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The Cross (Vampire Federation #2)

3.92 of 5 stars 3.92 · rating details · 178 ratings · 19 reviews

When an ancient cross is discovered in Eastern Europe it becomes a powerful weapon in the war between the trads and the Vampire Federation – but soon, the world is threatened by its discovery…

The cross of Ardaich, feared by vampires, was believed to have been destroyed during the bloody war between the Vampire Federation and the Trads. But its accidental rediscovery could...more

Kindle Edition, 467 pages

Published September 19th 2011 by Avon (first published March 1st 2011)

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Oct 19, 2011 Lou rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arc, other-beings, october-reading

The Ubervampyr want world domination and no peace pact with humans. They are creating a new breed of monster. The Vampire federation have a set of rules and one of them is a peace with humans and they wish to live amongst them.
The battle of power once again takes foot and the federation need to take out the bad guys. An old weapon against the vampires has been unearthed, a cross. With this in the wrong hands the outcome can only turn out to be fatal.
The author bases most of the story in England...more

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Apr 27, 2012 Michael Brown rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

So, 5 days after I finished the first one "Uprising" - helluva romp, great fun - I finish the second. Mmm... it's fun again, if similarly unpolished stylistically, and won't strain your endurance much, but this one had less momentum to it. There was a hint of bawdy Hammer at times - the phrase "sexy she-vampires" pretty much rolls off the fang - and the main Vampire villain, on the cusp of heaving melodrama in the first book, tends toward pompous pontification in this one, like a Bond villain wh...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Paul rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. An Ancient Evil Rises Again…

The cross of Ardaich, feared by vampires, was believed to have been destroyed during the bloody war between the Vampire Federation and the Trads. But its accidental rediscovery could be catastrophic.

Detective Joel Solomon can’t forgive VF agent Alex Bishop for making him a vampire. Yet when the Federation arch enemy Gabriel Stone enlists a vicious killer to retrieve the cross, the couple and their human allies become the only defence against pure evil.

If the cross is...more An Ancient Evil Rises Again…

The cross of Ardaich, feared by vampires, was believed to have been destroyed during the bloody war between the Vampire Federation and the Trads. But its accidental rediscovery could be catastrophic.

Detective Joel Solomon can’t forgive VF agent Alex Bishop for making him a vampire. Yet when the Federation arch enemy Gabriel Stone enlists a vicious killer to retrieve the cross, the couple and their human allies become the only defence against pure evil.

If the cross is used to gain power by the Ubervampyr, the sadistic and primeval race of the undead, it isn’t just ordinary vampires like Alex and Joel who will be in danger. Things could be about to turn very nasty for the human race…

The Cross picks up immediately after the events at the end of it predecessor, Uprising. The reader is immediately thrust into the fallout of the previous novels conclusion. Each of the sides in the conflict has retreated to their respective corners and are licking their wounds.

The action remains just as bonkers as it was in the first novel. There are various sword fights, explosions, massacres and even a Mexican stand-off involving a cable car. I was particularly pleased when I realised that no character is safe, everyone is fair game. Mariani obviously delights in throwing the odd curveball at his readers.

Meanwhile Joel Solomon is coming to terms with the prospect of existing as a vampire. His relationship with Alex has been strained to breaking point, and it is interesting to watch his internal struggle as he accepts his new life. Dec Maddon also returns as the world’s least well equipped, but most enthusiastic, vampire hunter. His journey offers some nice light relief to all the hacking and slashing going on around him. Dec isn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he is great character.

There are a couple of new characters introduced to help expand the VF universe. Without a shadow of a doubt, a psychotic mad man called Ash is my clear favourite. He is an insane human who believes he is already a vampire. His actions are violently destructive, and when he does finally meet some genuine vamps, you just know that there will be blood. His unpredictable nature, in tandem with his brutal savagery, makes all the scenes Ash appears in some of the best in the novel.

It is becoming increasingly obvious as the story develops that the VF are just as corrupt and twisted as the Traditional vampires. Although it is only referenced a couple of times during the narrative, I really hope this is explored in the future. Humanity is stuck in the middle, sandwiched between two rivals that are just as bad as one another.

If Uprising is a referential nod to Blade, then The Cross is a vigorous shake of the head at Blade 2. Mismatched enemies are forced by circumstance to become allies and the Ubervampyrs will certainly put any reader in mind of the Reapers from said film. The bad news is that although they are a great deal of fun, the Ubervampyrs don’t get to make a huge appearance in this book. There are glimpses of their hidden Siberian society but not much more than that. The good news, however, is that based on the revelations that occur toward the novel’s end, there is certainly enough loose ends to merit another book in this series and I’m sure the Ubervampyrs will be back.

