Staked

The premise: Eric is a vampire with a memory the consistency of Swiss cheese, which is a problem: when he gets mad, he blacks out and can't remember who he's killed or why, and this time, it's gonna cost him: one of his murders has the werewolves on his tail, and they won't let up until Eric is dead-dead. And if Eric doesn't have enough problems, his human girlfriend Tabitha won't leave him alone until he changes her to a vampire, and then he meets Tabitha's little sister Rachel, he finds her much more appealing (which would make sense, since she's not a vampire and Tabitha is). The problem is, he isn't convinced the women in his life don't have something up their sleeves, and it's all he can do just to stay alive right now. Well, as show more alive as a vampire can be, that is.

A head's up: this is the author whose church shunned him for the content of his book, which I guess would be rather horrific and shocking if you don't read this kind of thing on a regular basis and/or don't understand that authors ARE NOT what they write.

My Rating

Worth the Cash: if you're looking for vampires that are not the tragic, long-suffering, romantic hero types, you're going to like Eric. He enjoys what he is and makes no apologies for what he does, even when he SHOULD be making apologies. There's some typical vampire conventions used, but I think Lewis also introduces quite a number of interesting riffs on the genre. The world-building is also pretty interesting, because Lewis dumps all manner of things on the reader (werewolves, magicians, demons) without it getting overwhelming, and the humor in this book, sadistic as it sometimes is, is quite enjoyable. The one warning I would give to readers is that while this book does END with some kind of resolution, there's a lot left hanging and we get only hints to the answers that I really, really, REALLY hope are in the second book, ReVamped, which I do plan on getting my hands on. But for its flaws, Staked is an enjoyable, fast read that's solidly written and one I'm glad I got my hands on it.

The full review, with plenty of spoilers and cover art commentary, may be found in my LJ. As always, comments and discussion are most welcome.

REVIEW: J.F. Lewis's STAKED

Happy Reading! :) show less

The protagonist of STAKED, Eric, is kind of like the male equivalent of Mary Janice Davidson's Betsy Taylor - scatterbrained, unrepentant about his gendered vices (Eric likes hot stripper girlfriends where Betsy favors expensive shoes), but at some fundamental level, his heart is in the right place.

The guy's got serious flaws - early on in the novel, Eric decides he wants to drink from a body wearing nice perfume and so he heads on over to the rich side of town, plucks a celebrated news anchor out of her car, drains her dry and then tosses her decapitated body into a drain...and he doesn't feel guilty afterwards, either - but I have to say, I admired J.F. Lewis for committing to his subject. These vampires are more vampiric than most show more bloodsuckers stalking through paranormal fiction these days. They've got blood instead of saliva, they treat humans like pets or food, and they lose track of time because what's a day or two when you've got eternity? We are shown, not told, how irrelevant and petty human concerns seem to these vampires. And yet the book was fun and hilarious, and many of the characters likable.

The plot is convoluted. Eric finds himself in trouble with a pack of werewolves, and every time he sets out to calm things down he leaves behind a bigger pile of bodies. Meanwhile, in a moment of weakness he decides to give in to his girlfriend Tabitha's demands and turn her into a vampire. Despite being one, Eric doesn't like vampires very much so he figures they'll break up after the change, while Tabitha is convinced she's opened the road to an eternal happily ever after. To make things even more complicated, Tabitha's little sister Rachel comes back from the dead to seduce Eric - and, since Rachel died and was not turned into a vampire, her presence means more bad news.

Definitely enjoyed this title, definitely going to follow through and read the sequel. show less

Also posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2011/02/j-f-lewis-staked-void-city-1.html

