First Blood (Laws of the Blood, #5.5; Vegas Vampires, #5; Vampire Babylon, #3.5; The Guardians, #3.5) by Susan Sizemore

First Blood (Laws of the Blood, #5.5; Vegas Vampires, #5; Vampire Babylon, #3.5; The Guardians, #3.5) Reviews

• 
  Rhianna

  Bloody Boring
  
  Before I go any further let me just say that I purchased this anthology because it featured four authors I had not yet read but had an interest in sampling before commiting to buying their series books. I know many other readers purchase anthologies for that same reason and because of that I have given this one a pretty low rating. Why? Because every one of these stories fell into a series that the author already writes without offering enough info about said series to be helpful to someone in my never-read-it-before situation.
  
  Fans of these series will probably love these stories as all were well written and though I've not read these authors outside of other anthologies I feel confident saying these are decent examples of what one can expect in their work.
  
  [CAVE CANEM:] by Susan Sizemore is set in the world of her Laws of the Blood series. When a hellhound pup is stolen a vampire and a werewolf partner up to get it back -- I'll admit... after a couple of chapters I had to skim a lot of this one because I didn't understand who the characters were and what was going on half the time. It was intriguing but impossible to enjoy without knowing more about this world/series. 3/5 stars
  
  [RUSSIAN ROULETTE:] by Erin McCarthy is a Vegas Vampires tale... set in New Orleans. Sasha Chechikov has had a really unpleasant life made worse by being a newly turned vampire. When she is rescued by Alistair Kirk she's ready to keep on running but her safety depends on his protection. -- I might have liked this one if I had liked the characters even a little bit. They felt one dimensional and that really took away from the story since they spent most of the story dancing around their attraction to one another. 2/5 stars
  
  [DOUBLE THE BITE:] by Chris Marie Green is stated to take place in the scope of her Vampire Babylon series. When Ben hits NYC in search of the truth about his brother's mysterious death he tangles with a pair of beautiful twins who seem to know information he needs. Ginny and Geneva might look alike but they give a whole new meaning to the concept of good twin and evil twin. -- I did like the general idea of this story but it was really weak and didn't play out in a fashion that was particularly entertaining. 2/5 stars
  
  [THICKER THAN BLOOD:] by Meljean Brook doesn't actually state that it ties into her Guardians series but I'm pretty sure it does loosely as Guardians make a cameo. Annie is a vampire in search of a missing young girl she has sworn to protect but when her need for blood leads her back to the man she deserted six years ago things get more complicated before they get better. -- I liked this one best of the four because it didn't feel as series oriented as the others. I didn't really care for the characters much but the story moved along decently enough I didn't hate it. 3/5 stars
  
  Overall this one just doesn't work for a reader looking to get to know a new author as I was trying to do. The stories all have good potential to entertain but unfortunately seem to all require some knowledge of the series they tie into. Fortunately I'm still interested in these authors based on the quality of writing so I hope that fans of these series will find the stories to be a treat.
• 
  Julie (jjmachshev)

  I’ve said before that I’m a fan of anthologies, especially when the anthology has a stellar lineup of authors. “First Blood” includes stories from four paranormal authors whose series’ are pretty well established and have a large fan base. The book will be a big-seller for those reasons and that’s not a bad thing at all as I enjoyed each story in this anthology for different reasons!
  
  “Cave Canem” is a story set in Susan Sizemore’s ‘Laws of the Blood’ novels. We get a twofer starring both a vampire and a werewolf who have to team up and work together to overcome an ancient threat that’s reappeared. The sparks between these two could light up Las Vegas, especially once they quit fighting each other. Extra points for the cute Hellhounds.
  
  Erin McCarthy returns to New Orleans with “Russian Roulette” a tale of a former slayer turned vampire who is about to find out why a bitter vampire has got to be the world’s worst ex-girlfriend…especially when you’re attracted to the object of her desire!! Strong emotional overtones were the icing on the cake for me in this one.
  
  From Chris Marie Green’s ‘Vampire Babylon’ world, “Double the Bite” is an intense disturbing retake on good and evil, and nature vs nurture when she pens the tale of twin sister vampires. Can good overcome evil and how far would you go to protect a new love…from your evil twin. Very dark, very deep, and a riveting read.
  
  “Thicker Than Blood” is the final story from Meljean Brook and a new twist on enduring love and whether or not some sins can ever be forgiven. Strangely uplifting for an urban fantasy, paranormal story.
  
  So there you have it. Four stories, four winners, and each gave me a very different reason to like it! If you haven’t read these authors, you can still enjoy these stories, and just may end up picking up some of the other books set in the same worlds. If you’re already a fan, then “First Blood” should be on your ‘to-buy’ list already. Shame on you if it’s not!
  
• 
  aarya

  Thicker Than Blood by Meljean Brook: Love a second chance romance where MC1 mistakenly assumes that MC2 is dead or gone forever. Read via library.
  
  All other novellas are unread.
• 
  Kathy Davie

  A four-story anthology about vampires.
  
