The Vampire Legacy #4: Blood of My Blood

I have read all of the books in this series and enjoyed them tremendously. This is strong and sensuous writing. You care about the characters. Ms. Taylor writes vampiric romances, as opposed to hardcore horror, and for those who like this type of material she is one of the finest talents in the field. I prefer her work to that of Laurell K. Hamilton.

I was given this book and I must admit I do not usually care for vampire novels but to my surprise I found myself really enjoying this one. Karen Taylor is an excellent writer (if this is any example) and uses language with balance and restraint, rather than the over-the-top style of most vampire authors I've tried to read.Furthermore, this book actually has a real and interesting plot, whereas so much vampire fiction seems to be little more than thinly disguised BDSM. Understand, I have not read the other books in this series (hope to do so soon) so I cannot comment on how well this one fits in. But it reads well in its own right, and I didn't feel handicapped by not having read the previous ones. That is not always true of series fiction.

First off I want to say how suprised I am that this book has recieved such a mixed rewiew. I thought this was outstanding, right to the very last page! The characters are really believeable, and the reader can't help but to care about them, even the mean and evil ones.Now for a quick review. In the previous 3 installments of The Vampire Legacy, Deirdre has told us that her daughter died at birth, because that's what she believed....but it's not so. She is very much alive and ready to seek vengenace aganit her mother who left her for dead. The daughter, Lily, wants to kill Deirdre, but before that happens, she wants to take everything her mother has....including her lover, Mitch. The way that Taylor writes will keep the reader engaged until the very last page.What an interesting char Lily is. The reader will see how she's hell bent on revenge she is. Her anger, bitterness, and rage is easily seen. Taylor knows exactly how to create a angry teenager. As usual Deirdre is wonderful. I can't san enough good things about her.I also like how Taylor keeps you up to date with characters that has been in this wonderful series from book one. When you see the characters, it's like seeing old friends. You want to know what's happening with then.If you haven't read any of the books before this one, I urge you to go out and find them. I can promise you that you won't be sorry!This entire series works on two levels. If you like good fiction, then get this book. If you like Vampire fiction, then again, you need to get this book. I can't say enough good things about The Vampire Legacy.

I don't read modern vampire fiction, that strange sub-genre of dark fantasy that may contain elements of humor, horror, romance, and sometimes erotica. I'm a purist: Bram Stoker set the mark more than a century ago and no one, including the ever popular Stephen King and Ann Rice, has measured up to it. On the other hand, I've waited impatiently for five years for the latest installment of Karen Taylor's Vampire Legacy series. Why? Because it was written by Karen Taylor, of course. She has yet to publish a disappointing novel -- a claim that can't be made about King, Rice, or even old Bram himself (yes, there was a Stoker stinker or two).Long overdue, BLOOD OF MY BLOOD carries the Vampire Legacy series in a new direction. Two points of view are presented -- those of Deirdre Griffin and her unexpected daughter Lily -- giving the series room to evolve, which is exactly what it is doing. The familiar cast of characters from the first three novels has grown; a new (and original) conflict has been added; and at the end of the novel, as with Taylor's previous books, I found myself wanting to say to her, "Wait. Don't stop there. What comes next?"Where have you been, Karen Taylor? You aren't going to make us wait another five years for your next book, are you?I don't read modern vampire fiction. I do read Karen Taylor. This is not a contradiction. The author is in a class by herself.

Deirdre Griffin is back after 4 years! This time she is battling the daughter she didn't know she had. All of the Deirdre books are written in the first person, but this is written from the perspective of Deirdre and of her daughter. The book takes the reader from the backwoods of Maine to New York to the streets of New Orleans, mixing in healthy doses of vampirism and Santeria (voodoo). Ms. Taylor has outdone herself in writing a horror novel where you really care about the characters. Defintely a "Couldn't put it down book".