It has taken me a few days to get to this, but finally, my review is here. I must say, Lewis debut is why he has made it on my favorite authors list. But even so, there were some things in this book that sort of annoyed me to the point that I wanted to start smacking some sense into people. Not Lewis mind you, although I don't think he would mind, given this book, he seems sort of kinky.
This book throws you right into the action, which I love. We are introduced to the main vampire named Eric. I love Eric just due to the fact that he has this won't-take-any-bullshit attitude. We instantly find out that Eric seems to have some issues with his show more memories. There is a dead vampire next to him in a filthy alley, he killed him, but has no idea how. In that same filthy alley, Eric is stalked by a werewolf who pretends to be a bum. They fight and it was dirty and graphic and I loved it. This pretty much sets the mood of this book.
After being saved and barely making it out alive from the rising sun, Eric goes back to the strip club he owns, The Demon Heart (great name) and this is where we meet the main female of the book. His girlfriend (aka warm sex toy), Tabitha, is head over heels for Eric. But we know Eric doesn't really feel the same way, not only due to the fact that he is a jerk, but the only woman he has ever loved, Marilyn, never wanted to become a vampire. Nonetheless, Tabitha begs him to turn her and he does it as a way to let her go. This is where plenty of bullshit ensues. I mean like the good oh my God I can't believe that happened bullshit, not the bad bullshit. That makes sense, right?
We are introduced to Talbot who is a sexy werecat (I think he is, we are never told) and he is the one who helps Tabitha, not Eric. Eric is off trying to save his ass and screwing Tabitha's barely legal sister, Rachel. Eric is in hot water, but ends up in hotter water when he finds out he killed the packmaster's son (alley bum). I loved how the werewolves were like God's warriors. They are out to destroy vampires at all costs. It is nice and different. But we see that they end up fighting for the same cause over time. I believe this is partially because no one can kill Eric. He is a Vlad. An actual, real immortal vampire. He is impossible to kill, he just regenerates. It is nice to read a book that has immortality correct. Immortality just doesn't mean living forever especially if a simple stab to the heart is all it takes to put you down for good. I don't know, maybe it is just me.
I absolutely loved this book. It is a great urban fantasy, that is written by a man. That alone is enough for me to buy it because it is so rare, well at least it seems that way. This book was very action packed and gory. It really took me back to the beginning of the Anita Blake series, just a little more macho. I loved that it sticks to the original myths about vampires. It is sort of old school, which makes it more enjoyable.
With that being said, I did have a few problems though.
1) Well this isn't much a problem, but it is something that I would have liked. I wish Talbot had a bigger part. He was very mysterious throughout and that only peeked my interest more in him. It would have been nice to see him have a little story.

2) The cover. I know, nitpicky, but still. A cover tells you a part of the story inside. The cover as seen above is misleading. It shouldn't be Tabitha on the front cover. It should be Eric. He is the main character. Most of the chapters are about him. It starts with him and it ends with him. Also the gun she is holding she actually can't hold. The gun can only be held by Eric because it was made for him. So the real cover to stick to should be the one below. Eric looks a tad bit older than I imagined (he "died" when he was 30) and still doesn't seem to be the dominant focus, but it still makes more sense than the one at the top of this post.

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/5539/51cys0ljll8140927.jpg

3) I loved Eric, he is probably one of the coolest vampires ever. But he is a guy which means he is "man-stupid*" (Thank you Adrian Phoenix, I will start using that). You know he is a good guy. Deep, deep, deep down he is a good guy. He has a brain, he is not stupid as far as the real world goes, but where common sense is concerned, he is a dumbass. He is sleeping with Tabitha's sister. To make that situation worse, he knows there is something off about her, he admits it to himself. But being that he is a guy, his blood is elsewhere. He cares for Tabitha, but does seem to love her in a warped sort of way, but he doesn't try to work with her on it, instead he wants their relationship open. Then there is the stuff about who it is that is actually setting him up, he tries not to think about it because he knows it is as bad as it seems.

4) The character of Tabitha herself. Don't get me wrong, I like her, I just can't respect her. The reason I love Urban Fantasy is because the lead characters are a force to be reckoned with. I love stories about strong, female leads who will do anything to protect people especially those she loves. Tabitha is not that character. She wants to be turned into a vampire for the wrong reasons (well, in retrospect, I am not sure there are right ones). She says it is because she loves him, but she is so selfish, she doesn't take the time to figure what he really wants. Tabitha doesn't fight for him anywhere in this book, instead, she is a doormat. She would be his puppet if that means she can stick with him. I wanted to punch the hell out of her because of what happened in the end. If she actually grew a pair of lady balls, it probably would have ended differently. I mean I didn't expect her to become a instant badass overnight, but she didn't even try to be a badass. She never tries to get to know him outside of the bedroom. I am hoping the further I go she learns to pull her head out of her ass, but for now, she needs sense slapped into her.