The Vampire Federation novels are unashamedly tongue in cheek. It may not be the most original story in the world, but there is no heavy handed pretentiousness. This is just out and out fun. If you are looking for fast paced, old school vampire action you could do a lot worse than Uprising and then The Cross.(less)

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Jun 04, 2012 Christopher Everest rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm not sure whether Mr Mariani was deliberately trying to cross genres by introducing a touch of science fiction into the classic adventure-vampire story but I don't think it worked. The humans and the vampires are believable (Yes, I know !) but the Uber-Vampires from Space living in Siberia underground are not. Call me fussy but I'm a sucker for humanity winning out or just keeping the status quo and surviving but I found this very strange. Did he begin to like his baddy vampires so he made th...more

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Apr 04, 2012 Bizzy Day rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this series. This is the second one and didn't disappoint. Its kind of taking a bit of a reliable, predictable road but I'm ok with that because there's enough gore to sate my appetite! You won't like this book if you don't like graphic blood and guts. Or vampire stuff. But then as a general rule I don't like vampire stuff (thank you Stephanie Meyer) but love this. I'd say worth a read. But make sure you read the first (Uprising) before this one as the story really does continue on where...more

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Oct 25, 2011 Mieneke rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011, fantasy, thriller

So, vampires. For a scaredy cat like me, reading horror is a challenge. And when I think of non-sparkly vampires or non-Joss Whedon-esque vampires for that matter, I think of scary guys trying to kill me. So vampires aren't a natural subject for me to be reading about. But at the beginning of this year I decided that I'd challenge myself to reading more outside of my comfort zone, so horror was definitely on the menu. Thus, when I was asked about reviewing Scott G. Mariani's The Cross, I said ye...more So, vampires. For a scaredy cat like me, reading horror is a challenge. And when I think of non-sparkly vampires or non-Joss Whedon-esque vampires for that matter, I think of scary guys trying to kill me. So vampires aren't a natural subject for me to be reading about. But at the beginning of this year I decided that I'd challenge myself to reading more outside of my comfort zone, so horror was definitely on the menu. Thus, when I was asked about reviewing Scott G. Mariani's The Cross, I said yes and I have to say I was very pleasantly surprised.

As The Cross is the second book in the Vampire Federation series, after Uprising, I was a bit worried that I wouldn't get some of the continuing storylines, but as it turns out Mariani explains what we need to know, without going into info-dumping mode and I never had the impression that I didn't get what was going on due to not having read the first book. It seems like The Cross picks up almost where it left off and introduces us to our protagonists and villains in several chapters.

The reader is taken along on a whirlwind ride of conspiracies, a hidden world inside the one we know and in a way The Cross reads more like a thriller than a supernatural horror novel. And I really liked that. In this book the vampires aren't the monsters, but they do represent the other, a different outlook on life – or maybe rather undeath – than humanity propagates. Mariani's vampires are actually likeable, even the bad guys, Gabriel Stone and company, are not completely beyond the pale and are quite engaging, but then they aren't the biggest villains, they get trumped.

The truly scary characters aren't even vampires, they're a human and the Übervampyr. And these latter are scary but rather unfathomable. Ash, the human vampire wannabe, is a complete psychopath. He kills without remorse and without seemingly giving it any thought. His acts are made even more monstrous by the way Mariani first lets us encounter his victims. We get glimpses of their lives and their personalities in the moments just before Ash enters those lives to end them for evermore. Their normal, everyday lives emphasise their shocking ends and Ash's inhumanity. In contrast, the Übervampyr are never portrayed as anything other than non-human and while they are scary in their patient and single-minded pursuit of domination over the planet and mankind, it is only when they get their hands on Ash that their cause becomes frighteningly attainable. But for some reason the Übervampyr didn't scare me as much as Ash, maybe because they are portrayed as too scary? In the same way a film can be so bad, that it actually becomes funny, maybe the Übervampyrs are so scary, that they're not scary anymore.

The good guys are an interesting bunch of characters as well. At the start I was a bit nonplussed by Chloe, but once she joins up with our intrepid gang she started to make more sense. My favourite, however, was Joel Solomon. I really liked the way Mariani showed him working through the fact that he had been turned and had now become that which he had previously fought and destroyed. His struggle to keep his humanity and at the same time survive as a vampire is of course an oft used trope, just think of Whedon's Angel or Moonlight's Mick St John. But Mariani gives it a nice spin and I loved that undeath didn't mean immortal, unless you get staked or decapitated, but a vampire can actually starve to something worse than death. Joel's slow acceptance of his new state of being and his almost grudging forgiveness of his partner and the vampire who turned him, Alex Bishop, was well done and didn't seem too easy or painless. Dec's acceptance of Joel's being turned was rather too easy though, but that may be explained by the fact that Dec is a rather naive kid that's had his eyes opened rather abruptly and maybe his gut reactions running ahead of his rational reactions.