  Series
  "Cave Canem" (Laws of the Blood, 5.5)
  "Russian Roulette" (Vegas Vampires, 4.5)
  "Double the Bite" (Vampire Babylon, 2.5)
  "Thicker Than Blood" (Guardians, 3.5)
  
  The Stories
  Susan Sizemore's "Cave Canem" was rather cute. It explains the origin of hellhounds — not that believably as I would have thought hellhounds were a lot older than Roman times. Nor did I like all the different names Sizemore was using for a couple characters. I had to keep going back to figure out that they were all the same person. To be honest, it read more like a job Sizemore wanted to check off a list. ALTHOUGH, to be fair, I am interested in checking out the series as I rather liked her characters.
  
  Enforcer Dan Conover's (a.k.a., Corvei) current hellhound Baby has just had a litter of puppies and now someone has kidnapped two of them! It's much too dangerous for untrained hellhound pups to be set loose on the world and Dan must get them back. From the language used in the spell, he knows just who it was...the bitch! Since hellhounds were bred by an ancestor of Tess Sirella's, her line is charged with protecting the hellhounds as well the world from them. And now, the psychic alarm on the current Litter is going off...with a vampire involved. Only...that vampire has messed up the psychic stench of it all!
  
  Erin McCarthy's "Russian Roulette" finds the now-dead Gregor Chechikov's widow Sasha fleeing from Vegas to her childhood friend Ivan in New Orleans who promptly sells her to Cassandra for torturing and selling on to slayers. A move interrupted by Cassandra's ex Alistair Kirk. At first, Alistair simply wants to screw Cassandra over but he soon finds himself falling in love. It's cute.
  
  Chris Marie Green's "Double the Bite" provides an ending for Gin and Geneva, vampire twins who left Sorin and his Underground in Los Angeles to get out from under his influence and see something of the world.
  
  Meljean Brook's "Thicker Than Blood" was excellent although I had a difficult time connecting it with the Guardian series until Brook finally brought Lilith, a.k.a., Agent Milton, into the storyline. I also suspect this story picks up where an earlier story left off and, even though Brook finished the immediate story, it was still rather irritating to not know what happens to Jack Harrington III and Annie Gallagher. I'm hoping I'll find out in the next in the series, "Demon Bound".
  
  Anyway, Annie "died" six years ago before Jack got the nerve up to propose. Now he caught her about to drink his blood after breaking into his apartment. It's a delicate dance of Annie admitting to her new status in "life" even as Jack is determined he won't lose her again while the two of them search Philadelphia for a human child, Cricket, the only survivor of a Nephilim attack that wiped out the vampires in the city.
  
  The Cover and Title
  The cover is all red and black. A red fossilized background with a woman standing, legs spread wide, left hand cocked on her hip and turning back to taunt us while dressed in a low-backed, black mini-dress and casting a definite shadow.
  
  The title is a misnomer as it's only the last two stories that could possibly have a point about First Blood.
• 
  Cris

  Sizemore's story was rushed. And once again I saw no hint of *romance* anywhere. Some quick sex, but no relationship development. I know it's harder in a short story, but this was pretty pathetic. Chris Marie Green's story was a little less pathetic. Erin McCarthy's story was pretty good. There was character development *and* relationship development. Even though the ending was anti-climatic. *snicker*
  
  Maeljean Brook's story was definitely the best, and the reason the collection got three stars rather than two or one. Her story had everything: character development, relationship development *and* a good plot!
  
  
• 
  Bree

  Yeah, I'm revisiting the Meljean Brook novellas I skipped in my haphazard dash through her backlist. <3
• 
  Tuti

  "Cave Canem" (Laws of the Blood, 5.5) by Susan Sizemore (3 out of 5)
  It took me a while to figure out what the story is about and who the main characters are. There are too many names and events being thrown around in the first half of the story. The resolution at the end is too easy considering all the drama going into it.
  
  "Russian Roulette" (Vegas Vampires, 4.5) by Erin McCarthy (3 out of 5)
  Alistair Kirk releases another vampire, Sasha Chechikov, from imprisonment and tries to protect her. The resolution is also a bit too easy at the end.
  
  "Double the Bite" (Vampire Babylon, 2.5) by by Chris Marie Green (3 out of 5)
  This is the story of twins Ginny and Geneva against a human Ben Tyree who is in NYC investigating the death of his brother Logan. Neither Ginny nor Geneva are likable character. Ginny continues to try to dupe Ben until she has no other choice. The conclusion of the story is not satisfying, and the "epilogue" is even worse.
  
  "Thicker Than Blood" (Guardians, 3.5) by Meljean Brook (3 out of 5)
  Annie met her human sweetheart, Jack, again while she was looking to save a human girl. Meljean Brook consumes more pages than the other 3 authors in this book, but there is really not that much in this story. It's just plodding along.
  
• 
  Colleen

  I started this paranormal romance anthology in order to read another of Meljean Brook's stories in her series featuring The Guardians, but actually enjoyed all four novellas.
  
