Review: Bitter Blood by Rachel Caine

Title: Bitter Blood

Author: Rachel Caine

Publisher: NAL

Publishing Date: November 6, 2012

Pages/Format: 404, Hardcover

For years, the human and vampire residents of Morganville, Texas, have managed to co-exist in peace. But now that the threat to the vampires has been defeated, the human residents are learning that the gravest danger they face is the enemy within…

Thanks to the eradication of the parasitic creatures known as the draug, the vampires of Morganville have been freed of their usual constraints. With the vampires indulging their every whim, the town’s human population is determined to hold on to their lives by taking up arms. But college student Claire Danvers isn’t about to take sides, considering she has ties to both the humans and the vampires. 

To make matters worse, a television show comes to Morganville looking for ghosts, just as vampire and human politics collide. Now, Claire and her friends have to figure out how to keep the peace without ending up on the nightly news… or worse.

Initial Reaction of Book in One Word: Uhhhhh

Okay, so I'm writing this review like a week or so after reading Bitter Blood, and that may not have actually been my initial reaction. However, "uhhhhh" sums it up pretty well, and it has myriad meanings. It could be an oh-how-sweet uh, an I-don't-know-what's-going-to-happen-in-Fall-Of-Night (book 14) uh, or maybe even a what's-happening-in-Morganville uh. If you know me, you know how much I love this series. (I mention it in almost every Top Ten Tuesday.) I LOVE this series, and I most definitely loved the latest installment.

First and foremost, I'm going to get my issues out of the way. (Every book, even my favorites, has imperfections. Who/what doesn't?) My first issue is one that doesn't bother me very much, but I see it in almost every book in the series: inconsistency. (Warning: Spoilers ahead!) For instance, Pennyfeather. If I remember correctly, Pennyfeather is a man who could also be a woman (can't tell) who's not the gang's favorite vampire. Pennywell, introduced first in the books, was the same. Did Pennywell change his name? And then there's the house. I thought that, when Myrnin brought Claire back to life, it took away all the "power" in the house, making it just a plain old house? Because that power is back in Bitter Blood, and so's Miranda--as a ghost, similar to Michael's situation. Which is weird. I like the Glass House to be just Michael, Shane, Claire, and Eve--no one else. Miranda kind of got on my nerves. 

My other problem--which kind of breaks my heart--is what happened with Shane and Claire. So we all know Shane has issues (why wouldn't he?). But when Claire has to think about things because Shane didn't believe her when she told him something (that something, by the way? HOLY MOLY FREAKING CRAP OH MY GOSH!), I had to put my foot on the breaks. SPOILER! Myrnin kissed Claire. On the lips. (And let's admit it--I want Claire with Shane. But we all know when her and Myrnin kissed that we liked it and that she liked it, too.) Did she tell Shane? NOPE. I wanted her to, partly because I knew his freakout and death-wish on Myrnin would be extremely entertaining. But this is kind of a big bother for me. Now for the goods! (Which so totally outweigh the negatives.)

Bitter Blood does not disappoint the series, for it has all the right ingredients: crazy vampires, romance, drama, humor, life--everything! The synopsis suggests that this book is all about ghosts, and I really don't think it was. Sure, there were ghosts (still unsure of their importance), but bigger things were happening, in my opinion. SPOILERS! I feel like the people we love (and love to hate) in Morganville are reaching major climaxes in their lives. Amelie is a mega-b who needs to be put in check, and her lover Oliver (you read that right) is becoming more of a good guy. The new Mr. and Mrs. Glass want a life of their own--alone. Shane and Claire seem to have hit a bump in the road, but they get to leave Morganville. I think they have to go back, but they get to leave. Claire's going to MIT in Boston, and she gets to take Shane with her. I'm sincerely hoping that one of the books lets us witness the two in Boston, because I want to read about Shane and Claire in Boston so bad. It would be different than what we see in Morganville, and I want to know what mayhem meets one of my favorite couples outside of their home.

I love this world. It's set in the present, and everything is just like the real world, minus the vampires, of course. Fangs aside, these books are kind of contemporary (not like the genre, but like the world, if that makes sense). I wish Morganville was real, because I would sooo visit. And the characters--oh, the characters. It's gotten to the point where someone says something and I can nod along because I know that's something they would say or do--I know them. I don't know every fictional character like I know my Morganvillers. And I hate that this is book 13, because if things go as planned, there are only TWO BOOKS LEFT. A lot of series I read end at a good spot or go on for too long. The Morganville Vampires? This series could on forever (seriously) and I would never, ever tire of it. And the day this series ends is going to be so, so bittersweet. I should start ordering the tissues now.

Bitter Blood added to the spectacularness of this series, giving all the usual twists, turns, and trauma (and kisses) that are seen in the other Morganville novels. It ends on a note that simultaneously makes you happy and upset, wondering what's going to happen to the characters. One of the questions I asked myself was, What's going on in Morganville? I have no idea, and that scares and excites me. I can't wait to see what Rachel Caine brings in the final (hopefully that changes) two novels, Fall of Night and Daylighters. I know it seems like I talked a lot about things that make it seem like I didn't love this book, but that's false! This book was fantastic and full of several shockers, and, simply put: I loved it!

Did I like it? Of course!
Did I love it? DUH. Yes!
Would I reread it? Several times.
Would I purchase it? Already have it!

Would I recommend it? Yes yes yes!