[.ca] Dhampir (ISBN 0451459067)

a captivating read:
From the first page of this book i was hooked. The way the authors have managed to write this book is amazing. You can't help but feel connected to the struggles and friendship between the two main characters. As i neared the end i found myself slowing my reading so it would'nt end. I hope there is a continuation. I would recomend this to all especially vampire lovers. That was also a surprising part of the book. They have managed to change the way of a vampire without ruining there escense. A must read!

Surprisingly enjoyable:
I was actually surprised at how I enjoyed this---a true mark of my enjoyment, actually going out and buying the next book in this series. I had just read the latest in the sex drenched, plot light, psycho-analytical Laurell K. Hamilton fare and this book was actually stronger because of one main point----it was in the third person. WHile some writers falsely believe that the first person allows the readers to be drawn into all stories, I think that certain kinds of tales need the third person for management purposes. It was actually refreshing to get into the vampires heads and see their motivations beyond being just a cookie cutter villain of the moment. And the fact that the whole vampire thing a was myth played on by con artists was a nice way to introduce internal conflict into characters cast into the role of "heroes". As heroes, all three do well, a rousing sort of comraderie, affection and at the same time learning curve/bumbling going on. These are perfect professional killers for hire---these are actors hired to kill and that makes the adventure even more interesting because they have to learn on the curve which is a nice introduction and double bind teh characters find themselves in. The desire to be something new and trapped in the lie of their pasts. Most books make their heroes perfect or merely filled with some age old aghast or some moral code that makes the whole world around them incredibly difficult to navigate but Mags, Leesil and Chap are rogues to begin with. Not hardened rogues but skirting the edge of villain all the same. It's also nice that the sexual tension isn't the focus, there's a vague hint and some questions through everyone in the book and an ambiguity of sexuality for Mags and Leesil that begisn to explain their bond and friendship. What made this even more interesting was the placement of it in it's own world, in a sort of mythic time. Magic to an extent exists but it's starting to fade from belief and things like vampires are becoming superstition. It was really interesting to actually see the crux point of the generation where a society changes. I give it five stars---4 for a good story, nice characters and even handed struggle and one additional star for being well written and engaging enough to draw me back for a second book, thief Lives---isn't that what a good book does, make you want and pay for more?

Good but not great:
An entertaining book but could use a bit more 'action' as it were, solid characters and interesing premise but missing that something "special".

Fresh, exciting vampire action in a rich, immersive setting:
Not so long ago, there was a pervasive sense, even among horror fans, that the vampire genre was dead, that it had been bled dry of all creativity and effectiveness. We now know better, of course. One of the more recent scintillating entries in the vampire genre is Dhampir by Barb & J.C. Hendee. If you're a vampire fan, you will almost certainly enjoy this formidable work of dark fantasy literature. While I wouldn't go so far as to equate it with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it is exciting both viscerally and intellectually. Magiere has built quite a reputation as a vampire hunter; she doesn't come cheap, but she always gets her vampire. Of course, her "vampire" is always her trusty half-elven partner Leesil playing the role of the undead fiend. It's a living, but Magiere has grown tired of the game, tired of basically robbing villages of their wealth; it's not as if the superstitious folks across the land actually need protecting since vampires don't exist in the first place. She has just purchased a tavern in the coastal city of Miiska, and she can't wait to get there and start a new life. Then she is attacked one night by a man with supernatural strength and abilities; lucky to survive the fierce fight, she is left troubled by the emotional and physical changes she experienced in the heat of battle. Although she does not realize it at first, a trio of vampires awaits her in Miiska and plots to destroy her, thinking this famous "hunter" is coming to destroy them. She doesn't even know what she is yet, though - not only is she truly a vampire hunter, she is a dhampir. While she is a mortal being, the vampire half of her blood gives her the ability and specialized skills to kill the Noble Undead. Leesin has a secret heritage of his own which makes him an ideal partner for the true hunter, and Leesin's dog Chap also possesses the special capacity to take on the undead. Magiere's undead foes are quite shocked to learn that she can actually harm them with her blade, and their growing realization of her true power and innate calling only furthers the determination of the head vampire Rashed to kill this hunter in order to protect his vampire family. It's an odd set of vampires: Rashed finds comfort in a mortal life, setting himself up as a businessman and insisting that his kind feed upon but not kill its victims. The female Teesha also finds comfort in the trappings of normal life and is actually quite likable in several ways. Then there is Ratboy, the Pig Pen of the vampire world whose feral tendencies sometimes threaten to reveal the vampire presence to the local populace. The vampires also have an ally in the form of Teesha's husband (who just so happens to be a nearly-headless ghost). Magiere doesn't want to fight vampires, but the fact that she keeps getting attacked by them makes it unavoidable. Her mind is in constant turmoil, trying to cope with the increasingly troubling revelations about her true nature, worrying about Leesil on a number of levels, fighting just to survive each night when the sun goes down, dealing with a sense of guilt for the false life she has led up until now, and yearning for the settled, peaceful life she craves so dearly. All of the main characters are complex and very human (or nonhuman, as the case may be), even the dog Chap. That makes the fight scenes all the more thrilling, and the Hendees know how to make vampire action exciting, I can assure you. There are a number of skirmishes and knock-down-drag-out-cut-off-the-head fights in these pages, each of them described in vivid detail. The thrill of it all isn't just blood lust either; the multi-layered richness to the vampires' lives and relationships raises them far above the level of simple monsters representing evil incarnate. You still get your basic vampire mythology here, but some unusual additions to the lore help keep things lively and unpredictable. The fights are a joy to experience, as you get all sorts of killing instruments and murder techniques thrown in (garlic water, for example, when applied liberally to a vampire's skin, bakes it up into a most satisfying charred, smoky mess). The emotional growth of both Magiere and Leesil as the novel progresses offers a strong undercurrent that connects with the reader on a very human level, making these characters ones you really want to meet up with again in the future. The Hendees have created a truly vibrant world ready to open its arms wide to all vampire aficionados. Those who crave vampire-fighting action can sate their needs quite well in the pages of this novel, while those who want to understand the nature and motivations of vampires and their foes are in for a really special treat.

Amazing:
When I first picked up Barb's book, I thought I was in for just another run of the mill fantasy novels with a war-torn young heroine, blah blah blah. Boy was I ever mistaken. This book has everything that a fantasy lover could want. Engaging characters, and an amazing plot. Pick up this book if you're looking for a fast paced vampire novel for a new generation.