  "Cave Canem" by Susan Sizemore – This, the 6th Laws of the Blood story, is about vampire Enforcer Dan Conover and werewolf/witch Tess. Conover has raised Hellhounds for nearly two thousand years, ever since his former werewolf lover Syrilla mated with his war hound Beast and begat the race of protectors. That was in ancient Rome when he was the vampire known as Corvei. Conover awakens from a magic-induced dream about that event only to discover that two of the three Hellhound pups in Baby's current litter have been stolen. Tess also senses the magical theft and sets out toward Conover's kennel in Phoenix to track the demon responsible. Meanwhile, people are being slaughtered by the Hellhound pups, and both Conover and Tess join forces to track the thief, whom they believe is Conover's sire Valentine. What Conover and Tess don't expect is the attraction they feel for one another.
  
  I'm always glad when a short story grips you from the beginning with the action, and doesn't weigh the reader down with lots of character description. Sizemore actually starts off with character background, but it is disguised as action – Conover's magic-induced dream of how Hellhounds came into being. Further background is sprinkled into the action as other characters are introduced. The plot is fast paced, filled with several twists, and the resolution is very satisfying – as is the romance.
  
  "Russian Roulette" by Erin McCarthy – This novella is the 5th Vegas Vampires story, and while not taking place in Las Vegas, it features bar owner/musician Alistair Kirk and fledgling vampire Sasha Chechikov. Knowing that his cruel, ex-wife Cassandra is holding a woman hostage in her home, Alistair impulsively rescues Sasha and brings her back to his apartment above his New Orleans vampire bar. Raised in Las Vegas by her mother, who was vampire Gregor Chechikov's blood slave, and sold to Cassandra after Gregor's death, former vampire slayer Sasha trusts no one, least of all another vampire. After being turned into a vampire, her slayer "friends" turned on her, and recently, her only vampire friend betrayed her as well. Now Alistair expected her to pretend to be his girlfriend in order to protect her. Sasha's history of abuse and betrayal by men and vampires has made her a survivor, and she grudgingly plays along looking for her opportunity to escape. What neither expects is that their first kiss – a ploy to throw off Cassandra's bodyguards when they show up in Alistair's bar – will lead them toward romance.
  
  This is another satisfying novella with just the right mix of description and action. Although it is more of a romance than "Cave Canum", it is one of the more successful novella romances that I've read. McCarthy lets the action drive the characters toward romance and trusting one another, rather than having the romance develop as the action takes place and the characters are heading toward solving a mystery. Her characters are interesting, likeable, and well developed. I especially appreciate her setting remaining constant and intimate – something that I think helps provide strength to the romance. There's even a nice, little plot twist at the end that doesn't feel forced.
  
  "Double the Bite" by Chris Marie Green – A Vampire Babylon story falling between books #2 and #3, which focuses on twin vampires Ginny and Geneva, who have left their maker Sorin and their progeny back in Los Angeles and in 1978 are now living in New York. Ginny feels an immediate connection to small town deputy Ben Tyree, who shows up at the famous discothèque Studio 54 during its heyday asking questions about his missing brother Nolan. Psychically sensing Ginny's affection for Ben, Geneva is jealous of her twin and mistrusting of Ben, sensing that he could be trouble. She worries that due to Ginny's kindhearted nature that she might also help Ben, while divulging vampire secrets to him. Keeping a tight rein on her attraction to Ben, Ginny assures Geneva that she only sees him as a potential meal. Feeling a kinship to Ben & Nolan's sibling love, her growing attraction to Ben, and the strain of her sister's cloying nature pulling at her, she decides to help Ben discover what happened to Nolan.
  
  I found this novella to be quite a treat, if a bit heavy on the sex and light on the action. However, I enjoyed the idea that the infamous drugs and sexcapades of Studio 54 would be the perfect place for vampires to congregate and feed unnoticed, so at least the setting supported it leaning more toward romance. Also on the plus side, is the fact that the characters and whodunit are equally intriguing and the resolution's final twist was very satisfying.
  
  "Thicker Than Blood" by Meljean Brook – This Guardians tale falls between books #3 and #4 and follows vampire Annie Gallagher's attempt to locate a missing human girl named Cricket. What this rogue vampire enforcer never expects is that her quick, midnight snack will bring Annie's pre-turned past back into her life and that her best ally to find the girl will be her husband and FBI agent, who thinks she's dead. As if tracking for the girl and fighting her love for her husband isn't enough, Annie's trying to avoid the demon nephilim who are seeking out vampires in various cities and destroying them.
  
  As with the previous Guardians stories that I've read, this one is a successful balance of action and romance with the character background and development fostered along the way. I appreciate that Annie's mission is more complex than she first believes. Additionally, rather than her current modus operandi of using her work as a means to hide from her past, I enjoyed that circumstances along the way force her to reconcile with her loved ones before she can be at peace with her afterlife – a common theme in The Guardians books.
  
• 
  Kimberly

  My review originally posted on Joyfully Reviewed:
  http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/revie...
  
