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I couldn't seem to contain the inferno burning inside me, being that close to him. Even knowing the danger he posed and the gruesome scenes that must have been caused by him, I still felt a burning inside me every time I heard his voice or felt his hot gaze on me.But I was the Warden. He was one of the damned. We were destined to be at odds. Enemies.Sarah Wood, having just lost her father to cancer, is stunned to discover that the mother she thought was dead is actually still alive. She also show more finds out that the legacy her father left her is a lot more than just an Inn on the outskirts of Nashville, Indiana. She has a frightening new responsibility.This is part one of a series. It is 30,420 words long. show lessTags
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I love vampire-themed books. I have read many, many vampire books over the last few years. But I've never read any quite like The Vampire's Warden. Sarah, the main character, is a Warden, charged with guarding vampires who have broken the laws of the council. The Vampire's Warden has an intriguing opening, involving the mystery of Sarah's mother's supposed death. Is she not dead? Where is she? Why did she leave?
Sarah was a nice character to read. She felt like a real person with real reactions. Every time a new turn was thrown at her, she didn't just shrug and roll with it. Sarah was reactive. She became angry, violent, and skeptical.
The Vampire's Warden has not one, but two sexy, mysterious guys, Alex and Michael. Each man affects show more Sarah in a curious way. The mystery surrounding Alex and Michael is never quite solved, and I was left not quite knowing who was the good and bad guy.
At times, I felt confused as to what was going on in the plot. But, I accepted that because Sarah never quite knows what is happening. I just went with it as "part of the ride", and I'm trusting that all of the questions I had will be answered as the series continues.
All in all, I liked The Vampire's Warden quite a bit. The mystery was continually ramped up throughout the book, leaving me wanting to read more. And I'll definitely give SJ Wright credit for writing an ending that left me in serious suspense. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Vampire's Curse.
Go check out SJ Wright's website: http://www.vampireswarden.blogspot.com/ show less
Sarah was a nice character to read. She felt like a real person with real reactions. Every time a new turn was thrown at her, she didn't just shrug and roll with it. Sarah was reactive. She became angry, violent, and skeptical.
The Vampire's Warden has not one, but two sexy, mysterious guys, Alex and Michael. Each man affects show more Sarah in a curious way. The mystery surrounding Alex and Michael is never quite solved, and I was left not quite knowing who was the good and bad guy.
At times, I felt confused as to what was going on in the plot. But, I accepted that because Sarah never quite knows what is happening. I just went with it as "part of the ride", and I'm trusting that all of the questions I had will be answered as the series continues.
All in all, I liked The Vampire's Warden quite a bit. The mystery was continually ramped up throughout the book, leaving me wanting to read more. And I'll definitely give SJ Wright credit for writing an ending that left me in serious suspense. I can't wait to read the next book in the series, The Vampire's Curse.
Go check out SJ Wright's website: http://www.vampireswarden.blogspot.com/ show less
Sarah is slowly coming to terms that there is such a thing as vampires, especially since there's one taking up residence in her meadow. Shortly after Sarah's father passes away, Dr. Fleming gives Sarah a journal that reveals family secrets she didn't think were even possible. Forced to take action, Sarah steps up and takes on the role as warden with the much needed help from Alex, who claims he knows her mother who abandoned both her and her sister at such a young age.
This book is different from a lot of other vampire books I've read. A warden? Over a vampire? Oh, if I could trap a sexy hunk of a vampire in my backyard and have power over whether or not he could leave, then you can sign me up ASAP! Sarah is slowly learning the ropes of show more being a vampire warden with help from a journal passed down the family line and Alex, human turned vampire turned human again, who was sent to her by her mother. Michael, said vampire, has been trapped in the meadow for a really long time. Like three generations long. Perhaps longer. He doesn't like being trapped there but he will protect Sarah if any harm is issued her way. WHY? He says it's because if his warden dies then he is stuck there forever. Now, that totally makes sense to me but, in some parts of the book Sarah and Michael seem to have some sort of connection, that appears as a surprise to Micheal which make me think feelings run much deeper than just Sarah being his warden?
