Blood Lines (Vicki Nelson #3) in The Complete Idiots Guide to the Ultimate Reading List

Apr 22, 2010 Lisa (Harmonybites) rated it liked it

Shelves: ebooks, horror, fantasy, contemporary, novels, fiction, mystery, crime

I feel a bit mixed on this one, the third novel in the Blood series featuring private detective Vicki Nelson. These ostensibly are "vampire books" since the one regular supernatural character Henry Fitzroy qualifies as one. He's not a very original or charismatic literary creation however. He's in the good guy vein, in fact has a lot less darkness in his soul than most of the type compared to say Joss Whedon's Angel or Chelsea Yarbro's St Germaine or LK Hamilton's Jean Claude. He's along typical I feel a bit mixed on this one, the third novel in the Blood series featuring private detective Vicki Nelson. These ostensibly are "vampire books" since the one regular supernatural character Henry Fitzroy qualifies as one. He's not a very original or charismatic literary creation however. He's in the good guy vein, in fact has a lot less darkness in his soul than most of the type compared to say Joss Whedon's Angel or Chelsea Yarbro's St Germaine or LK Hamilton's Jean Claude. He's along typical vampire lines; he's stronger and faster than any mortal and has aged only a few years over more than four centuries, and he can't stand the sun. Though for a child of Henry VIII (there was a historical Henry Fitzroy) he seems a very modern man.

But the fun of this series so far is more in the supernatural mystery and milieu with which Vicki and Henry become involved. In the first one it was demons, the second it was werewolves. And now in the third here's what's possibly my favorite creature of fantasy and horror--the mummy! An unsealed sarcophagus is brought into Toronto and inside is a pre-dynastic Egyptian mummy--a man cursed and bound for good reason and about to be let loose on Toronto--and in this particular book the stakes are high for both the city and Henry as it seeks to suck in enough soul energy--particularly from Henry--to raise himself to near godhood.

On the other hand, I'm finding myself less and less enamored of Vicki. I did find it refreshing that unlike other urban fantasy heroines such as Anita Blake or Sookie Stackhouse Vicki not only doesn't have superpowers, she's dealing with a handicap that forced her to retire as a police officer--she's going blind. And I do like the grit with which she struggles to stay functioning and independent. However, I have a friend who hated Vicki as idiotic and arrogant from the very first scene of the very first book, and I'm beginning to come around to her point of view. Vicki is stubborn and arrogant to the point of folly, and I rather hate how she does the sex-doesn't-mean-a-thing dance with both Henry and her old partner and lover, Michael Celluci. If you think guys have commitment issues... I'm also tired of the bitch stereotype in fictional female law enforcement. Apparently, if popular thrillers and mysteries are to be believed, all women cops and PIs all have mile-high chips on their shoulders. Just once, I'd like to read one with some diplomacy and social grace who doesn't feel she has to out-macho the men.

But was this still fun? You betcha. There's something a bit tongue in cheek in the way Huff plays with the supernatural motifs, and her dialogue is witty and it's often fun watching Vicki and Celluci especially interact. Celluci gets more of a role than in the two previous books, and that's one of the more welcome developments here. ...more

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Feb 28, 2008 MJ rated it liked it

Shelves: horror, idiots-ultimate-reading, liked-it

When a 4000 year old mummy is let loss in modren day Toronto there are only 3 people who can stop it. Ex-cop turned private investigator Vicki Nelsen, a 450 year old vampire Henry Fitzroy and Vicki's former partner Police Detective Mike Celluci. They have a few problems first Henry and Mike dont like each other and are not happy with working together second how do you stop a 4000 year old mummy from turning everyone in Toronto into mindless zombies to worship his god.

I did not like this book at ...more

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