  
  “Cave Canem” by Susan Sizemore
  When hellhound pups are stolen from under Dan Conover’s nose, an unlikely alliance is made. Vampire enforcer Dan is bound by a promise to guard the hellhounds. Werewolf Tess Sirella is charged with making sure no hellhound is trained to tap into its evil, murderous potential. Vampires and werewolves aren’t supposed to be attracted to one another…but for every rule, there’s an exception.
  
  “Cave Canem” is part of Susan Sizemore’s Laws of the Blood series. I found the story to be entertaining and the world Ms. Sizemore has created to be interesting. However, Tess and Dan’s love story seemed rushed and much of the story was dominated by the subplot. I feel Tess and Dan’s love story would have been stronger and more believable in a longer format; there simply was too much going on in the novella and not enough time for the romance.
  
  For a newcomer to the series, such as myself, it was easy to follow the main plotline of “Cave Canem.” However, there was clearly too much history in the series for the subplot involving Valentine and Yevgeny to have an impact at all, which is perhaps part of the reason I found them to be so distracting. All in all, I think the story will be enjoyable to fans of the Laws of the Blood series.
  
  
  “Russian Roulette” by Erin McCarthy
  Alistair Kirk is a bar owner, a musician, and a vampire. When he hears that a fledgling vampire is being held captive and faces certain death, he rushes to the rescue. Sasha Chechikov, once a vampire slayer, now a vampire herself, is on the run from her former associates. Sasha’s past leaves her wary of trusting anyone, but she can’t deny the sparks that fly between her and her sexy savior. Will Alistair be able to protect Sasha from her enemies? And will two vampires who seem so different from one another learn what it means to truly love?
  
  “Russian Roulette” is the first story I’ve ever read by Erin McCarthy and I will definitely be buying more of her books in the future. I believe the novella is connected to Ms. McCarthy’s Vegas Vampires series, but having never read the books I had no problems following the story at all. Alistair was interesting, patient, protective, and sexy as all get out; in other words, the ideal hero. Sasha was vulnerable, yet had a spine of steel and I found her to be endearing. A fast-paced story with truly likeable characters made “Russian Roulette” a highly entertaining read.
  
  
  “Double the Bite” by Chris Marie Green
  On a hunt to find the cause of his brother’s mysterious death, Ben Tyree finds himself at the infamous Studio 54, and soon in the path of two preternaturally beautiful women. Ginny and Geneva aren’t just twins, they’re vampires. Their connection is put to the test when Ginny falls for Ben, much to Geneva’s anger. How can Ginny choose between the man she’s falling in love with and the sister who won’t let her go?
  
  “Double the Bite” is part of Chris Marie Green’s Vampire Babylon series, but there was enough background given that the story was able to stand on its own. The story was interesting enough, but I found myself inexplicably unmoved. I liked Ginny and Ben, but didn’t feel attached to them. Though the story was not for me, I believe fans of Ms. Green’s Vampire Babylon series will likely enjoy “Double the Bite.”
  
  
  “Thicker Than Blood” by Meljean Brook
  Six years ago, Jack Harrington was in love with Annie Gallagher, until her sudden death turned his world upside down. But when an intruder breaks into his home one night, the former FBI agent can barely believe his eyes – Annie’s alive…and a vampire.
  
  After her sudden transition, Annie couldn’t bear to let Jack see all that she had become. One night she gives into temptation and decides to feed off a man who resembled Jack, only to find herself face to face with the man himself. Now that they’re together again, Jack’s not about to let Annie go, vampire or no. And Annie needs Jack’s help to find a missing girl named Cricket. Danger swirls around the pair as they search for Cricket while a demon bent on destroying all vampires closes in on the pair. Will love lost and found be able to overcome supernatural odds?
  
  By far the strongest story in the anthology, I absolutely loved “Thicker Than Blood.” Meljean Brook has delivered and engaging, thrilling, romantic tale that both seduces and satisfies. From the first page, I was hooked. Annie and Jack were both interesting, intelligent, and likeable – they felt real. I couldn’t put this story down, rooting for them to get their happily ever after and not being able to move until I was certain they would.
  
  The fact that Jack and Annie had been in love before the story began made the romance work better within the anthology format. Their history was seamlessly intertwined with the present. Similarly, the romance and the “action” threads of the story wove together flawlessly.
  
  “Thicker Than Blood” is the sixth installment in Ms. Brook’s Guardian series, but newcomers are given enough information that there will be no problems following along. Fans of the series will undoubtedly enjoy seeing a few of their favorite characters appear in the story. Utterly perfect!
  
  
  First Blood is a terrific anthology for fans of vampire romance. First Blood included four stories connected to or part of established series. I will definitely be checking out Ms. McCarthy’s Vegas Vampire series now and Meljean Brook, already an autobuy author for me, has delivered another fantastic installment to her Guardian series. For these two authors alone I would buy this anthology. Dark and sexy, First Blood is not to be missed!
• 
  Skye

  This is a fantastic blood sucking selection of vampire romance tales. They’re full of lust, love and passion. Along with a little bit of kicking ass, finding yourself and forgiving the past. Everything that you want in a good collection of novellas. A little bit of spice, and a whole lot of sweet…
  
  First Blood is a wonderful collection of tales. One that I thoroughly enjoyed sinking my fangs into and was a little bit disappointed when it ended. There is something kind of fun about vampire romances. Something which is fun and mostly sensual… if sometimes a little cliché. Luckily, none of these four novellas were able to be classified as overdone tropes… which, not so luckily, meant that I also have four series to add to my collection of to be read books.
  
