Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine

[slowfox]

Book III of the Morganville Vampires series, and it's a definite return to form for Claire, Michael, Eve and Shane as they contend with the various human and vampire opponents arrayed against them in the vampire capital of Texas, Morganville.

As I've mentioned before, I wasn't terribly taken with Book II, partly because Claire seemed to be slightly out of character - not the meek thing she'd been previously, and it didn't quite gel. In this instalment, the Claire from the first book seems a little more recognisable... and the plot's a lot more enjoyable too.

Claire's intelligence gets to play a starring role in this one, as she's sent to be tutored by one of the older vampires in town, working on a ... special project. This is all done at Amelie's bidding, naturally, but Claire has little idea how much of an expendable she is in the scheme of things...

That said, both Monica and Oliver separately observe that Claire is no longer a 'nobody' in Morganville - having become Amelie's pet, she's most definitely a player in the scheme of things.

Anyway, Claire puts herself in harm's way (no surprise there) in following Amelie's orders (no surpise there, either), but what's also apparent is that there's a definite blurring of the boundaries between Human=Good/Vampire=Bad going on in Claire's head (we have at least three good vamps, now, and whilst Monica is still a bitch, there was at least slightly less bullying (admittedly this is basically because Monica's trying to find herself some bargaining power). Even Oliver is starting to come across slightly more sympathetically.

The ending queues you up perfectly for book IV, so I'm hoping to make a start on that somewhen.

All in all, an enjoyable read, this one, and definitely makes up for the dip in form of Book II.

Comments

[uninvitedcat]

Yep - I was more satisfied with Book II. Book III actually had them handling the consequences of their choices - I particularly enjoyed it when Michael gave Claire her wake-up call!

[slowfox]

I think Book II was trying to set out the stall for future instalments a little too early... obviously, some of the things that happened there played out here.

Of all the events, though, I think the slight change in how Claire relates to Oliver was interesting. And Amelie's instruction for Claire to attend to her studies forthwith was a little ... cold, no?

[uninvitedcat]

Gah - "more satisfied than with Book II". :curses fingers:

Yes, number 2 was definitely setting up more plots points and suffered a little for it.

As for Amelie, she's supposed to be cold! (I've put no. IV on the Christmas list - here's hoping Santa obliges!)

[carolanne5]

I think I need a break from vampires, the non-fiction element of my to-read bookcase is groaning from lack of attention.

[slowfox]

I think I need a break from vampires

Blasphemy!!!!! :-P

Seriously, though, they're really easy reads, teen-girl vamp chick lit, nice and bite-sized, you'd polish them off in no time</insidious whisper>

[carolanne5]

*laughs*

I still need to finish the Darren Shan saga, the sixth book is outstanding.

[slowfox]

P's started reading those, and is part way through the third book (assuming we're talking Cirque de Freak), but he's also reading, in parallel, the Demon series, and he reckons they're better written (later publishing date, he confirmed, after checking, so 'tis plausible).

[carolanne5]

he reckons they're better written ...

*mental to read list explodes*

[cynthia_black]

Will pass on Books IV and V when we meet for cake :-)

[slowfox]

Most excellent! Rachel Caine's site is saying that Book VIII will be out some time in 2010, so this is clearly a series with legs :-)