One of the things I liked about this book would probably be the interactions with Sarah and Michael. Sarah doesn't seem to like Alex sometimes so she seeks help from Michael, only to be totally engrossed by him and can barely keep a grasp on her surroundings. I find those moments between them intriguing and I just wish there was more but, with Michael being a vampire and all, they only talk at night. What I disliked from the book was the weird reactions between Sarah and Alex every time they made physical contact. Alex would always black out and Sarah would always get glimpses of visions or something. I didn't quite understand what that was and neither does Sarah or Alex, so I'm assuming there will be more info on that in the next book?
I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice change in the usual vampy stuff I read. I'm glad it's a series because the first book left me wanting more, especially that ending! I would recommend this book if you're looking for a different kind vampire story. show less
This book is different from a lot of other vampire books I've read. A warden? Over a vampire? Oh, if I could trap a sexy hunk of a vampire in my backyard and have power over whether or not he could leave, then you can sign me up ASAP! Sarah is slowly learning the ropes of show more being a vampire warden with help from a journal passed down the family line and Alex, human turned vampire turned human again, who was sent to her by her mother. Michael, said vampire, has been trapped in the meadow for a really long time. Like three generations long. Perhaps longer. He doesn't like being trapped there but he will protect Sarah if any harm is issued her way. WHY? He says it's because if his warden dies then he is stuck there forever. Now, that totally makes sense to me but, in some parts of the book Sarah and Michael seem to have some sort of connection, that appears as a surprise to Micheal which make me think feelings run much deeper than just Sarah being his warden?
One of the things I liked about this book would probably be the interactions with Sarah and Michael. Sarah doesn't seem to like Alex sometimes so she seeks help from Michael, only to be totally engrossed by him and can barely keep a grasp on her surroundings. I find those moments between them intriguing and I just wish there was more but, with Michael being a vampire and all, they only talk at night. What I disliked from the book was the weird reactions between Sarah and Alex every time they made physical contact. Alex would always black out and Sarah would always get glimpses of visions or something. I didn't quite understand what that was and neither does Sarah or Alex, so I'm assuming there will be more info on that in the next book?
I can honestly say that I really enjoyed this book, it was a nice change in the usual vampy stuff I read. I'm glad it's a series because the first book left me wanting more, especially that ending! I would recommend this book if you're looking for a different kind vampire story. show less
First off, I was a bit disappointed in how short this story was. I blame myself for not making sure it was a full length novel before purchasing it, however. Now, the good: it is a different spin on the typical vampire story. I'm always interested in something that takes a premise that has been done to death and gives it a makeover. The problem with this story is that it does absolutely nothing to actually explain any of the details behind the spin that the author took. Realistically, any of us who enjoy fantasy/scifi/paranormal type stories have to be comfortable engaging in at least some degree of suspension of disbelief. That said, I found the reactions of the characters in the book beyond believable. Point in case: Sarah's handyman show more finds a strange man collapsed outside and they haul him into the house, where she proceeds to have some kind of vision after touching him and passes out herself. But instead of questioning this or freaking out, she goes on up to bed and goes to sleep. Then they let this man she knows nothing at all about not only hang around, but live on the property. Yeah, I just couldn't swallow that. The story felt as though large sections were just skipped over. It was hard to follow because no one asked the questions or had the responses that any normal person would have. It was annoying and frustrating. When it came to an abrupt end, I was both disappointed that no questions had been answered, and glad it was over. This is hardly the response I either expect or desire to have from anything I read. While I am somewhat curious about the answers to all the questions the story raised, I don't plan to read any following books by the author. I think she/he has potential, but needs some guidance on bringing all the loose threads together a bit more coherently. show less
2 ½ Stars
23 year old Sarah Brightman has been running the family B&B alone since her father died of cancer three months prior. Just as Sarah is starting to get used to her heavy load of responsibility she is told that her mother – who she thought had died 14 years ago – is alive. And that her father had left her a journal with details that she needed to know. Five minutes after this bombshell is dropped on Sarah, she finds a wounded young man on her property.
