularly the two male protagonists, Saber (Cesca's hunky boyfriend) and Triton (Cesca's hunky ex), make me weak in the knees. ?????????. Just yum. Saber and Cesca's undying (literally...) romance will sweep you off your feet.
Not anything marvelous overall, but it's a fair read for me. The "sexiness" of Cesca's humor and so-called wit (or lack thereof) falls flat, but the plot is suspenseful, and the characters determined, which should count for something.
Quote: "'In [Triton's] younger days, he was a bit of a player. Now? I don't think so, but he is a guy. Men can be too exasperating to be worth the trouble.'
'Or wonderful enough to wait a lifetime for,' Lia said from behind us.'"
Always the Vampire is the third book in this series by Nancy Haddock. The first two are La Vida Vampire and Last Vampire Standing. I haven't read the first two books yet so I dove into this novel head first without the benefit of the background information you get when reading a series. I though that Nancy Haddock did a good job of giving you the twitter version of what had happened in the previous novels. I was glad she did that since I'm a newbie to her series. Cesca is a vampire. Not only a vampire but a vampire princess. She lives in Florida and is a ghost tour guide. Oh yeah, and she also doesn't like the taste of smell of blood. I thought that this element was very unusual. How can you be a vampire and not like blood? However instead of blood, Cesca drinks a synthetic substance called Starbloods. Despite her revulsion to blood, Cesca has many other vamp like qualities but she still hasn't come into her full powers yet. Cesca struggles with everyday life as well as some supernatural obstacles. There a a sort of disease going around and effecting the local vampires called the Void. It's a mysterious substance they call the void. Cesca has to find a way to stop it and be a maid of honor at her best friends wedding. I though the story line was good. I mentioned before that I haven't read the first two novels, so I didn't have all the back story leading up to this one. I was able to follow the story line without getting lost or confused. Cesca is a spunky character. She's got fight and attitude and humor in her. She works together with her hottie boyfriend, Saber to try to solve the mystery of the Void. He's got a unique genetic makeup. He also works for the VPA (Vampire Protection Agency), has a serious attitude and is also infected with the Void. Cesca would do anything to save him, including working with Triton, her lost love who is also infected with the Void. I liked the characters in this novel. There are many unique and interesting characters that made me laugh. Cesca is a fantastic Maid of Honor that I think most women would love to have.
Overall I though this book was good. I'm going to go back and read the first two books though. I think it would make the story more enjoyable for me. However I think you could read this book without reading the previous books too. Like I said before Nancy Haddock gives you a short synopsis of what went down in the first two novels. This is a fun read and it left off with a bit of a cliff hanger.
Francesca Melisenda Alejandra Marinelli, St. Augustine, Florida's only vampire, is a competent woman who gives ghost tours and presently is sharpening her skills as her best friend, Maggie O'Halloran's maid of honor and organizer for an absolutely perfect wedding. Some initial challenges arise with an increased number of unexpected guests and other matters, but suddenly a more formidable threat to the peace and well-being of all appears.
A disease is spreading among vampires which seems in essence to be sucking the life out of them a little at a time, altering their physical condition in a most sickening manner that is only the precursor to a horrific death. The disease is known as the Void, explained to "Cesca," as she is known, as a nonphysical thought form, "a magical construct, likley created in a ritual that focused willpower, visualization, and life force energy," one that is directed by its Creator. Who is the Creator and what is the intent of such a destructive entity? Therein lies the challenge behind this paranormal romance that is also a well-developed mystery with just enough clues to keep the reader flipping the pages to reach the unexpected conclusion.
Along the way, the reader meets a bevy of characters with unique personalities that are funny, fearsome, and possessed of magical powers well-needed as the complex plot unfurls and eventually ties together somewhat confusing loose ends. Passion in relationships abounds, with some remnants from the past resolved with some testy but funny banter.
Cesca's life is threatened frequently, although she seems to the only vamp immune to the encroaching power. Powers pass through various time and space patterns known as the Veil. Cesca, as well as the other characters, must be trained to tackle the devastating, new, and increasingly dangerous events that are kiling human beings as well.
Sometimes difficult to follow but ultimately a light, funny story, Always the Vampire is the third novel in this series that will delight all who love vampire stories, mysteries, the paranormal, and good romance tales. Cesca is a sassy, modern, and feisty vampire character for sure! Very cool story!
In Florida, Maggie O'Halloran asks her buddy Francesca "Cesca" Marinelli to serve as her maid of honor at her Victorian-themed wedding. Accepting the honor, Cesca plans to insure her BFF has the wedding of the century though she has a slight problem with sunshine being a vampire princess.
Besides a wedding better than that of the royals across the pond, Cesca is concerned that her almost all human sweetheart Deke Saber and Triton her shapeshifting dolphin friend have been infected by the Void. To save the men and other paranormal in her life, Cesca will need to employ her somewhat neglected vampiric powers that require amulets she must obtain to ignite her dormant skills; but she fears that may not be enough.
The third zany Sunshine State urban fantasy (see Last Vampire Standing and La Vida Vampire) is a wild amusing thriller as Cesca struggles with saving the paranormal population and hosting the wedding. Readers will enjoy the zany antics of the beguiling heroine and her retinue as always in politics (paranormal and human alike) whether it is DC or Tallahassee, the craving for more power supersedes that L word profanity (logic).
Harriet Klausner
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Overview
It's not easy being a dutiful maid of honor when you're a vampire in the Sunshine State...
Cesca Marinelli has been slacking on her duties as a vampire princess, but she will be the best maid of honor ever for Maggie's Victorian wedding. However, when her mostly-human honey, Saber, falls ill due to a magical construct called the Void, she knows she'll have to go beyond the call of bridesmaid duty...
The Void is affecting every supernatural ...