From Halloween Bingo 2018:
The Siren by Kieran Cass
In Her Bones by Kate Moretti
Mr. Churchill's Secretary (Maggie Hope #1) by Susan Elia MacNeal
From Halloween Bingo 2017:
Saga Volume 1 by Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
DC Bombshells Volume 1, 2 by Marguerite Bennett et al
Call of Crows series by Shelly Laurenston
From Halloween Bingo 2016:
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor Lavelle
Vision Volume 1 by Tom King et al
Holly Black takes readers to Coldtown, where Vampires rule, human are there for their blood but hoping to make the eternal turn:
It was supposed to be just another summer party, that was until a window was left open by mistake. Tana awakes in the bathtub, and thinks it must have been some party. As she leaves the bathroom, things do not make much sense, where is everyone? When she enters the living room, she sees the horrors that unfolded in the night. All her friends are drained of blood, there is chaos everywhere. As Tana struggles to come to terms with what has happened she hears cries for help from the bedroom. Her ex-boyfriend is there tied to the bed, bitten and the soon to be snack for the vampire chained in there. Tana has a decision to make, does she flee and try to find help but risk Adian dying or help those in the room. Tana chooses to stay and help which changes her life is forever.
This was a good read, what would have made this an exceptional read is not having the main female character fall for the crazy vampire (and I mean legit crazy, was tortured to be crazy and now has very few sane moments). I get that this romantic connection or fascination that Tana feels towards Gabriel fuels many of the decisions that Tana makes and even to some extent Gabriel too but urggghhh I just don't get it. I get that Black was trying to un-pretty the vampire genre a bit when this book was written, but she still had this dysfunctional relationship in here book but all the vampires are still beautiful. While the setting of a Coldtown is nothing fancy sound more like a slum at points, the Vampires themselves are still beautiful. Other than that I really enjoyed this book.
In this world when you are bitten by a Vampire you have 87 days to not drink human blood. If you make it that long you don't turn you go back to human (I believe, not sure if you are forever changed but the hunger will have passed). The catch is the longer you stay "cold" the more you thirst for blood and basically become crazy with the need of it, so I'm guess not a lot make it that far. Hence the need for the creation of Coldtowns. A place where people can go after they are bitten so that they do not harm anyone else. Problem is once you enter a Coldtown it's almost impossible to get out, for a human.
Black’s concepts of coldtowns was interesting with the perceived safety and regulations they present to the human populations. The have created a reserve type system but with way more regulations and lacking of some modern conveniences and foods. It was also interesting that some of the towns were just created while the human population was still living there so you have people that will never be able to escape. Black also did a great job at highlighting the use of social media and how this affects not only how people think but act as well, and the misrepresentation that is often presented in this medium, not everything is rainbows and gum drops which many of our characters quickly learn. Additionally, some of the vampires have used social media in order to not only promote themselves, but entice humans to come join them in Coldtowns where they do need a constant supply of blood. I think that this quite smart of them, using social media to create a fascination with them and to keep the blood supply up, even though the older Vampires did not see it this way.
Clever chicks who kick ass and go back to save people and are kind to smaller children...I love Tana. There's plenty of creepy atmosphere, and vampire slaying, and gore for days, but there's no swearing or sex (if that's something you look for) and in its own way it's rather wholesome. Tana and Buffy would get along well together.
Library copy
I've made very little progress despite two bonus days at home because other family members get cabin fever and want me to do things other than read. So I 'vs been making Halloween sugar cookies and watching season 2 of The Good Place, and looking at a lot of weather maps. Also I got distracted looking up Springfield MA which is Coldtown, and has a surprisingly large stock of Victorian homes for sale.
But I am really liking Coldtown which centres yet another brave and impulsive heroine and a Russian connection. Two big plates o' shrimp.
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