This young man is Alex and he was sent by Sarah’s mother to help her – because she was the new Vampire Warden. The Vampire Warden maintains a sacred plot of land that allows vampires to rest in peace without threat…and it is also a prison. No vampire can enter or leave show more without the Vampire Warden’s permission.
The Vampire’s Warden has an interesting and different take on vampire stories. There are quite a few issues that I had with this novella but it was a very…readable book at the same time. While there were quite a few times I put the book down and had to force myself to pick it up again; I also found myself reading large amounts very quickly.
The beginning of the book starts in a very clunky manner – both with the writing and with the plot. There’s a great deal of random info dumping without really giving any clear information about the backgrounds of the characters or the conflict.
Sarah has just learned that her mother is alive after 14 years of believing her dead…and that is the exact moment that Alex appears at her home. Before Sarah ever speaks to Alex she has some strange reaction to touching him: she falls into some trance or something and begins to see visions.
This type of unwieldy writing is very present in the beginning of the novella but as the book goes on the author catches her stride and it smooths out quite a bit.
The reason why Sarah sees visions when she touches Alex or why Alex was found hurt outside her home is never explained.
I found it a huge leap and an eye-rolling experience to read that little “coincidence.” Her father has been dead for 3 months…why is everything happening now?
Alex tells Sarah that he was sent to her by her mother before she ever cracks open the journal left to her by her father…at which time Sarah throws a hissy fit and stomps off. Sarah does this quite often, actually; she’s quite good at it. Sarah is left a journal that explains everything…but she runs off to demand answers from Alex before really reading the damn thing – only to stomp off again as soon as she hears something she doesn’t want to hear. The really funny part about Sarah’s hissy fits is that she gets over them rather quickly and then adapts to whatever the situation is. Alex shows up, tells her he was sent by her dead mom but no other background info – so Sarah takes him at his word and gives him a job. *face palm*
The author set up a lot of plot strings that she left dangling…but not in a “sequel” kind of way. The characters also felt very flat and unreachable. I didn’t really care about any of them because I had no real emotional connection to them.
The only character that was really interesting was Michael – and his part was small(er) and shrouded in mystery. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Michael:
Speaking of mystery, there are a ton of questions that were left unanswered – the book ends abruptly in what seems to be the middle of the story arc. The disappointing part about that is the author was just catching her stride and the story was getting much more interesting.
I know that that this is a series but I doubt I’ll pick it up. I smell a love triangle coming and that’s not my thing.
All in all – it’s a decent (very) short read if you’re into YA angsty vampire stories and you can ignore the items I mentioned above.
2 ½ Stars!
Note: I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program show less
23 year old Sarah Brightman has been running the family B&B alone since her father died of cancer three months prior. Just as Sarah is starting to get used to her heavy load of responsibility she is told that her mother – who she thought had died 14 years ago – is alive. And that her father had left her a journal with details that she needed to know. Five minutes after this bombshell is dropped on Sarah, she finds a wounded young man on her property.
This young man is Alex and he was sent by Sarah’s mother to help her – because she was the new Vampire Warden. The Vampire Warden maintains a sacred plot of land that allows vampires to rest in peace without threat…and it is also a prison. No vampire can enter or leave show more without the Vampire Warden’s permission.
The Vampire’s Warden has an interesting and different take on vampire stories. There are quite a few issues that I had with this novella but it was a very…readable book at the same time. While there were quite a few times I put the book down and had to force myself to pick it up again; I also found myself reading large amounts very quickly.
