Thursday, December 3, 2009

Dhampir by Barb & J. C. Hendee

Title:  Dhampir (Noble Dead)

Authors:  Barb & J. C. Hendee
Publisher:  Roc
Publication Date:  January 2003
Format:  Mass Market Paperback, 276 pages
Age Group:  Adult
Series:  Noble Dead (Book 1)

Magiere travels from village to village, going where ever she is needed to hunt the dark creatures of the night.  However, she longs to settle in one place and give up the game.  She and her partner, Leesil, along with their dog, believe they have finally found such a home but peace is not to be found there.  Now Magiere and Leesil must learn more about each others' pasts and face the destiny of Magiere's heritage.

Dhampir is a very dark book.  Even when Magiere and Leesil play at destroying vampires, the fear of the villagers is so real that the act of destroying the creature must be done in the expected manner.  I was instantly caught up in the secrets kept by the characters and how their pasts influenced their current actions.  One of the things that I loved about this story was that the reader not only gets to know Magiere and Leesil but the trio of vampires as well.  The vampires have such strong personalities and histories, making them much more sympathetic than generic monsters would have been.

Dhampir took me much longer to read than it should have but that is no fault of the book.  For some reason, over the last few weeks I have simply been unable to concentrate on reading, even when enjoying the story.  I really wanted to be able to sit and enjoy Dhampir for long stretches at a time because the story did intrigue me and normally I believe it would have held my attention.  Luckily for me, the book was written in such a way that I was able to read short sections and then take breaks without losing the flow of the story.

I am very much looking forward to finding out what happens with Magiere and Leesil as their adventures continue.


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