Overall, this book was just fun to read. Again, the fact that it was written by a man really gives you perspective. It is a book that I believe women will enjoy and men would love. Lots of violence with actual mean and scary ass vampires. If you are a fan of Charlie Huston's Joe Pitt series (review for Already Dead posted here: http://offbeatvagabond.blogspot.com/2010/09/charlie-huston-already-dead-joe-pitt... ) then you will love this. It was an adrenaline rush for me. I wish vampires movies would be done more like this. I liked all the characters, no matter their faults This book has some dark humor to it which I will always love. So if you are someone who wants to like vampires and breaks out in hives at the mention of Twilight (BOOOOOO!), then get your hands on this. It will be one hell of a read. show less

Welcome to Void City!

This book had me hooked right from the get go! How could I not love a vampire hero that has so many flaws. The memory thing he blames on being embalmed and his temper - well, let's just say he blacks out and doesn't remember a thing. But things start getting sticky when he wakes up in an alley and then immediately has to fight a werewolf! And there also seems to be a lot of blood around and body parts!

Tabitha is a strong heroine and she loves Eric and she knows that he loves her, but he won't admit it. It drives her crazy, but when he turns her, she realizes that Eric seems to want to push her away. And she knows that he runs around with human girls, but she tries to keep him with her.

J.F. Lewis has plenty of show more action, love, sorrow, and comedy in this book. His characters have plenty of flaws, which only causes you to love them even more. Twists and turns ready to creep around the corner and snag and surprise you! It was an incredible tale of vampires against werewolves, but who did Eric really have to protect himself from more? His vampires are the kind that can change shape, have different power levels, Vlads, Masters, Drones, Soldiers. Seeing that Eric was a Vlad, the highest on the totem pole, it takes a lot to try and bring him down. Throw in there some holy werewolves, magical bullets and stakes - well, this made everything more complex, but yet, more interesting than your average vampire story! I cannot wait to read the second book in this series, Revamped show less

I didn't think I was going to like this book, as the main character is a man with a capital "M", but I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced action, mystery. The characters are all funny, yet messed up in some extreme way.I finished the book wanting more Eric and totally mad at Tabitha for lack of brains (okay, she's determined and really only looking out for #1, so I guess she can't help it). Hope this is a long series, though some things really need to be made clear *cough**cough* "Eric's death", please?!

Eric isn’t the most competent vampire around. Because he was embalmed, he has issues with his memory and forgets little things – like when the sun is coming up. He also has his temper black-outs which has led to the odd unfortunate massacre that’s always awkward. He also has pretty bad impulse control issues

Hence him turning new girlfriend Tabitha into a vampire. Something he’s done before and it never ever ever works out.

And he’s annoyed the werewolves. He’s not even entirely sure why, but his constant attempts to mollify them keep going rather awry and escalating the problem and he can’t even be sure if someone is acting against him or if he’s just completing his streak of colossal screw ups

I really like the world show more setting here – it’s one of the best depictions of grittiness I’ve seen, because it doesn’t come with the over-the-top grimdark that is usually so common. It’s gritty, yet light hearted, there’s a strong sense of darkness but characters who are still just a bit silly.

I like the world building, l we’re taking some of the very common elements of Urban fantasy – werewolves and vampires but there’s such an original twist on these so very well established themes. The degrees of the vampire power, they way they run the city, the different routes to becoming a vampire and also the very biology of vampires. A lot of books talk about vampires being dead and even bloody tears, but this takes it to the obvious conclusion – and it’s really not all that sexy (unless you have a thing for cold bodies with blood for every bodily fluid). I have to say I love this true analysis. Even more we have some actual attention paid to age gaps, I loved Marilyn outright telling someone that they’re treating Eric like a lovesick teenager when he’s an 80-odd year old man.