  This is a great collection of paranormal romance novellas. Every story is written by a master of her craft. And the stories are guaranteed to get your pulse racing, heart pumping, and imagination going wild. It’s just lucky that there aren’t likely to be any vampires waiting at your door for a nice romp in the dark.
  
  For individual reviews, head to:
  https://earthandskye.org/categories/s...
• 
  Amanda

  Cave Canem
  I was not initially drawn into this story, although it provided background information I think I could have done without the first chapter. From the second chapter on I thoroughly enjoyed the story of how Dan and Tess found one another, and love.
  
  Russian Roulette
  I enjoyed this short story from beginning to end!
  
  Double the Bite
  Ginny and Ben are such a great couple!
  
  Thicker than Blood
  Fantastic story! Annie & her Sunshine Boy!
  I loved the ending!
• 
  TinaMarie

  MelJean Brook - Thicker Than Blood
  The best one in the anthology. He thought she died six years prev, she was hungry and he reminded her of Jack, oops it was Jack. She has to tell him what really happened to her, while trying to find and save a twelve year old girl from a demon, who has killed 130 vampires.
  
• 
  Edwina Callan

  The over the top silliness had me rolling my eyes through most of this book.
  Not the best bitey book that I've read but far from being the worst.
  Just simply an ok read.
• 
  Julie theriault

  wasn't very interesting
• 
  Rosemary

  Not bad for novellas. The stories were Just not long enough for me. But 3 new authors to check out their longer stuff 🤷🏻‍♀️
• 
  Emily S

  Oh man that was cute 😭 only read thicker than blood by Meljean Brook
• 
  Melindeeloo

  Take a quick trip to the vampire worlds of Brook, Green, Sizemore and McCarthy
  
  This quartet of vampire `quickies' take advantage of the authors' established universes. My favorites were the stories by McCarthy and Brook. I admit I might be a bit biased because I follow both McCarthy's Vegas Vamps and Brook's Guardian series, but I thought that they did the best job of telling their stories in the novella length space.
  
  "Cave Canem" - when two Hellhound pups are stolen, Dan, who for centuries has been the protector of the Hellhounds after making a vow to their mother, will need his skills as vampire enforcer to find the pups. Werewolf Tess' duty is also tied to the missing hounds, it is the job of her clan to make sure their full demonic potential is never unleashed on the world. Though at odds on how to resolve the hellhound problem -- at least one of the pups is living up to its evil potential and killing humans and drinking their souls -- Dan and Tess experience an unexpected connection even though werewolves and vampires are normally not attracted to each other and they do not become mates. 3.5 stars - This was an okay story, the hellhound history was interesting though some readers may find it squicky. But Dan and Tess' hookup and a secondary romance worked into the story really would have benefited from a bit more space than what's allotted here. I haven't read Susan Sizemore's Laws of the Blood series, but I suspect that fans may recognise Valentine and Olympias who have cameo roles -- they have the feel of characters that the reader is expected to know -- which will likely make this story more fun for you if you follow the series.
  
  "Russian Roulette" - New Orleans vampire musician and bar owner Alistar, takes a risk to rescue a kidnapped newbie vampire Sasha from certain death. A vampire slayer before her turning, Sasha is slated to be given over to her former allies. Alistar soon discovers that he's not getting any gushing gratitude for his efforts to save Sasha. Sasha has not had a easy or pleasant life and doesn't trust easily but Alistar is a truly nice and decent guy and takes care with this damaged, attractive, intelligent survivor. 4.5 stars - A spin off from Erin McCarthy's Vegas vampire series, I really liked this story. The relationship between the pair is grown nicely and I loved both Sasha and Alistar. But I do wish it had been a bit longer because the extremely short time frame, only two days, is really too short for Alistar to have overcome the weight of Sasha's abusive past.
  
  "Double the Bite" - Disillusioned police detective Ben heads to the Big Apple to try and get closure on the exsanguination murder of his idealized older brother. Ben is haunted by the final image of his dead sibling and the blissful expression so out of sync with the violent death. Ben's search for the killer leads him to twin vampiresses and knowledge of a world that he never expected existed. Ben fascinates the eldest twin Ginny who is drawn to his noble core as she invades his innermost thoughts and he is equally enchanted by her and the dark promise of her bite. But her twin Geneva won't tolerate any one challenging the bond with her sister and Ben may not survive her jealousy. 3 stars - This was my least favorite of the stories. The twins are refugees Green's Vampire Babylon Hollywood and though these books are in my TBR pile I haven't gotten to them yet. I didn't really care for the stereotypic debauchery of the vampires in this universe and the darker undertones of Ben's desire kept me from being pulled into his relationship with Ginny, though I liked the ending.
  
