Legally Undead by Margo Bond Collins + Character Profile

If you like novels where vampires are actually the bad guys and not just some sexy supernatural beings that live for a long time, you're going to enjoy this one! To be honest, I can't really remember the last time I read a book where vampires were clearly evil and the 'bad guys,' and to be honest, I find it refreshing despite all the angst and fighting. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (the movie and the TV series) was one of my favorites shows when I was in high school and I think the TV show is really what got me interested in paranormal and urban fantasy books. LEGALLY UNDEAD really isn't anything like the noteworthy movie/TV show but what is similar is the fact that vampires are clearly the antagonists.

Another great thing about this novel is the fact the writing is very fluid and very captivating. The book reads very easily and the characters are easy to like or hate. Elle Dupree, a normal post-grad student, got sucked into the world of vampires when she walked in on her fiancé being turned into a vampire. Not a great way to break up with someone, especially someone you were living with and planning on marrying. Unlike what a normal girl would do, she didn't run away screaming or cowardly hid from the nightmare. No, she grabbed a wooden letter opener an attacked the vampire sucking blood from her fiancé. We learn later on that her fiancé Greg had chosen to be turned on purpose and Elle feels betrayed and confused by the man she thought she knew.

Nick and his merry gang of vampire slayers are a great addition to the cast. They really help Elle deal with this new life of hers, full of vampires, fighting and always looking behind her shoulder after the sun sets. Nick's team become her unofficial guardians and partners as Elle ends up being their new recruit in the fight against the rising community of vampires because of her unlikely ability to kill vampires. A vampire war is coming and Elle doesn't even consider not fighting in it. Especially after what they did to her new friend and potential love interest, Malcolm after she dragged him into her new life.

A cross between the Stephanie Plum novels and Buffy the Vampire Slayer, this new series will surely please many readers. For those who have read the Stephanie Plum novels I make this association because Stephanie Plum and Elle try their best at investigating but end up making the wrong choices most of the time. While the two series are in two completely different genres, Elle reminds me of Stephanie because she tries her best to accomplish things without necessarily being trained properly, and despite the dark events and death surrounding her life, she has a light and positive outlook on life.

LEGALLY UNDEAD is the first book in a new series and I recommend it to anyone who thinks vampires shouldn't be shiny or sexy. Margo Bond Collins introduces us to a dark side of New York City where vampires are not only killing and preying on humans but trying to gain power. I really hope to see more of Elle and the team because they are a great addition to the urban fantasy genre.

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Character Profile

Greg Parham

Age: 25

Physical description from the book: Greg’s eyes were open, but not seeing anything. There was blood everywhere--on the front of the man’s suit, smeared across his face, trickling down Greg’s side, dripping onto the carpet below the spot where Greg’s feet barely brushed back and forth as he swung from the man’s grip.

Quote that fits his personality: “Did you think I wouldn’t recognize you? You might look different, but you smell exactly the same.”

Best quality: He’s committed to his career as an attorney.

Worst quality: He thinks that the best way to get ahead in his career is to become a bloodsucking fiend.



 

Posted by Tynga at 02:09

 Margo Bond Collins, Publisher, Review, Urban Fantasy, Vampirarchy, vampires, World Weaver Press  3 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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