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Tanya Huff, Copyright: Tanya Huff
Tanya Huff
born: 1957
in: Halifax (CAN)

Tanya's Blog:
Livejournal

Official webpage
for "Blood Ties"
(Lifetime)

Fanpage for the
TV series Blood Ties

Bibliography:
1988 .|. Child of the Grove
1989 .|. The Last Wizard
1989 .|. Gate of Darkness, Circle of Light
1990 .|. The Fire's Stone
1991 .|. Blood Price .|. Bookworm's Comment
1992 .|. Blood Trail .|. Bookworm's Comment
1993 .|. Blood Lines
1993 .|. Blood Pact
1994 .|. Sing the Four Quarters
1995 .|. Fifth Quarter
1995 .|. Scholar of Decay
     (with Robh Ruppel)
1996 .|. No Quarter
1997 .|. Blood Debt
1998 .|. Summon the Keeper
1999 .|. The Quartered Sea
1999 .|. Wizard of the Grove
1999 .|. What, Ho, Magic!
     (mit Todd Lockwood)
1999 .|. Stealing Magic
2000 .|. Valor's Choice
2001 .|. The Second Summoning
2001 .|. Of Darkness, Light and Fire
2002 .|. The Better Part of Valor
2003 .|. A Long Hot Summoning
2003 .|. Relative Magic
2004 .|. Smoke and Shadows
2005 .|. Smoke and Mirrors
2005 .|. Stealing Magic (Extend. Ed.)
2005 .|. Women of War (Ed.)
2006 .|. Smoke and Ashes
2006 .|. The Blood Books, Vol. 1
2006 .|. The Blood Books, Vol. 2
2006 .|. The Blood Books, Vol. 3
2006 .|. A Confederation of Valor
7/2007 .|. The Heart of Valor
9/2007 .|. The Quarters Novels, Vol. 1
11/2007 .|. The Quarters Novels, Vol. 2



Blood Price
"Blood Price" (DAW Books, Paperback, 12th edition, 1991, read: October 01)
"It began with blood and death amid the streets of late-night Toronto. Vicki Nelson, formerly of Toronto's homicide detail, now a private investigator, witnessed the first attack by the force of dark magic that would soon wreak its reign of terror on the unsuspecting city. And as death followed unspeakable death, Vicki became more and more deeply enmeshed in an investigation which would see her renewing her stormy relationship with her former police partner, Mike Celluci, even as she teamed up with writer Henry Fitzroy in a desperate attempt to track down the source of the seeemingly unstoppable attacks. For Fitzroy, the illegitimate son of Henry VIII, had knowledge of realms beyond the mortal acquired over the centuries during which he'd mastered his own insatiable needs - the life-from-death cravings of a vampire.
Henry Fitzroy had long since learned to survive without killing, learned the skills needed to blend in with the human race. But unless he, Vicki, and Mike could find the key to conquering the magic-raised menace stalking the streets of Toronto, Fitzroy's true identity might soon be exposed and his life might prove forfeit to the uncontrollable fears of humankind. And without Henry Fitzroy, mere mortals like Vicki and Mike would not long survive against the ancient force of chaos that had been loosed on their world ..."

Everyone who likes to read vampire stories and already knows the Anita-Blake novels by Laurell K. Hamilton will sooner or later encounter Tanya Huff. The basics are similar: a young woman gets together with a vampire to fight evil ... one in St. Louis and the other one in Toronto, Canada. But while the vampires in Anita Blake's world lead an open life, in Toronto only few people know about their existence. One of them is Vicki Nelson, an ex-cop who had to quit her job because of eye problems and who now works as a private investigator. When she accidentally discovers a brutal murder which seems to be the work of a supernatural being she meets Henry Fitzroy, vampire and son of Henry VIII. Together they fight against peoples superstitions and real demons.

"Blood Price" doesn't take place in a fantasy-world where vampires, zombies and fairies take part in everyday life but rather in a real world. Vicki is not as tough as Anita but has normal weaknesses and apart from that a sickness which leaves her almost blind in the dark. Therefore Vicki is more a human 'like you and me' than Anita. Who thinks the whole scenery of the Anita Blake novels is to weird and unrealistic may be better off with Vicki Nelson. The vampire Henry Fitzroy is an interesting character who may be the cause of some interesting storylines in the next installments of the series. He's missing some of the dangerous-erotic personality of Jean-Claude but that may still change. The story is well-written, has some interesting minor characters and makes one curious for more. Hoping that there will be more to know about Henry's past the next part won't stay unread in the bookshelf for long.
[Dorothée Büttgen, January 02]

Tanya Huff, Blood Trail
"Blood Trail" (DAW Books, Paperback, 10th edition, 1992, read: June 2003)
"For centuries, they had peacefully coexisted with ordinary humans in Canada. But now death had invaded the peaceful retreat of their London, Ontario Farm. For someone had learned their most closely guarded secret. Someone knew they were werewolves and whoever it was was determined to destroy them all.
The only one they could turn to for help wa Henry Fitzroy, a Toronto-based vampire and writer of bodice rippers. But, forced to hide from the light of day, Henry couldn't hunt down the killer alone. So he called upon Vicki Nelson, ex-policewoman and now a private investigator. Vicki and Henry had successfully worked together before, and once she met the wers, he knew she'd have to take the case.
Yet as silver bullets continue to take their ghastly toll, Henry and Vicki began to fear that even their combined talents might not prove enough to trace the blood trail of destruction to its source before it was too late ..."

Ok, it took me some time to get to the second part of the series. Too many books, to little time ... who doesn't know that? But it was good to get into it again. This time the investigations of Vicki, the detective, and Henry, the Vampire, are centered around the murders of a werewolf-family. Henry has to ask Vicki for help because he obviously can't work by day. And Vickis ex-partner and ex-boyfriend Celluci is drawn into the investigations which to him seem to become stranger every minute. And until the murders are solved he will see some strange things which will change his worldview tremendously.

Vicki and Henry are evolving into an interesting couple and they gets to know each other better every day. After all, who can resist a vampire? But just as you think they are finally an item Celluci comes in and mixes it all up with his jealousy. A little bit less of the cock-fight between Henry and Celluci wouldn't have been bad. I hope that in the next part of the series Vicki can choose one or the other (and I would definitely prefer Henry).
The only thing that really unnerved me in the story was the ongoing mentioning of Vicki pushing back her glasses. Yes, the woman is almost blind and she wears glasses. Yes, sometimes they fall down her nose. And yes, then she has to push them back up. But is it necessary to describe it in detail every time it happens? For the first five times its kind of funny but then as the story goes on it gets a bit much. One almost waits for it to be mentioned again.
But this is really only a small thing that I didn't like. All in all its a great vampire-werewolf-story which should not be missed by any fan of the genre!
[Dorothée Büttgen, August 03]

More great reviews from Bookworm's Lair:

Laurell K. Hamilton - Guilty Pleasures     Charlaine Harris - Dead until Dark     Anne Rice - Interview with the Vampire     Thomas Staab - Vampire's Waltz

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