But it’s not just the vampires – the whole holy werewolves is definitely an original twist which I didn’t expect. I’ve read a lot of this genre and seeing these old staples spun in entirely new ways is excellent to see.

Then plot was also nicely twisty – Eric finds himself in a war with the werewolves and we’re not entirely sure why. I mean, there’s a very good chance it could be from his own incompetence (Eric being Eric) but we find more and more levels beyond that, and lots of little hints that turn into more as the story develops. It had a few tangents, but in general the book kept me hooked throughout

In terms of plot and world building, this book is a winner. Almost. I still think the main antagonist hasn’t quite thought out his plot or how he’s going to get away with all this without consequences, but compared to everyone else in this book he’s a positive mastermind

I’m not as much of a fan of Eric, the main character, especially early in the book despite generally liking his tone (as a Vlad, an upper-echelon vampire, he’s pretty unkillable and can be pretty blasé as a result). In fact, I dislike him sufficiently to derail a lot of my enjoyment. Eric is a screw up, he knows this, he almost openly embraces it and he frequently castigates himself for screwing things up. And some of the screw ups I wouldn’t mind because they’re natural parts of his odd vampiric biology – he has constant memory lapses and rage-based black outs (which are very very bad because Eric is a very very powerful vampire indeed. It’s quite hard to be as mellow and generally inoffensive as Eric when you keep waking from black outs surrounded by torn up corpses). I could get by with a character with these traits as his frustration with them and attempts to work around them can be endearing elements. But that is compounded by some truly appalling decision making. He turns Tabitha into a vampire for the utterly worst of reasons and then makes no real effort to help her transition. She has sex with another character and it’s such an utterly bad idea that I was literally fighting not to yell at the book. He ignores his problems, he very much has to be forced to act and there are far too many times when he just seems to ignored the various things boiling around him.

I’m also not quite sure of the character. I would say he’s a special male kind of Gary Stu – he not only has the classic super-special-powers-of-specialness that any Mary Sue has, but he also has that classic bro-incompetence shit going on you see in a lot of buddy movies; yet despite his epic incompetence, he’s just has so much awesome woo-woo that he gets out of it. It's kind of like the inept stoner dude from every buddy-movie became superman.

What I will say is to hang in there because the book does manage to scrape up something. In the beginning of this book the flaws with Eric annoyed me a lot and were a real barrier to me actually enjoying this book. But as the book develops we see more of the meat and motivation behind his random and ill-advised acts and we get some justification to some of his more unpleasant, ridiculous and generally frustrating behaviour. It doesn't make it more readable but an attempt to explain the awful was made/ It also helps that Tabitha becomes a much more realised character with her own agency and power. Tabitha’s experiences and viewpoint also reveals some of the pressures a vampire has from their own instincts. Of course, it doesn't help that Tabitha is a pretty terrible character who is eclipsed only by Eric in his awfulness (really, Eric helps all of the characters in this book by being so objectionable that they see decent in comparison).

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Ok. I give this book a 3 because i liked the story line overall. I just thought Eric turns out to be more whiny then brooding. I think Tabitha should have been with Talbot from the minute shes turned BECAUSE of who she turns out to be and who he is hinted to be. you can clearly see and feel the tension and need that radiates off of them. I felt if Marilyn cared enough to spend her whole life wasting away because of Eric she should have just been turned and been with him so we wouldn't have had to suffer through the constant whiny regret. The one surprising funny man ( unintentional i'm sure ) was Philip. he is just the right amount of creepy for this book! I love how the graciously runs a hand over Percy in the glass case like its what show more he did every time he passed! Ha! that was pretty funny! i thought it was pretty cliche Eric gets with tabbys sister Rachel. uhhhh come on. I know shes a witch but thats no excuse for predictability. And i have to say i liked the ending except for the fact that Rodger turned out more whiny then Eric. Like I said the storyline was great . But the characters had a whole lot of room for improvement. I never cast a series out because of the first one so i will read the next one. My fingers are crossed for more stroies of the grown up characters like Talbot and tabby and not so much booohoohoo. show less