  "Thicker than Blood" - Annie and a Jack were in love and on the verge of being lovers before Annie's death. But Annie didn't stay dead, she became a vampire but her shame with the unavoidable side effects of her blood hunger kept her away from Jack until she follows a stranger that reminds her of her beloved and the broken man actually turns out to be Jack. Jack lost everything when he lost Annie, and now that he has her back he will let nothing neither her bloodlust or the demon who is try to wipe out every vampire in the city keep him from Annie ever again. 4.5 stars - Meljean Brook's Guardian series tie-in was my favorite of the four stories. Her story actually makes the most effective use of this short format mostly because she takes advantage of an established connection between her leads. This one works so well because of the depth of Annie and Jack's previous history and love they already had for each other. I am not sure whether a reader new to the series will pick up on everything that the fans bring to the story, because Annie lets Jack figure out her secrets for himself. Fans will also appreciate the cameos by Lilith and Guardian Jake (who's up next in Demon Bound).
  
• 
  Aurian Booklover

  You never forget your first blood...Susan Sizemore returns to the universe of her Laws of the Blood novels with a sizzling story of the relationship between a vampire enforcer and a werewolf.
  
  It has been over 10 years I think since I read a book in this series, although I love her other vampire books a lot. I enjoyed this story, and now I certainly want to read the Laws of the Blood series.
  It is about the origin of Hell Hounds, and how demons want to use them to kill for souls and take over the Earth.
  
  8 stars.
  
  Erin McCarthy's Sasha Checkikov flees the bright lights and dangerous slayers of Vegas for New Orleans, where she is saved by a vampire haunted by his past - and hungry for passion.
  
  I love Erin McCarthy’s Vegas Vampires series, and this short story was a nice bonus to that series. I have wondered what would happen to Sasha. A vampire hunter who risked a lot and was turned into a vampire herself. How will she handle that life?
  She ends up in New Orleans instead of Las Vegas and its thriving vampire community, where she is rescued by another vampire. It will take a while before she can trust a man though.
  
  8 stars.
  
  Set in the Vampire Babylon world, Chris Marie Green's story puts the bond between twin female vampires to the test when one of them falls for her prey.
  
  This was the story I liked the least, it was dark and confusing, and perhaps because I don’t know this series. But I am not tempted in the least to start reading it.
  
  5 stars out of 10.
  
  
  Meljean Brook's vampire Annie Gallagher needs help to save a young human girl, but she doesn't expect the help to come from the FBI agent she loved - and had to give up - when she was transformed.
  
  This is another world I have not read anything about yet, but I absolutely loved this story, and I want more. I loved Annie and her ex boyfriend Jack, and the whole world building.
  
  9 stars.
  
  Overall, an anthology well worth reading, and if you already like the Vampire Babylon world, you will probably enjoy this book even more than I did. I like reading anthologies when I am tired, and not able to focus on a longer story. And if the story catches my attention and curiosity for the rest of the series, all the better.
  
  From all the anthologies on my shelves, I picked this one to read, as it has an Erin McCarthy story, and Erin is one of the authors coming to the Love Letter Convention in Berlin, Germany, and I wanted to read it before the convention.
  
• 
  Nath

  Only read Meljean Brook's novella
  
  Thicker Than Blood: 4.5/5 (A-)
  
  LOVED IT, LOVED IT, LOVED IT!!!!!! Seriously, this one was a great entry to the series and of course, I wished it was a bit longer... but for the length of this novella, Ms Brook definitively pulled it off :)
  
  I really liked Annie and Jack's characters. How strong they were and their ability to build a new life without each other, but still missing each other. What I liked the most though is once they were reunited, they were honest with each other... no denials, no excuses. For example, Jack getting engaged not long after Annie's "death." If it was in any other books, I would have had difficulty accepting it... However, he didn't make excuses for himself and he was so earnest in his explanation and I understood why... in the end, it was perfect. Also, none of them denied that during the past 6 years, they missed each other and that they still had feelings for each other. Usually, in these kind of reunions, they are a lot of denials about their feelings and a lot of resentment, but not in this case and it made it refreshing and more enjoyable.
  
  I also enjoyed the storyline. Surprisingly, it was very balanced between the storyline and character development, which frankly, doesn't happen much in novellas. The intrigue was well constructed and developed and complex as well. I don't feel like Ms Brook 'simplified' the storyline just because it was a novella. It also gave us a different vampire prospective. In previous books, we had Colin which is 200 years old and special, since he's nosterafu-borned, and Charlie, who was a newly turned vampire, while Annie, although not very old, has settled in a community. So it was interesting.
  
  One of the best part I think is Jack finding out what Annie has become without having her telling him in words. It was fun and clever and well done :) Oh, and I loved seeing Lilith... she didn't steal the show which was cool, but seeing her and a bit of her 'past' while she was a FBI agent just added to the story :)
  
  My only complaint, which is going to sound stupid, is Annie and Jack's names... It was just a bit confusing, given that the H/H in the next Guardian book, Demon Bound, are named Alice and Jake. Even their last names are similar: Annie Gallagher and Jack Harrington vs. Alice Grey and Jake Hawkins LOL!!!
• 
  Kimberly Ann

  From amazon.com:
  
  "Four all-new stories of forbidden passion and dark desire.
  