Overall, I enjoyed The Cross even more than I had expected too. From the flap text I'd expected an exciting story, but what I got was a thriller I couldn't put down. Mariani's vampires are vampires done right and he's created a great world for his characters to run around in. While The Cross ended on a very satisfying note, the next adventure, or better said, mission is already clear and it promises to be just as suspenseful and engaging as this one. I'm really glad I jumped at the chance to review this book and I look forward to reading more of Scott G. Mariani's work. The Cross was released this past October in the UK and will be realised in the US later in the year. If you like a good vampire story or a gripping thriller be sure to check it out!

This book was sent to me for review by the publisher.(less)

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Feb 03, 2012 Carys rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: reads-of-2012, favorites

OMFG!!!!! i loved the first book from this series, the second book blew me away. I think that it is one of the best books that i have ever read. loved it and think that the story was amazing. really want to know if there will be another book in this series as it ended in a way that it seemed like there will be. one of my favorite books. LOVED it and would recommend it to anyone because you will not be able to put it down. READ IT. You will not be disappointed :) xx

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Feb 14, 2012 Rebecca rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Rebecca by: Picked it up in the library

Shelves: fiction, library-books

I nearly took this back to the library unread because I picked it up without looking at it properly and when I did I decided it looked rubbish! However, I really enjoyed it and will read the first book in the series next (which is annoying as I like to read things in order!).

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Apr 08, 2012 Ashish Jaituni rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is a good book. The second one I read on vampires. The strange thing is that I never thought I would be able to complete a fiction about Vampires but I could do it with ease. A good plot, nicely written, interesting and gripping. I have to say that I liked it.

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Apr 22, 2012 Hayley rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was half way through this book before I realised it was the second in a series but it does ok as a stand alone and I actually quite enjoyed reading this book .

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Jan 15, 2012 Rjsmommy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: so-not-twilight-vamps, favorites

I loved this even more than the first! The characters were further developed and the plot thickened. Dec, whom I think is awesome for an almost 18yr. old, becomes a vampire hunter but ends up with a majority of his friends being vampires! Chloe is kick-butt fierce (like all the females in this book...which is another major plus) and Joel and Alex finally admit their feelings for each other. The twists and turns and alliances and betrayals continue throughout leading us to an ending that I can't...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Sharon rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very good reading if you like vampire stories. An excellent writer

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Jan 09, 2012 Stephen rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

fast paced vampire adventure between 2 different factions of vampires and the use the cross which destroys vampires and the plot centres on the creators of vampires to destroy them and turn the earth into human farm for their food, actions moves from romania, siberia to london and england , looking forward to the next part in the series

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Dec 17, 2011 Sam Arnold rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

It is nice when you discover that an author famous for one series of books has the ability to change and write a second series of books. Scott Mariana famous for the Ben Hope books has done this with his Vampire Federation books. The Cross is the second of the books in this series. It is however, as just as good as a standalone book as it is within a series. The book is exciting and fast paced keeping you on the edge of your seat at all times. With this book the author has put his mark on vampir...more

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Mar 06, 2012 Lindsay rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: z2012, vampire, fiction

An exciting continuation in the Federation series.

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Sep 23, 2012 Rob Allen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Lost interest in the plot, same as first novel.

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May 12, 2013 Michael Rutherford rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Not bad started slow.

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Apr 28, 2012 Eric rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

As good as the first book in the series. It's a fun vampire book, nothing ground breaking but a very enjoyable read.

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Oct 14, 2012 Emma rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this book! Just as good as his first vampire book!!

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May 21, 2013 Davidb28 rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 18, 2013 Carolyn marked it as to-read

May 12, 2013 Derek Marchant marked it as to-read

May 11, 2013 Emma marked it as to-read · review of another edition

Shelves: to-read-already-owned

May 09, 2013 Cathryn Makin rated it 5 of 5 stars

May 05, 2013 Chiara marked it as to-read

May 04, 2013 Shaun Hillman marked it as to-read

May 03, 2013 Christopher Balf rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 30, 2013 Barry Mallon added it

May 13, 2013 Phil rated it 3 of 5 stars

Apr 26, 2013 Dawne Smikle-ambrose rated it 4 of 5 stars

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About Scott G. Mariani

Scott Mariani grew up in Scotland. He studied modern languages and film studies at Oxford University and went on to work variously as a translator, language teacher, professional musician, pistol shooting instructor and freelance journalist before becoming a full-time writer. Scott had the idea for the Ben Hope series one day in 2007 while out walking with his dogs in the Welsh countryside. The fi...more

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The Cross (Vampire Federation #2)

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