The beginning of the book starts in a very clunky manner – both with the writing and with the plot. There’s a great deal of random info dumping without really giving any clear information about the backgrounds of the characters or the conflict.
Sarah has just learned that her mother is alive after 14 years of believing her dead…and that is the exact moment that Alex appears at her home. Before Sarah ever speaks to Alex she has some strange reaction to touching him: she falls into some trance or something and begins to see visions.
“My chest tightened and hazy haunting images rose up before me. These figures were pure pain, a collection of tortured, hopeless souls.”
--page 15
This type of unwieldy writing is very present in the beginning of the novella but as the book goes on the author catches her stride and it smooths out quite a bit.
The reason why Sarah sees visions when she touches Alex or why Alex was found hurt outside her home is never explained.
I found it a huge leap and an eye-rolling experience to read that little “coincidence.” Her father has been dead for 3 months…why is everything happening now?
Alex tells Sarah that he was sent to her by her mother before she ever cracks open the journal left to her by her father…at which time Sarah throws a hissy fit and stomps off. Sarah does this quite often, actually; she’s quite good at it. Sarah is left a journal that explains everything…but she runs off to demand answers from Alex before really reading the damn thing – only to stomp off again as soon as she hears something she doesn’t want to hear. The really funny part about Sarah’s hissy fits is that she gets over them rather quickly and then adapts to whatever the situation is. Alex shows up, tells her he was sent by her dead mom but no other background info – so Sarah takes him at his word and gives him a job. *face palm*
The author set up a lot of plot strings that she left dangling…but not in a “sequel” kind of way. The characters also felt very flat and unreachable. I didn’t really care about any of them because I had no real emotional connection to them.
The only character that was really interesting was Michael – and his part was small(er) and shrouded in mystery. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Michael:
- What did Michael do to get imprisoned?
- What’s with the connection between Sarah and Michael?
- How does Michael get such fabulous and oh so very vampire-like changes of clothes? Michael is first described as wearing black jeans and a v-neck t-shirt the first time we meet him. Jeans didn't start to become common till the '50s and even then they were thought to be rebellious (except as work clothes). Jeans didn’t start to be worn regularly until the late 1960s. Every time Michael’s clothes were mentioned I would think… “How does he get changes of clothes and how the hell does he have black jeans when he’s been stuck in a meadow in the country since 1947??”
Speaking of mystery, there are a ton of questions that were left unanswered – the book ends abruptly in what seems to be the middle of the story arc. The disappointing part about that is the author was just catching her stride and the story was getting much more interesting.
I know that that this is a series but I doubt I’ll pick it up. I smell a love triangle coming and that’s not my thing.
All in all – it’s a decent (very) short read if you’re into YA angsty vampire stories and you can ignore the items I mentioned above.
2 ½ Stars!
Note: I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program show less
2 ½ Stars
23 year old Sarah Brightman has been running the family B&B alone since her father died of cancer three months prior. Just as Sarah is starting to get used to her heavy load of responsibility she is told that her mother – who she thought had died 14 years ago – is alive. And that her father had left her a journal with details that she needed to know. Five minutes after this bombshell is dropped on Sarah, she finds a wounded young man on her property.
This young man is Alex and he was sent by Sarah’s mother to help her – because she was the new Vampire Warden. The Vampire Warden maintains a sacred plot of land that allows vampires to rest in peace without threat…and it is also a prison. No vampire can enter or leave show more without the Vampire Warden’s permission.
The Vampire’s Warden has an interesting and different take on vampire stories. There are quite a few issues that I had with this novella but it was a very…readable book at the same time. While there were quite a few times I put the book down and had to force myself to pick it up again; I also found myself reading large amounts very quickly.
The beginning of the book starts in a very clunky manner – both with the writing and with the plot. There’s a great deal of random info dumping without really giving any clear information about the backgrounds of the characters or the conflict.
