Twilight, New Moon
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Published Date(s): September 2006 (T/paperback, NM/hardcover)
Letter Grade: A+
The varying reports on vampires as I've seen in fiction:
Amanda Ashley (Deeper than the Night, A Darker Dream, A Whisper of Eternity, etc.)
How to become one: Aside from descriptions of various myths (my personal favorite: being the seventh son of a seventh son,) the generally accepted method is another vampire has to drink a person's blood nearly to the point of death, and then "feed," if you will, it back to them.
Reversable?: Almost always no.
How?: Complicated (i.e. can't remember that well, it only successfully occurred once) but the general jist of it is that it requires another vampire who happens to be willing to help, and who can be trusted not to leave them out in the sun to burn up.
Sun Burns?: Yes
State of Soul: Probably gone.
Teresa Medeiros (After Midnight, The Vampire Who Loved Me)
How to become one: A vampire again has to drink the person's blood, and then at the last moment suck out their soul.
Reversable?: Yes
How?: They have to find the vampire who created them, or if that vampire is dead, the vampire who created them, and so on, and then kill them and take their soul back. It helps if you don't particularly care for them. And if you're brother doesn't kill the one who made you in an attempt to save the woman he loves. Very tricky.
Sun Burns?: Yes
State of Soul: Currently dwelling in someone else. You may, though, have someone else's.
Stephenie Meyer (Twilight, New Moon)
How to become one: A vampire just has to bite you. Apparently vampire fangs are venomous. Assuming they don't lose control and kill you, it takes three days for the venom to spread, eventually reaches the heart, and the heart stops.
Reversable?: No.
Sun Burns?: No, but it does give you a certain... quality that is best not seen by mortal eyes.
State of Soul: Depends on who you ask.
And then you get things like Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, which doesn't deserve mentioning here. All in all, anyone who wanted to start their own book or series on vampires based on what anyone else has already come up with as "general rules" would be sorely confused.
So. I finally gave in and read these books after much pestering, and I finished the combined 1000+ pages in a record two and a half days.
The general synopsis, for those who have not yet given in: Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington, probably the rainiest place in the pacific northwest, to live with her father after her mother remarries to a mediocre strictly-minor-league baseball player. On her first day, she encounters Edward Cullen and his "siblings," who happen to be vampires. The usual avoidance, non-avoidance, avoidance again bit that I'm now well familiar with ensues, with all the mumbling about how everyone smells. It's especially amusing, though, when you throw in the werewolves in New Moon.
Anyway, what you should gather from that ill-phrased paragraph is that Edward, despite all his misgivings and warnings that every vampire hero comes equipped with, is especially drawn to Bella and romance and danger and good fiction-y things like that ensue.
I don't think there was anything about these books that I disliked. You know it's a good book when I'm in love with half the male characters by midway through. For instance, because my copy of New Moon comes equipped with temporary tattoos, I was seriously considering where best to place "Edward" and "Jacob," even before I knew why Jacob would be remotely important, besides as Bella's father's friend's son. Personally, I would have gladly switched out "Bella" for "Jasper" if only because I feel uncomfortable tattooing a girl's name in any of the highly inappropriate places I was contemplating for her male counterparts.
Aside from that-they are fabulous. There was enough suspense and romance and various other important things to keep me reading till the wee hours of the morning. If I was ever impatient, it was probably during New Moon when I was waiting for Edward, or at least some Cullen to appear. I settled very easily for Alice, who currently holds a three-way tie with Jasper and Edward for my favorite.
Oh, hell. I'm not going to write a coherent review, I can already see that. This review should have merely ended with: Go. Read it. NOW!
Author: Stephenie Meyer
Published Date(s): September 2006 (T/paperback, NM/hardcover)
Letter Grade: A+
The varying reports on vampires as I've seen in fiction:
Amanda Ashley (Deeper than the Night, A Darker Dream, A Whisper of Eternity, etc.)
How to become one: Aside from descriptions of various myths (my personal favorite: being the seventh son of a seventh son,) the generally accepted method is another vampire has to drink a person's blood nearly to the point of death, and then "feed," if you will, it back to them.
Reversable?: Almost always no.
How?: Complicated (i.e. can't remember that well, it only successfully occurred once) but the general jist of it is that it requires another vampire who happens to be willing to help, and who can be trusted not to leave them out in the sun to burn up.
Sun Burns?: Yes
State of Soul: Probably gone.
Teresa Medeiros (After Midnight, The Vampire Who Loved Me)
How to become one: A vampire again has to drink the person's blood, and then at the last moment suck out their soul.
Reversable?: Yes
How?: They have to find the vampire who created them, or if that vampire is dead, the vampire who created them, and so on, and then kill them and take their soul back. It helps if you don't particularly care for them. And if you're brother doesn't kill the one who made you in an attempt to save the woman he loves. Very tricky.
Sun Burns?: Yes
State of Soul: Currently dwelling in someone else. You may, though, have someone else's.
Stephenie Meyer (Twilight, New Moon)
How to become one: A vampire just has to bite you. Apparently vampire fangs are venomous. Assuming they don't lose control and kill you, it takes three days for the venom to spread, eventually reaches the heart, and the heart stops.
Reversable?: No.
Sun Burns?: No, but it does give you a certain... quality that is best not seen by mortal eyes.
State of Soul: Depends on who you ask.
And then you get things like Laurell K Hamilton's Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series, which doesn't deserve mentioning here. All in all, anyone who wanted to start their own book or series on vampires based on what anyone else has already come up with as "general rules" would be sorely confused.
So. I finally gave in and read these books after much pestering, and I finished the combined 1000+ pages in a record two and a half days.
The general synopsis, for those who have not yet given in: Bella Swan moves to Forks, Washington, probably the rainiest place in the pacific northwest, to live with her father after her mother remarries to a mediocre strictly-minor-league baseball player. On her first day, she encounters Edward Cullen and his "siblings," who happen to be vampires. The usual avoidance, non-avoidance, avoidance again bit that I'm now well familiar with ensues, with all the mumbling about how everyone smells. It's especially amusing, though, when you throw in the werewolves in New Moon.
Anyway, what you should gather from that ill-phrased paragraph is that Edward, despite all his misgivings and warnings that every vampire hero comes equipped with, is especially drawn to Bella and romance and danger and good fiction-y things like that ensue.
I don't think there was anything about these books that I disliked. You know it's a good book when I'm in love with half the male characters by midway through. For instance, because my copy of New Moon comes equipped with temporary tattoos, I was seriously considering where best to place "Edward" and "Jacob," even before I knew why Jacob would be remotely important, besides as Bella's father's friend's son. Personally, I would have gladly switched out "Bella" for "Jasper" if only because I feel uncomfortable tattooing a girl's name in any of the highly inappropriate places I was contemplating for her male counterparts.
Aside from that-they are fabulous. There was enough suspense and romance and various other important things to keep me reading till the wee hours of the morning. If I was ever impatient, it was probably during New Moon when I was waiting for Edward, or at least some Cullen to appear. I settled very easily for Alice, who currently holds a three-way tie with Jasper and Edward for my favorite.
Oh, hell. I'm not going to write a coherent review, I can already see that. This review should have merely ended with: Go. Read it. NOW!
posted by Steph | 5:02 PM
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