Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires, Book 3)
by Rachel Caine
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Book Summary Information
Author: Rachel CaineBrand: NAL Jam
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-10-02
ISBN: 0451222385
Number of pages: 256
Publisher: NAL Jam
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9780451222381
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires, Book 3)
Book Review: Great moments, but lacks the "ooomph!" of the two previous books.
Summary: 3 Stars
It's business as usual. Murder and mayhem abound in Morganville and the Glass House residents are up to their ears in trouble. If vampire politics weren't enough, the four roommates now face in-fighting and trust issues with each other.
Caine introduced Myrnin, the most compelling Morganville vampire to date. His characterization is a work of genius, he both moved me and terrified me, got under my skin as the other Morganville vampires haven't managed to do. The scene in Chapter 12 where he barely allows Claire to flee his lair chilled me even as his misfortunes brought a lump to my throat. Myrnin's "retirement" is a heartbreaking relief. In Myrnin's characterization, Caine painted astonishing dichotomy and raised the stakes Claire holds in utilizing her talents to assist Morganville's monster population. Vampires may be the baddies, but I honestly don't want Myrnin to end his days entombed alive, separated from all the knowledge and learning he's earned over his lifetime.
Another reviewer cited "Midnight Alley" as "filler" in the series. The novel is filler as far as fleshing out Shane, Michael, and Eve. Michael's still holding my interest, but Shane seems more and more so "Mr. Wrong" for Claire his scenes are starting to bother me. He never seems to do much of anything beyond initiating arguments or fistfights and telling everybody else why their decisions and choices are wrong. I'm not liking him a bit. The novel threw table scraps concerning Eve's bad blood with her family, particularly her presumably psychotic brother, Jason. I didn't complete the read feeling I'd found out anything nifty or new about the Glass House residents, and that disappointed me.
Additional disappointment is the aspect of Claire's contract with Amelie, Morganville's vampiress Founder. I have numerous issues with this storyline due to its inconsistency. Claire is a minor (unless she was legally emancipated by her parents.) Therefore, any contract she enters can be nullified by her parents or by Claire herself upon reaching adult age. I realize this is a paranormal series, but my understanding in Book 1 ("Glass Houses") was that minors were effectively "off limits" to Morganville's vampire population; children are effectively under the same "protection" as their parents.
Even though Claire is now "Protected," I have to question the value of this alleged protection since her "Protector" sent her on an assignment clearly intended to result in Claire's death. To my mind, this assignment qualifies as a "dealbreaker" in the contract. It also demonstrated duplicity and unreliability in Amelie that bothered me since, earlier in the series, Amelie cheerfully advised Claire she would never harm her without informing her prior to taking action.
Nor has Amelie's "Protection" proved to have much value elsewhere. If anything, Claire and the gang end up in hot water regularly, and with the same problems and threats prior to Claire entering contract with Amelie. Plus, Claire must now put up with additional grief from Amelie's rivals and enemies. The sole "improvement" I've discerned in the arrangement is that Monica Morrell and her Goon Girl Clique stopped terrorizing Claire. Somehow, signing away one's life for that one perk is a tad overkill.
I'd hoped for and was glad to see some depth and dimension developed in Monica's character. While I still don't find her genuine, it interested me to learn more about her practical motives.
I'd like to see Claire Danvers lose her Mary Sue status and be free to function as a real character. It's getting tiresome and predictable fast. Morganville Character meets Claire. If Character is a "good guy," s/he likes Claire immediately and treats her very well. If Chracter = "bad guy," s/he hates and abuses Claire and demonstrates psychoses. Everyone reports to Claire for whatever problem or issue occurs relevant to the storyline, even when it makes no sense.
My quibbles may sound nit-picky, and maybe the average reader doesn't share them. A good series should connect all the books in a cohesive, credible way. Yes, we'd like to witness evolution, growth, and change. But the chaotic element shading Caine's charactertizations of the vampires is getting harder to take in. Bottom line: most all are all neurotic (with good reason,) murderous (sometimes without good reason), and untrustworthy. People like that are hard to do business with. At this point, Claire can't trust Amelie to even safeguard Claire's own life and health. Claire has been slated for murder and plied with narcotics as a "study aid" by her "benefactress" or with her blessing. Now what?
My final peeve is the new cliffhanger ending of "Midnight Alley" which is not new at all, but a recycled double whammy of the "Glass Houses" cliffhanger. Rather than hurrying to load my "Feast of Fools" ebook, I found myself rolling my eyes and shaking my head. After the delicious poignant terror of Myrnin's storyline and its painful resolution, the novel's finale read to me as contrived and uninspiring. I think I would have digested it better if Caine hinted at the surprise earlier in the story. Some of the "surprise visitors" have no reason to visit the Glass House (apart from providing Caine with an opportunity to shock/surprise her readers.)
Overall, I'm not sorry I read "Midnight Alley" because Myrnin's story made the flaws worth the read. but I hope "Feast of Fools" is better than this.
Summary of Midnight Alley (Morganville Vampires, Book 3)
Claire Danvers's college town may be run by vampires but a truce between the living and the dead made things relatively safe. For a while. Now people are turning up dead, a psycho is stalking her, and an ancient bloodsucker has proposed private mentoring. To what end, Claire will find out. And it's giving night school a whole new meaning.
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