Sarah has just learned that her mother is alive after 14 years of believing her dead…and that is the exact moment that Alex appears at her home. Before Sarah ever speaks to Alex she has some strange reaction to touching him: she falls into some trance or something and begins to see visions.
This type of unwieldy writing is very present in the beginning of the novella but as the book goes on the author catches her stride and it smooths out quite a bit.
The reason why Sarah sees visions when she touches Alex or why Alex was found hurt outside her home is never explained.
I found it a huge leap and an eye-rolling experience to read that little “coincidence.” Her father has been dead for 3 months…why is everything happening now?
Alex tells Sarah that he was sent to her by her mother before she ever cracks open the journal left to her by her father…at which time Sarah throws a hissy fit and stomps off. Sarah does this quite often, actually; she’s quite good at it. Sarah is left a journal that explains everything…but she runs off to demand answers from Alex before really reading the damn thing – only to stomp off again as soon as she hears something she doesn’t want to hear. The really funny part about Sarah’s hissy fits is that she gets over them rather quickly and then adapts to whatever the situation is. Alex shows up, tells her he was sent by her dead mom but no other background info – so Sarah takes him at his word and gives him a job. *face palm*
The author set up a lot of plot strings that she left dangling…but not in a “sequel” kind of way. The characters also felt very flat and unreachable. I didn’t really care about any of them because I had no real emotional connection to them.
The only character that was really interesting was Michael – and his part was small(er) and shrouded in mystery. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Michael:
Speaking of mystery, there are a ton of questions that were left unanswered – the book ends abruptly in what seems to be the middle of the story arc. The disappointing part about that is the author was just catching her stride and the story was getting much more interesting.
I know that that this is a series but I doubt I’ll pick it up. I smell a love triangle coming and that’s not my thing.
All in all – it’s a decent (very) short read if you’re into YA angsty vampire stories and you can ignore the items I mentioned above.
2 ½ Stars!
Note: I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program show less
23 year old Sarah Brightman has been running the family B&B alone since her father died of cancer three months prior. Just as Sarah is starting to get used to her heavy load of responsibility she is told that her mother – who she thought had died 14 years ago – is alive. And that her father had left her a journal with details that she needed to know. Five minutes after this bombshell is dropped on Sarah, she finds a wounded young man on her property.
This young man is Alex and he was sent by Sarah’s mother to help her – because she was the new Vampire Warden. The Vampire Warden maintains a sacred plot of land that allows vampires to rest in peace without threat…and it is also a prison. No vampire can enter or leave show more without the Vampire Warden’s permission.
The Vampire’s Warden has an interesting and different take on vampire stories. There are quite a few issues that I had with this novella but it was a very…readable book at the same time. While there were quite a few times I put the book down and had to force myself to pick it up again; I also found myself reading large amounts very quickly.
The beginning of the book starts in a very clunky manner – both with the writing and with the plot. There’s a great deal of random info dumping without really giving any clear information about the backgrounds of the characters or the conflict.
Sarah has just learned that her mother is alive after 14 years of believing her dead…and that is the exact moment that Alex appears at her home. Before Sarah ever speaks to Alex she has some strange reaction to touching him: she falls into some trance or something and begins to see visions.
“My chest tightened and hazy haunting images rose up before me. These figures were pure pain, a collection of tortured, hopeless souls.”
--page 15
This type of unwieldy writing is very present in the beginning of the novella but as the book goes on the author catches her stride and it smooths out quite a bit.
The reason why Sarah sees visions when she touches Alex or why Alex was found hurt outside her home is never explained.
I found it a huge leap and an eye-rolling experience to read that little “coincidence.” Her father has been dead for 3 months…why is everything happening now?
