Series: Vampirarchy #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published by: World Weaver Press on May 27, 2014
Format: eARC
Pages: 278
Source: Publisher
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A reluctant vampire hunter, stalking New York City as only a scorned bride can.
Elle Dupree has her life all figured out: first a wedding, then her Ph.D., then swank faculty parties where she’ll serve wine and cheese and introduce people to her husband the lawyer.
But those plans disintegrate when she walks in on a vampire sucking the blood from her fiancé, Greg. Horrified, she screams and runs—not away from the vampire, but toward it, brandishing a wooden letter opener.
As she slams the improvised stake into the vampire’s heart, a team of black-clad men bursts into the apartment. Turning to face them, Elle realizes Greg’s body is gone—and her perfect life falls apart.(less)
*I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
In a word…FANGTASTIC!!!
Elle Dupree is on her way to living the perfect life. She’s planning a wedding, working on her Ph.D and her fiancé Greg is working for a prestigious law firm in New York. Things couldn’t be better. The last thing she expected was coming home to a blood thirsty vampire feeding on her soon to be husband and going all Buffy on the vamp, while a team of vampire hunters storm into her apartment to “clean up” the mess she made. In one single night Elle’s world is turned upside down as she learns vampires are real and her fiancé is now a member of the undead club.
“It’s never easy to see an ex for the first time after you’ve broken up. Seeing an ex for the first time after he’s been turned into a bloodthirsty evil creature of the night is possibly even less easy.”
LEGALLY UNDEAD is a refreshing tale of an unlikely, but bad ass heroine who has no supernatural powers but plenty of snark. What happens when Legally Blonde meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Elle Dupree, that’s what!
What I find so endearing about Elle is that she’s just a typical college student with no real fighting skills or knowledge of the paranormal up until that night. Her character proves you don’t have to be a supernatural heroine to be fierce! She’s smart, sassy and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty in order to survive, gotta love her for that. Her geek girl ways and Dracula references are classic, she had me laughing out loud a couple of times, her inner monologue is entertaining to say the least. Elle is no damsel in distress and quickly adapts to her new life of vampire hunting with the help of her newfound friends, Nick and his fellow hunters. I love that she becomes part of Nick’s team and that they never treat her like a “girl” but as one of their own. Her perseverance is admirable, I don’t think I would have embraced her new life with such bravery had I been in her shoes!
“I was the anti-Cinderella at the Beasts’ Ball. All I wanted to do was gather up my charming non-prince and go home.”
There’s also a new possible love interest for Elle in Malcolm, the handsome professor who comes to her rescue when she’s attacked by her vampire-turned ex Greg on campus. I wasn’t expecting Elle to fall for Malcolm when she’s surrounded by a group of alpha men, but didn’t have a problem with their relationship…not everyone goes for the alpha, right??? The romance in this story is minimal, there’s just a little flirting and one smexy scene towards the end which I totally found awkward given the circumstances, but still enjoyed it (yes, I have issues!). Did I fail to mention that all of this crazy vampire slaying takes place in my home state of New York?! Well, the Bronx if we’re being specific. I don’t know if Ms. Collins has ever lived in NY but she does a phenomenal job with her imagery of the city, you feel like you’re right there in the Bronx walking alongside Elle!
“Great. I was living in Bronxylvania.”
The ongoing suspense, action and fantastic humor really makes LEGALLY UNDEAD a must read for fans of unsexy vampires and vampire slayers alike. It really stands out from all the vampire books I’ve read lately and trust me, I read a lot of vampire books! I enjoyed the whole blood sucking lawyers angle and that vampires are stripped of any romanticism, it’s a clever and fresh take on the popular mythology. Elle’s story is engaging from the start and the pace is perfect, I had a hard time putting it down but a girl needs her beauty sleep!
Margo Bond Collins adds dimension to the story with a thrilling mystery to solve, plenty of vampire slaying, multi-faceted characters and of course, some villains. There’s an unexpected twist at the end of this book that shocked me but also has me anxiously awaiting the next installment, I just hope I don’t have to wait too long! I can’t say that I had high hopes for this book when I started, I was intrigued by the description and of course the vampires, but didn’t know what to expect. That being said, I feel Ms. Collins delivered tenfold with her debut of the Vampirarchy series, I’ve found my new favorite vampire hunter in Elle Dupree!
About Margo Bond Collins
Margo Bond Collins is the author of a number of novels, including Waking Up Dead, Fairy, Texas, and Legally Undead (forthcoming May 27, 2014). She lives in Texas with her husband, their daughter, and several spoiled pets. She teaches college-level English courses online, though writing fiction is her first love. She enjoys reading urban fantasy and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about vampires, ghosts, zombies, werewolves, and other monsters.
I might have to look into this one. I love some snark. 🙂
Great review Lori.
I think you’ll really enjoy this one Melanie, it’s not a dark urban fantasy but still has some action and mystery.
I need this. My bookshelf is asking for this.
Totally! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts when you read it Braine 🙂
Thanks so much for the fabulous review! I’m delighted that you enjoyed it! 🙂
~Margo
Bronxylvania. Bahahahaha. Oh wow, Lori. This sounds hilarious. And I’ve been looking for new UF series. WOOT.
I know right? It has some great humor. I hope you check it out Jessica it was a fun and entertaining read for me 🙂