Your source for romantic fantasy on the web
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Karen's Guide to Vampire Romance
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OK, we all love Laurell K. Hamilton’s “Anita Blake” series. The only problem is what to read after we’ve powered through her entire oeuvre. Well thanks in part to Hamilton’s own popularity there are plenty of romantic fantasies available that deal with vampires. These titles cross genres but some may be more on the romance side where the evolution of the characters’ relationship is the major thread and some may have more of a fantasy element, where there is romance but the plot is not about the evolution of a relationship, like in “Anita Blake.” So let me help you discover the authors and titles in this exciting type of romantic fantasy. There are many romance authors who have joined the vampire bandwagon. Some are really great and those are the ones I will talk about. The first author I have to mention is Christine Feehan. Feehan’s vampires are actually Carpathians, an ancient race that is dying out due to a lack of female children. Unfortunately, the men need to find their soul mates or they go crazy, especially after a few thousand years! Luckily there are some human females that can be turned into Carpathians, due to some genetic defect. The only thing I dislike about these books is the uber-alpha males (they feed their mates with their own blood). Another popular author is Sherrilyn Kenyon with her Dark Hunter series. Kenyon’s vampires are not actually blood suckers but men who have traded their souls to Artemis in return for one pure stroke of vengeance. That is, they were wronged horribly in life and trade their souls to right that wrong. Then they have to live forever and fight the real vampires, or Daemons, in exchange. There is an out clause that depends on the Dark Hunter finding his one true love and placing his life, and soul, in her hands. If he can do that and not be betrayed by her, then he once again reclaims his soul and becomes mortal. Other authors to note are Amanda Ashley, Shannon Drake, Maggie Shayne, Lori Handiland, Susan Krinard, and Rebecca York. Of these I have read Drake, Shayne, Krinard and Handiland. Drake’s books are not that interesting, Shayne is mediocre, Handiland is awful and Krinard is Ok. Handiland, York, and Krinard all write about werewolves, not vampires, but I mention them because they are similar. With the popularity of this subject there are many emerging authors that I have failed to include, so keep your eyes open or look in trade publications. Waldenbooks devotes a major part of its bimonthly romance flyer to paranormal romance. If pure romance is too saccharine for your tastes, don’t worry, there are several authors who base their plots less on romance and more on the world they have created. Let’s start with my favorite (after Hamilton), Charlaine Harris. Harris’ main character Sookie inhabits an alternate present where vampires have just outed themselves and become citizens. There are faeries and shifters as well. This author is very similar to Laurell K. Hamilton, in that her heroine has some paranormal powers but remains human. She also gives Sookie a slew of men to choose between. Full of southern charm, hot romance, and great plots, this series is a must read. Another popular author who I must admit to not enjoying is Barb Hendle. Her series starts with Dhamphir, and it is not something I could recommend. The heroine is a vampire hunter, the world is alternate early modern Europe meets Dungeons and Dragons, and the hero is an elf. The romance is so lukewarm it is almost nonexistent and all in all I was left with the feeling that Hendee was trying too hard. We hope this guide helped you! If you have any questions for Karen, feel free to email her at iheartyaoi@rfbookreviews.com. Previous
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