Alex tells Sarah that he was sent to her by her mother before she ever cracks open the journal left to her by her father…at which time Sarah throws a hissy fit and stomps off. Sarah does this quite often, actually; she’s quite good at it. Sarah is left a journal that explains everything…but she runs off to demand answers from Alex before really reading the damn thing – only to stomp off again as soon as she hears something she doesn’t want to hear. The really funny part about Sarah’s hissy fits is that she gets over them rather quickly and then adapts to whatever the situation is. Alex shows up, tells her he was sent by her dead mom but no other background info – so Sarah takes him at his word and gives him a job. *face palm*
The author set up a lot of plot strings that she left dangling…but not in a “sequel” kind of way. The characters also felt very flat and unreachable. I didn’t really care about any of them because I had no real emotional connection to them.
The only character that was really interesting was Michael – and his part was small(er) and shrouded in mystery. There was a lot of mystery surrounding Michael:
- What did Michael do to get imprisoned?
- What’s with the connection between Sarah and Michael?
- How does Michael get such fabulous and oh so very vampire-like changes of clothes? Michael is first described as wearing black jeans and a v-neck t-shirt the first time we meet him. Jeans didn't start to become common till the '50s and even then they were thought to be rebellious (except as work clothes). Jeans didn’t start to be worn regularly until the late 1960s. Every time Michael’s clothes were mentioned I would think… “How does he get changes of clothes and how the hell does he have black jeans when he’s been stuck in a meadow in the country since 1947??”
Speaking of mystery, there are a ton of questions that were left unanswered – the book ends abruptly in what seems to be the middle of the story arc. The disappointing part about that is the author was just catching her stride and the story was getting much more interesting.
I know that that this is a series but I doubt I’ll pick it up. I smell a love triangle coming and that’s not my thing.
All in all – it’s a decent (very) short read if you’re into YA angsty vampire stories and you can ignore the items I mentioned above.
2 ½ Stars!
Note: I received a free copy of this book through the Goodreads First Reads program show less
My thoughts:
This was a fast read. It is mysterious and intriguing. I really enjoyed the characters!
Michael is so interesting! What is really going on? Who is/was Michael and what is he to be to Sarah? Alex is great! What is his story for real? How does he know Michael? Where does this budding friendship between he and Sarah go? Speaking of Sarah... she is a fantastic character. Tough and determined. I can't wait to find out what she does with her new job as The Vampire's Warden. I get the impression that her and Michael will be changing the way things have been for the last hundred years.
The ending is shocking! Total cliffhanger!!! CAN'T wait for book 2!
I will be checking out the final stop on the blog tour where we will be getting a show more sneak peek at book 2.
I enjoyed the story, but feel like it could have been fleshed out in places. I finished with questions - loads of questions. Some of those questions I am sure are left unanswered so that the reader is looking for the next book in the series, but I felt that there were some holes.
All in all though a really entertaining read! Be sure to check it out! show less
This was a fast read. It is mysterious and intriguing. I really enjoyed the characters!
Michael is so interesting! What is really going on? Who is/was Michael and what is he to be to Sarah? Alex is great! What is his story for real? How does he know Michael? Where does this budding friendship between he and Sarah go? Speaking of Sarah... she is a fantastic character. Tough and determined. I can't wait to find out what she does with her new job as The Vampire's Warden. I get the impression that her and Michael will be changing the way things have been for the last hundred years.
The ending is shocking! Total cliffhanger!!! CAN'T wait for book 2!
I will be checking out the final stop on the blog tour where we will be getting a show more sneak peek at book 2.
I enjoyed the story, but feel like it could have been fleshed out in places. I finished with questions - loads of questions. Some of those questions I am sure are left unanswered so that the reader is looking for the next book in the series, but I felt that there were some holes.
All in all though a really entertaining read! Be sure to check it out! show less
This was the perfect "appetizer"...it gave me so much in such a short time but left me wanting more at the same time. The concept is different from most books of it's kind, giving it a unique appeal. After an introduction to these great characters I look forward to reading more Undead in Brown County.
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- Original title
- The Vampire's Warden
- Original publication date
- 2011-02-15
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- 162
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- 201,975
- Reviews
- 11
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- (3.20)
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