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Always The Vampire (2011)

by Nancy Haddock(Favorite Author)

3.92 of 5 Votes: 4

ISBN

0425240886 (ISBN13: 9780425240885)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Berkley Trade

series

Oldest City Vampire

review 1: I loved this book; it had everything that a person could ask for, romance, drama and funny parts. Francesca “Cesca” is not only a vampire princess and a ghost tour guide. She’s also the bridesmaid for her best friend Maggie’s wedding but she, her boyfriend Saber and her best friend Triton have to work together to spot a craze wizard and the illness that he created called “The Void” from infecting and killing vampires. There is a great cast of characters in the book from the Marine vampires, the elderly vampire couple all the way to the psychotic stalker of Cesca’s Gormand. All of them bring something to the book, they are not merely background characters, they bring their own flavor to the book. This author created a fun world in her writings and I can’t wa... moreit to check out the other two books by Ms. Haddock.
review 2: Rating: 3.0Genre: Paranormal Romance.Always the Vampire, by Nancy Haddock, is the third book in the Oldest City Vampire series featuring Francesca Melisenda Alejandra Marinelli. Cesca is a 228 year old vampire who was unburied by her best friend and mentor Maggie O’Halloran 14 months ago. As the story opens, Cesca is Maggie’s maid of honor and somewhat of an Obsessive Compulsive with her planning and running around to make sure everything to done to perfection. She is also working to track down those responsible for the Void infection that is killing vampires.Cesca is an unusual vampire in that she surfs with Neil, Maggie’s intended, as well as plays bridge once a week, takes courses online to be an interior designer, shops at Wal-Mart, and hates the taste of blood. Yes, you read me correctly. She actually has a very bad gag reflex when it comes to the smell of blood. She prefers Starbloods synthetic blood with flavors like caramel macchiato instead. Until this story, Cesca has actually not been a real vampire in that she had no obvious powers except for the ability to drain energy and now fly. That all changes in this book. She definitely has telepathic abilities with Triton and Saber. She is also a tour guide for Old Coast Ghost Tour where she has the ability to lure ghosts out for others to see and wears different costumes each time she works.Cesca is in a relationship with Deke Saber who was once a slayer, and who now works for the Vampire Protection Agency (VPA) tracking down Rampants and unauthorized vampire nests. Deke also has the blood of both the vampires and werewolves in his body. It was the way his father introduced him to the world of slaying. Saber has been infected with the Void and both are trying to find a cure before it is too late. Saber even goes as far as asking for Cesca to turn him if he dies. The ending and what Saber does is truly not surprising, but it leaves questions as well. No worries, they are good questions.We finally get to meet Triton, instead of just a peek here and again, who was Cesca’s best friend and one that she was supposed to marry until she was turned into a vampire 228 years ago. Triton, for those who haven’t read the series, is a dolphin shifter. It also seems as though he was responsible for maintaining Cesca’s holdings until she was unearthed by Maggie. He is also showing signs of being Void infected. Triton and Cesca are the only two able to use the amulet that can stop the Void and the threat behind it.This story revolves around the fact that the Void is killing and infecting the Florida vampires, and Cesca seems to be the only one that is immune to it. Some have decided to flee to other places, while others have shriveled up and died painfully. We are introduced to several new characters this time around, both of whom play parts in the conclusion of events.Ancelia (Lia) is a sorceress and a member of the Count of Ancients which also includes faeries, merfolk, werecreatures, vampires, and dragons. Werewolves, it seems, are only extinct in the US. Lia trains Cesca into coming into her powers that will be needed to stop an evil sorcerer responsible for creating the Void. Oh and she loves Moonpies. Lynn Ann Heath appears with Triton and later it is learned that she is part of a group of royalty merfolk thus the same as Triton who was actually created from a magickal spell gone wrong. Lynn appears as being effected with the Void sickness that Cesca, Cosmil, Triton, Saber and Pandora try to stop from spreading.This series takes place mainly in the oldest city in the US St. Augustine, but Haddock does actually visit the surrounding areas like Jacksonville, Amelia Island, Daytona Beach and Palatka to name several. I actually appreciate the fact that she actually took the time to speak with different representatives in the area to get a better feeling for her story. She has some fun characters like the Jag Queens, as well as a vampire stalker named Gorman, who may or may not be related to Cesca.I do like Cesca as a character, except when she talks about all the clothes she wears. I mean, really do we need to know that? Of course, she has excellent taste in clothes except for the fact that she buys them mostly from Wal-Mart. Not hating folks! Just saying. less

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