Night Rising is the start of “Vampire Babylon,” a new vampire hunting series featuring a female stunt expert, Dawn Madison. The story is fast paced and filled with enough gory fight scenes to please the hard core urban fantasy reader but with a surprisingly emotional layer that may appeal to the female reader. It fails to deliver a complete world building construct and this coupled with the tendency to leave more plot threads open than resolved left this reader dissatisfied.
Dawn is between stunt jobs when she finds out her father, Frank, is missing. She heads to LA and the PI firm of Limpet & Associates to find him. Assisted by a psycho midget,Kiko Daniels, and a gorgeous Hispanic tech guru, Briesi, Dawn begins to the hunt for Frank. Dawn learns that there is a complete otherworld filled with psychics, vampires and the VOICE, who runs the show at the PI firm. Dawn must help to find her father; solve the mystery of a re-appearing child star that disappeared 12 years ago but has suddenly reappeared; resolve personal issues with her dead mother; fight vampires; discover who is behind the hiring of a second PI guy; figure out who the VOICE is; and save the world. Sound like a lot for one book? It is.
There were two major problems that hindered me from really falling into the story. The world building, while interesting, is frustratingly incomplete. Also incomplete were the conclusion of the many plot threads introduce. In fact, only one was brought to a close. This is likely intentional in order to make a reader invest in the entire trilogy.
What kept me reading was that Dawn was an interesting character. She is an acute observer and her descriptions of her world were detailed and rich. She is conflicted with feelings of anger and remorse over a poor relationship with her father; and her identity and self-esteem issues that arise from being the daughter of a dead Hollywood icon. In the end, I was intrigued about the next book because Dawn is an appealing narrator. I do want to find her peace and am willing to read at least one more book to find out more about her journey. C+
Guest Review by Jane Litte, DearAuthor.com
Night Rising: Vampire Babylon, Book 1 by Chris Marie Green
Published by: Ace (February 6, 2007)
ISBN 10: 0441014674
ISBN 13: 978-0441014675
Genre: Urban Fantasy
I actually enjoyed the heck out of this book. My mom and my friend enjoyed it as well. Maybe it’s the intriguing possibility of telepathic sex. Maybe it’s the unanswered questions of who’s who? In any case, I eagerly await the next book.
I enjoyed this book greatly and am waiting for the next one.