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Beyond Bounds: Vampire Manga, Bondage, Mind Control, Ghosts, Evil Fey, Werewolves, and Storms

By: Assistant Editor

Written by Katie McNeill
Published October 17, 2007

I’ve come across some very good paranormal novels lately; even paranormals without the vampires which seem to be going out of style as the ghosts, weather controllers, and fey move in.

But in the vampire arena there are a few that have just made me weak in the knees. Dark Hunger, Christine Feehan’s dip into manga, was released October 1st. I have to tell you: This is good. This is worth reading even if you think that a graphic novel is not for you. But don’t pick this up expecting it to be anything but what it is, a comic book. I’ve read a ton of reviews on Amazon from angry women who feel that they have been cheated out of a story because Dark Hunger is a graphic novel. Just take it for what it is and enjoy the ride.

Then I read my first ever, but not my last, Black Dagger Brotherhood novel by J.R. Ward, Lover Unbound which was released in paperback September 25th. This is another one that, while most enjoyed it, the over all feel is that everyone was disappointed in some way. Everyone but me, Lover Unbound was fantastic. So fantastic in fact that on my lunch break I’m going to the bookstore to buy the rest of the series.

But if you are looking for something vampire-less there are several that I can recommend.

Beg for Mercy, Toni Andrews foray into the land of paranormal mind control demands attention. This is the first in a series and her protagonist Mercy is the kind of girl you don’t mind spending time with. She’s smart, tough, and with her life full of fun characters there should be plenty of good stories to come.

Fellow Blogcritic Betty Wong read a time traveling ghost story that seems to have it all. “Laurie Brown has written exactly the kind of romance novel I enjoy most in Hundreds of Years to Reform a Rake. It has humor, mystery, ghosts, history and romance all packaged up nicely into an enjoyable paranormal love story. What can I say? I'm a sucker for paranormal romance.”

Then over at Darque Reviews Kimberly Swan says Karen Marie Moning’s Bloodfever, the follow up to Darkfever, is “A thrilling continuation of the Fever series that clearly leaves the story open for much more to come.” Over at Bookfetish, where they gag on bad prose so you don’t have to, Devour by Melina Morel was reviewed. “Whoever did the cover write up got one thing correct- there’s some good sex going on between Catherine and Ian. That’s about it.” But while they didn’t seem to like that one, Riding the Storm by Sydney Croft released in September received “Yum. Just…yum.”

And on that note I think it’s time that I go buy some books.