  You never forget your first blood...Susan Sizemore returns to the universe of her Laws of the Blood novels with a sizzling story of the relationship between a vampire enforcer and a werewolf.
  
  Erin McCarthy’s Sasha Checkikov flees the bright lights and dangerous slayers of Vegas for New Orleans, where she is saved by a vampire haunted by his past—and hungry for passion.
  
  Set in the Vampire Babylon world, Chris Marie Green’s story puts the bond between twin female vampires to the test when one of them falls for her prey.
  
  Meljean Brook’s vampire Annie Gallagher needs help to save a young human girl, but she doesn’t expect the help to come from the FBI agent she loved—and had to give up— when she was transformed."
  
  The first story is about the origins of Hellhounds. Two puppies are missing, both are being trained, one by a demon that superimposed itself on a cloak of magic in order to wreak havoc on humankind and vampires as well..... The vampire who is responsible for all Hellhounds is teamed w/ the werewolf daughter of the Werewolf who birthed the original Hellhounds.
  
  The second story is about a slayer, turned vampire and held captive & tortured by another vampire who intends to turn her over to those she "betrayed". The slayer/vampire is saved by a Vampire who is bent on "doing good" for the damsel in distress.....
  
  The third story is about vampire twin sisters involved with a murder. The murdered man's brother comes to seek justice & the truth of the crime. He falls in love with one of the twins....
  
  The last story is about a vampire who is intent on saving the human child of a vampire couple who have been slaughtered along with a few hundred other vampires. As she goes out to feed, she follows a man home.... only to find out he is the man she left behind when she was turned....
  
  I liked all the stories and I'm glad they did not evolve to full length books, or they'd have become tedious. The last story in & of itself was a bit tedious.... not really getting into the main point of the story. There was too much of the whys of the main character hiding her turning from the man she truly loved.
  
  These are satisfying, erotic, (for the most part) well written stories.
• 
  Carolyn F.

  Anthology. 4.33 stars. Very good anthology. It's not the book's fault I don't know Susan Sizemore's books.
  
  Cave Caneum by Susan Sizemore. I'm going to skip this one. The story has so many references to previous books that I'm very confused. I have some of this author's books from this series, so I'll hold off and read it in order when I eventually get around to starting her series. I won't rate it and I won't have it affect the overall rating of this book.
  
  Russian Roulette by Erin McCarthy. Alastair hears about a female vampire that is going to be turned over to slayers, so he goes to rescue her. Sasha has been used and abused by vampires eventually being turned against her will so she has major trust issues even with her rescuer. Really good story. ****
  
  Double the Bite by Chris Marie Green. Ben is looking for his brother's killer. He's come from Texas to New York and is trying to follow his brother's past. He sees Ginny on the dance floor and stares at her like everyone else. He finds out she's the last to see his brother alive. She sees in him all that she's missing in her life. The only problem is her sister Geneva, who has gone a little mad. The ending was wonderful. A big surprise. *****
  
  Thicker than Blood by Meljean Brook. Annie is back from New York to Philadelphia and finds out that every vampire has been killed. She's looking for the human little of one of the vampires and hasn't been keeping up with her feedings. She sees a man that reminds her of her old human love and when she sneaks in she finds out it's really him. Jack hasn't gotten over Annie in those 6 years. He helps her look for the girl during the day and tries to convince Annie that they should not separate when the girl is found. Beautiful little story. ****
• 
  Amanda

  I read 3 out 4 and I liked all 3 of them.
  
  The first story I read was “Cave Canem” and I have never read anything by Susan Sizemore before but I had heard of her so I was curious and what a great way to get to know her writing so I read her story. at first I was so lost I actually got frustrated and was like who let her actually get away with this story and after a little bit further in I started to get the picture and it became my 2nd favorite story in the book and I liked it so much so that I am going to read the first five books in Laws of the Blood series and then will probably read this one over again just to I get the true effect of it. I love a real alpha male and this one was crazy hot to me and part of feels bad for it but only a little :o)
  
  The second Story I read was "Russian Roulette" by Erin McCarthy which of course I liked because hello its her and it was a continuance of the Vegas Vamp Series and it was awesome to see the Heroines Story and my god who wouldn't love the Hero Vamp or No Vamp.
  
  The last story I read was as much as a wonderful surprise as the first I had never read anything by Meljean Brook but I really loved her Story “Thicker Than Blood” and i can' wait to find some more books by her. The main characters were so connected and so believable and my good who in her right mind would not think JACK was the end all of great men.
  
