Zen and the Art of Vampire
Katie MacAlisterParanormal romance
Available from Berkley
ISBN: 978-0451225603
December 2008
| Pia is almost forty, a bit heavy, and in need of a little romance in her life, so she signs up on a singles tour of Europe. So far, only her friend Magda has found love, but Pia keeps hoping. During a festival in Iceland, she is kidnapped and forced to marry a vampire, a wickedly handsome, sexy, grumpy, and still in love with his dead girlfriend vampire. Two rival supernatural groups are laying claim to Pia, who supposedly is the Zorya now that the last one, Annika has been found stabbed to death in Pia's hotel bathroom. And then there are the ghosts that keep following her around asking her to lead them to a place she never heard of. None of these being believe that she is just a tourist from Seattle and they all want to marry her or kill her or both.
I was hooked on this book from the first page. No one puts an ordinary person in a bizarre situation with more humor than this author. The combination of funny situations, hot love scenes and spine tingling suspense made it impossible not to read this book in one sitting. Pia is a very funny and down to earth character with a lot of common sense. I liked the Alec character very much. Kristoff, while very vampirically sexy was not as easy to like. He treats Pia abominably and unknowingly undermines her already shaky confidence in herself, though he does come through for her when it counts, and Pia comes through for everyone. I also liked the Magda character, her joy in life is a direct counterpoint to the dismal Denise's. The ghosts were a lively bunch and added a lot to the story with their side comments on the action. I couldn't get enough of Pia and am very happy that this looks like the start of another one of Ms. MacAlister's great series; I already wait anxiously for the other ones.
Overall rating:
Reviewer: Maura Frankman |
