A Shade of Vampire (A Shade of Vampire, #1) in Vampire Lovers!

Jun 07, 2013 Catalina rated it really liked it

As I read this book, I developed mixed feelings for it. The author does a great job in the writing of this book. The book flows well and is easily understandable with no confusion. It was easy to read along and keep up with what was going on.

As I read, I felt myself sucked in into the plot, wanting to know what happens next and how.

One thing I didn't like was that I was unable to connect to the main character, Sofia. Sofia gives hints here and there about her rough home life and gives the impre ...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Julie Paugh rated it it was ok

I was approached by the author and offered a chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, this was a mix of good and bad. First off, I'm a bit of a fussy reader and I can be a bit critical. But I'm also a writer and know how difficult it is to just sit down and write a story of any length or genre.

My experience with reading paranormal romance is limited and I usually read fiction that is far more developed and polished than A Shade of Vampire. Firstly, this isn't a novel. I was approached by the author and offered a chance to read the book in exchange for an honest review. Honestly, this was a mix of good and bad. First off, I'm a bit of a fussy reader and I can be a bit critical. But I'm also a writer and know how difficult it is to just sit down and write a story of any length or genre.

My experience with reading paranormal romance is limited and I usually read fiction that is far more developed and polished than A Shade of Vampire. Firstly, this isn't a novel. I'm not even sure it would qualify as a novella. I would call it the first installment of a serialized novel. And this is different from, let's say, any one of the books in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Whereas any of the Sookie Stackhouse novels were complete stories in their own right but part of a series, A Shade of Vampire is not. It is not a complete story. It is only the beginning of a story.

One thing that irritated me right off was the first person point of view. Ughhh. I find it so tiresome in longer pieces ESPECIALLY when the point of view toggles between two main characters as it did here. It didn't help that when the characters switched from Derek to Sofia, the voice sounded exactly the same.

The characters were not well developed and this is a bit inexcusable given the fact that there were only TWO! Now, not only were they underdeveloped, but what little construction went into the characters was just weird and counterintuitive to most human behavior (or vampire behavior). For instance, I think it was not even two days into Sofia's captivity and she asks if she can decorate a room. WTF! You've been kidnapped, forced to live on an island of vampires who want to eat you and you're thinking about redecorating?? Who would behave like that?? Or in the beginning during an intense moment when Derek nearly kills her, instead of pissing herself like most people would, she instead gives him advice on how to not see himself as a victim!! Now in fairness, there is something revealed about Sofia later on that may explain SOME of her odd behavior but this explanation never really gelled for me. Also, Derek, who had just awoke from a 400 year long nap didn't know anything about television and cell phones. Ok, well that makes sense...BUT he was very adept at speaking modern English and his dialogue seemed very up to date on recent slang and clichés.

I'm not sure who the target reader here is...tweens and teens? If you're an adult looking for a paranormal romance that's a bit steamier, this is not the book for you. This is disappointingly tame. This is why I'm assuming it's intended for a young audience.

Now, I could nitpick all day. That's just how I am but that might give the impression that the book was awful. It wasn't. There was an enjoyment factor in this read even though the romance developed too quickly and was a bit corny. I know that there is a market for this style of fiction and that there are many readers who will enjoy this a great deal. A twilight fan would probably like A Shade of Vampire too. It has a similar feel and read to it as Twilight(and shares similar problems). I only rated this 2 stars. It was just ok. I probably would have given it three stars if any part of the storyline had tied up at the end. There's nothing wrong with a good cliffhanger but this was an incomplete story and that bugged me more than anything else. ...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Lauren (aplpeach) rated it really liked it

A Shade of Vampire:

At first I did not think that I was going to like this book. I had a little trouble with it in the first chapter. However, it managed to pull me in without even realizing it. I am now finding myself hungry to find out what happens to Sofia and Derek.

This book is about a 17 year old girl who in a way has lost everything. She meets a stranger who terrifies her, but then finds what she needs in his brother after he tries to protect her, time and again. She may be his captive, but ...more

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Sep 03, 2013 Diana lullaby rated it it was amazing

I'm gonna be honest here. When I first saw the title, I was a little skeptical about it, thinking that it'd be another one of those common vampire stories. But if there's one thing I love is that the book kinda gets you right from the start till the end. To be precise it was when Sofia was taken by Lucas.

I absolutely LOVE the book. I adore how the main female lead is not a pathetic helpless girl and also how everything's straight to the point. It's not a draggy book that goes on and on about som ...more

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Aug 16, 2013 Shelita rated it it was amazing

Shelves: vamps, would-read-again, reallymade-me-think, series, books-i-own, royalty, awesome, paranormal-romance, e-book, fantasy

This book was , simply put, amazing.

P.O.V.: Dual. The point-of -view flowed really easily throughout the story.

Characters: Were themselves. They were each their very on person; they had different flavors to them. They were people you are easily attracted to.

Setting: The setting was very clear. The author was descriptive enough not to be overwhelming, but enough that you easily form a clear mental picture.

Plot: The plot of this story is a good one. It was mysterious up to a point, but you could ...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Marie33 rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 1-reviews-for-authors

Book provided by the author.

I really enjoyed this book. It was brilliantly written and had a very imaginative plot and alluring characters.
I was hooked from the beginning and can't wait to read the next one ...more

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Aug 14, 2013 Tanya Chinn rated it it was amazing

When I first started to read I was not sure if it was for me. Was leary of a seventeen year old thinking this was for young adult. But the more I read it got into The Shade. I am looking forward to read more.

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