I'm not typically a reader of the literature of vampires, but the premise of this book grabbed me from the start. The writing is erudite and unapologetic in its use of phrases in Romanian, as the characters would have spoken. Fortunately, we can pick up what's being said from the context, and it adds a little lagniappe for those who can read it directly.
This book is equally unapologetic about the erotic potential in the world of vampires, and the author lets us see how some of the details that might be distasteful to her main character are nonetheless unavoidable parts of the world she's living in.
And what a world it is! As a reader, I got bogged down in The Historian, which covers some of the same ground, and although I enjoyed the relatively light entertainment of the Sookie Stackhouse books, I wanted something more like the original Bram Stoker Dracula, but brought into the modern world.
Blood Ex Libris delivers, which a richly detailed exploration of the inner struggles between powers within the vampire world, and the surprising attempt to bring a resolution to those conflicts through the tools of... library science. Seriously, one of the most creative explications I've ever seen of the critical role of information organization in society.
Pick it up for the sexy, dangerous fun, devour it for the fast-moving storyline, and reflect on it for a long time to come for the genuine scholarship and creativity. I highly recommend Blood Ex Libris, and I can't wait for the next volume in the story!
Given the current state of the world, I wanted something a bit less intense than the doom and gloom non-fiction that I usually gravitate towards. I didn't know what to expect from this book, but it sounded fun and I liked the cover art. Three days later, I'm very happy I took the gamble, because I really enjoyed this book! The main characters have fantastic chemistry, and the smutty bits of their adventures are as sweet as they are kinky (yes, I flipped back to the naughty parts a few times). Noosh, the protaganist, isn't your standard nerdy-librarian-turned-wild-woman; she has a genuine passion and aptitude for her work, and this is a significant part of her character and story. The historical and literary references are fun, and provide context for the scenes; it's obvious the author is well-read, not just making stuff up that sounds cool and vaguely vampiric. The prose is lush and descriptive, and Noosh and Sandu's world provided a welcome escape from reality, which you probably need as much as I do.
I don’t have a lot of time to write reviews of books, I barely have time to even read them right now!
But I had to stop and take a moment to review this book.
It might look like a typical “paranormal romance” book. And it has lots of romance (and some very steamy intimacy as well) and the building romance between Noosh and Sandu is an integral part of the story. So if you want that, well, this *is* a really well-written romance novel.
But it’s also a lot more. If you like action-adventure novels, the action in this is really well-crafted and fun to live through vicariously.
If you like history, this book is well-researched and has a really fascinating take on how someone from the 1400s would adapt to living today. (Not to give spoilers, but “not easily” is just part of the answer, which adds some real drama to the story….)
Also unexpected: the use of languages to give the book more depth and realness. (And there is an index of translations in the end matter for the book, and some of those swear phrases are just incredible!) That took my appreciation of this book up another notch.
The cover is fun, and the book is fun, too. But it’s more than just “fun.” It’s thought-provoking and the writing is just perfect to pull you into the story and keep you hooked.
I am eagerly awaiting the next book in this series – I have no idea what kind of adventure could possibly follow up this crazy one, but I know it will be unexpected and fascinating.
This book transcends labels. If you like that, you’ll have a blast reading this.