  I am only giving it 4 stars because I fee a 5 star book would have ment I would have at least wanted to read the 4th book and I didn't at all.
• 
  Steph

  I read First Blood in full for a challenge. If it hadn't been for that, I would've only read Erin's Vegas Vampires short. I haven't read any of the other series yet. Some of them had me interested enough to look into the full series (Meljean Brook's series), while others made me feel like I was watching a long-time running soap opera for the first time, not knowing anything about the characters, what's happened prior to the short and not really caring.
  
  Since I've only read the Vegas Vampires series, I will only review that one. I don't think I can provide any good insight into the others that might help you decide to/not to read them.
  
  Erin McCarthy's story, "Russian Roulette" is #5 in the series and tells the story of vampire/bar owner/musician Alistair Kirk and fledgling vampire Sasha Chechikov. Alistair knows his evil-ex, Cassandra, is holding a woman hostage in her home. He rescues Sasha and takes her back to New Orleans with him. Sasha was Gregor Chechikov's blood slave. After his death, she was sold to Cassandra. Needless to say, she doesn't trust vampires, but she goes along with Alistair's plan of pretending to be his girlfriend in order to hide her. They're both surprised when their pretense turns into real affection for one another.
  
  The story was a good mix of action and romance. I enjoy the series and will continue to read it. I may try to start Meljean's Guardians series as well.
• 
  Rosario

  ****I only read the Meljean Brook story, Thicker Than Blood.****
  
  I've no idea how, but I seem to have missed this one when it came out. Good think I'm being methodical about this series reread!
  
  A few years ago, Annie was turned into a vampire. One of the consequences of that was having to leave behind the man she loved, Jack. Jack was told Annie had died, and never really got over it. They meet again when Annie follows home a stranger who reminds her of Jack, intending to make him her blood donor that night.
  
  This is a really good short story. The plot is interesting, but Brook keeps it simple and straighforward. The focus is really on the romance, and a lovely one it is, too. Jack and Annie already share a connection and the love they felt for each other hasn't gone away, which allows the author to concentrate on them coming to terms with the implications of Annie being a vampire. It's an emotional and powerful story.
  
  The story is set in the Guardians universe, but it feels a bit separate, with the characters we know and love making only cameo appearances. Much as I love them, I didn't mind.
  
  Thicker Than Blood was published in the First Blood anthology, alongside stories by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy and Crystal Green. I had a look at reviews and I'm not tempted to try them. Seems like a bit of a waste, but I'd rather waste money than time.
  
  MY GRADE: A B+
• 
  Ruth Violet

  the first story cave canem-susan sizemore. first off an excellent story. i really love all her primes' books,they are excellent. this is a story from her laws of the blood series. and if they are all this good. i am sooo getting them all. there was so much happening in this story. but wow! you have vampires,werewolves,witches. i mean what is not to love. she is definitely one of my fav writers. she just draws you into the story from page one. awesome story,characters and everything.
  2nd story russian roulette-erin mccarthy. very good story. sasha is a very vulnerable woman/vampire that has been treated badly by men all her life. including the friend she trusted, but betrayed her not once but twice. so when she found love at long last. well there shouldve been fireworks,but then again i guess there were. Alistair her knight in shining armor. like awwww. i will try to read some of here books in the future.
  3rd story double the bite-chris marie green. a twin has to choose between love and family. but it all turns out ok in the end. a good story.
  4th story thicker than blood-meljean brook. i didnt care for this story. i took too long to get through it. so that why i gave 3* and not 4 or 5.
• 
  Sarah A.

  I mainly decided to read this anthology for the sake of Meljean Brook's Guaridan novella. But I ended up reading the other 3 stories along with it. Although I stopped reading Chris Marie Green's story after 5 pages because I though it too interesting to ruin the story line of the series,and so I decided to mark her "Vmpire Babylon" series as a future "to read" books.
  
  Now back to review our anthology,as far as anthologies go this was a "not bad" rating. It felt weird that some stories were actually shorter than others. I generally thought that each writer has a limited spcae similar to the others accompanying him/her in the book, I guess I was mistaken. Nonetheless,while I was not so impressed by Susan Sizemore's story,I was glad that Meljean Brook got the bigger portion cause I enjoyed her novella very much. As usual with her the plot,the dialogue,the character always in a roller coaster of emotions,and you can't help but like it!
  
  
  A "not bad",not-so-thick anthology for vampire lovers to read,should cover it!
  
  
• 
  Christine

  This rating is for the story "Thicker Than Blood" by Meljean Brook only. I haven't read the other stories in this anthology and honestly may never get to them. I bought this book solely for the aforementioned story, book #3.5 in the Guardians series by Meljean Brook. Of all the short stories and novellas I've read... Meljean Brook nails it every single time with a five star read. [The only other short story that impresses me equally is "Alpha and Omega" by Patricia Briggs in the On The Prowl anthology.]
  
  "Thicker Than Blood" can be read as a stand alone story, but if you are already reading Ms. Brook's Guardian series, I highly recommend you hunt down a copy of this anthology and read this one. The story is has a strong bittersweet tone, but intense drama in the world known only to Guardians, demons and vampires. In her signature style, however, the story is still very sexy and romantic with a happy ending that romance readers will surely appreciate.